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+--- Thread: What is unique or rare about the VM Zodiac signs? (/thread-2209.html)
RE: What is unique or rare about the VM Zodiac signs? - ReneZ - 21-09-2018
What Marco writes coincides exactly with my opinion:
Quote:Voynich researchers tend to easily jump to strong conclusions on the basis of insufficient evidence. "This root looks like a figure on a Babylonian seal, hence the manuscript clearly incorporates Mesopotamian sources". "These two EVA labels look like Finnish words, hence Voynichese must be Finnish". "These plants look more like exotic plants than European plants, hence the manuscript indisputably represents American (or African) plants".
But visual similarity (even when it is not totally illusory) can be due to several causes, including coincidence. People make errors like these in good faith, because of wishful thinking and the desire to find answers to the numberless questions we face. But it is better to be patient, trying to separate what can be objectively convincing from what could be coincidence.
Large constructions are built on a foundation of only one or two stones, so the priority should be on extending the foundation. This is essentially what I wrote in my first response to JKP's recent blog entry about the long-necked Taurus. (Edit: on re-reading I should emphasise that this was not meant as a criticism, but as a constructive suggestion, because JKP is a perfect example of someone working exactly along the principle of collecting as much as possible information before creating hypotheses).
In 2009, I was aware of exactly one manuscript illustration of a sagittarius shown as a human with a crossbow. Now we are all aware of dozens, and picking any single one would give rise to many different hypotheses about the possible or likely origin of the Voynich MS.
The late 15th century woodcut of the couple that looks like the Voynich gemini is a good example. These woodcuts are most usually copied from manuscripts, and I have already seen statements that the "De amore libri tres" was very popular in the middle ages. There must still be numerous older copies of it.
This is equally likely true for the cancer illustration. In particular the 'legs at the tail' part was not seen before a couple of weeks ago. Then there was one, and now there are a handful. First it was believed to create a strong link to the Lauber workshop (which I still doubt), and now there is a suggestion for a connection between Prague and the Lauber workshop.
Of course, in building up all these hypotheses, not much harm is done, as long as one is aware, and as long as one is prepared to drop a hypothesis when more evidence becomes available. This last thing is not easy, and what happens frequently (and is only natural) is to highlight the things that fit and to blend out the things that don't fit.
But of course one of the charms of this hobby is doing all these things.
RE: What is unique or rare about the VM Zodiac signs? - -JKP- - 21-09-2018
RE: What is unique or rare about the VM Zodiac signs? - nablator - 21-09-2018
RE: What is unique or rare about the VM Zodiac signs? - -JKP- - 21-09-2018
RE: What is unique or rare about the VM Zodiac signs? - Koen G - 21-09-2018
RE: What is unique or rare about the VM Zodiac signs? - -JKP- - 21-09-2018
RE: What is unique or rare about the VM Zodiac signs? - Koen G - 27-11-2018
RE: What is unique or rare about the VM Zodiac signs? - Linda - 13-03-2019
RE: What is unique or rare about the VM Zodiac signs? - -JKP- - 13-03-2019
RE: What is unique or rare about the VM Zodiac signs? - -JKP- - 13-03-2019