Stolfi Metaphor Continued

Stolfi's pioneering studies of the Voynich text have been around a long time. The last edit on his 'A prefix-midfix-suffix decomposition of Voynichese words' webpage was made in 1997. The crust-mantle-core model that he identified has been with us for decades.

In a previous post I expressed the view that, while the model itself is fine, and his metaphor is not inaccurate, it is not appropriately medieval. This might not seem to matter, but it deflects us from what might be more illuminating and suggestive analogies. In particular, it might distract us from exploring the manuscript itself for such a model. If the crust-mantle-core model - or however we describe it - is integral to the structures of vords, then the same structure might be embodied in some schema, some key, within the work.

In view of this possibility, I drew attention to the Voynich map - this post here - and suggested a topographical model based on steps of elevation. Further to this, I here point out that the central circle of the map repeats this structure in itself and surely lends itself to an application of Stolfi' metaphor.

That is, like the ninefold pattern of the map as a whole, the central circle of the map has three elevations thus:

As we move from the periphery of the circle to the centre, we are moving upwards in steps in an ascent to the citadel in the middle where a group of spires stand. The spires are on the highest ground. This ought not be a controversial reading of the cartography. It is plain enough.

This then invites comparison with Stolfi's metaphor thus:

CRUST - MANTLE - CORE - MANTLE - CRUST

OUTER CIRCLE - INNER CIRCLE - CITADEL - INNER CIRCLE - OUTER CIRCLE

Here it is projected onto the pattern:

 

If we are looking for a CRUST-MANTLE-CORE model - two outer shells and a core - then the central circle of the map provides one. The central structures in the map are protected by first an inner circle (mantle) and then an outer circle (crust). These appear to be rocky, mountainous, stylized configurations with characteristic features in the cartological language used throughout. The conventions are assuredly odd and idiosyncratic but the concentric plan is clear. Removing the details, the plan is:

 

Again: where in the manuscript might we find a correlate to Stolfi's three-layered model? Here it is in the very centrepiece of the work, the large fold-out map.

Indeed, we might be tempted to go further. The CORE component in Stolfi's model are (usually) the four gallows glyphs and in the citadel of the map, the centre, we find four spires or towers. Is there a correlation between these spires and the four gallows glyphs? No such correlation is explicit, but it is nevertheless suggestive. Perhaps we can go as far as adding the glyph forms [ch] and [sh], also typical components of the core of vords, where two further spires are shown obscured by rain clouds?

At this stage it is enough to simply acknowledge the possibility. We do not need to account for details or try to explore all the implications. My own view, as stated previously, is that the map does perform some such function.

To make the parallel structures clear, in Stolfi's model - and other tripartite models - vords can be shown as follows:

R. B.