Last edited on 1998-01-17 02:59:23 by stolfi

Fat or pregnant?

The nymphs in the "biological" section have proeminent bellies. Here are two examples from page f77v2:

nymph 1     nymph 2

Some Voynichologists have described them as "pregnant". IMHO, that conclusion is unwarranted. A "beer tummy" apparently was part of the early 1500's ideal of female beauty (at least in Nortehrn Europe). An example is the following 1495 engraving by Albrecht Dürer (Das Kleine Glück, an allegory of Fortune).

Source: W. L. Strauss, The Complete Engravings, Etchings, & Drypoints of Albrecht Dürer. Dover (1973).