The Voynich manuscript often makes researchers feel like they are being fooled, so I decided to find out if April Fool's day has a place in the VMs calendar.
April Fool's day originated in France and was called April Fish Day - Poisson d'Avril. The earliest reference to this term is found in 1508 poem of Eloy d'Amerval who wrote: "maquereau infâme de maint homme et de mainte femme, poisson d'avril."
The first April rosette in the VMs contains 15 figures. In the inner circle 4 are facing counter-clockwise and 1 is facing in the opposite direction. In the outer circle 9 are facing clockwise and 1 is facing in the opposite direction. It is possible that the odd facing figures are clue to where the count begins or ends. Next to the odd facing lady in the inner circle is one of most famous figures in the VMs calendar pages - the 'woman with the braid'.
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There is something 'fishy' about this figure - it is the decoration of the tube. The waves are similar to those creating the fish-scales in the March rosette.
If we imagine that the figure represents Poisson d'Avril then the 'braid' may represent the bait on the hook. We can almost see the end of the hook coming out of the person's shoulder.
I like this interpretation, obviously, because it matches my theory that the Voynich manuscript is the book with naked women found in the tent of the French King Charles VIII during the battle of Fornovo in 1495. If the term 'poisson d'Avril' existed in France in 1508 - then 1495 (not far back) is possibility.
To everybody else: Happy Early April Fool's Day!
April Fool's day originated in France and was called April Fish Day - Poisson d'Avril. The earliest reference to this term is found in 1508 poem of Eloy d'Amerval who wrote: "maquereau infâme de maint homme et de mainte femme, poisson d'avril."
The first April rosette in the VMs contains 15 figures. In the inner circle 4 are facing counter-clockwise and 1 is facing in the opposite direction. In the outer circle 9 are facing clockwise and 1 is facing in the opposite direction. It is possible that the odd facing figures are clue to where the count begins or ends. Next to the odd facing lady in the inner circle is one of most famous figures in the VMs calendar pages - the 'woman with the braid'.
There is something 'fishy' about this figure - it is the decoration of the tube. The waves are similar to those creating the fish-scales in the March rosette.
If we imagine that the figure represents Poisson d'Avril then the 'braid' may represent the bait on the hook. We can almost see the end of the hook coming out of the person's shoulder.
I like this interpretation, obviously, because it matches my theory that the Voynich manuscript is the book with naked women found in the tent of the French King Charles VIII during the battle of Fornovo in 1495. If the term 'poisson d'Avril' existed in France in 1508 - then 1495 (not far back) is possibility.
To everybody else: Happy Early April Fool's Day!