Astronomical Images : Pictorial calendar

Anonymous

Astronomical Images

<p style='text-align: justify;'>Pictorial annual calendars like this one, commonly called <i>Bauerncalendern</i>, carried minimal text and might, therefore, be addressed to a popular market with only functional or limited literacy. Even if one could not read the words on a particular calendar, the symbols remained more or less uniform across regions, which allowed for the meanings of signs to be shared and transmitted across groups or generations. Thus medical and meteorological advice, informed by an analysis of planetary positions, was transmitted through a stable and common series of signs and conventions. The symbols deployed in the present example are derived from a long tradition of conventions that were common to perpetual calendars in the medieval Book of Hours and subsequently to mass-produced, printed almanacs. Here, weekdays are indicated by black triangles, with red triangles (invoking the tradition of printing dominical letters in red) representing Sundays. Saints days and festivals are represented pictorially, each individual saint being identifiable by their attributes or paraphernalia. A good day for blood-letting is marked with a double red cross and medium days with a single cross, whilst auspicious days for cupping are signified by an inverted, red cup. Black asterisks signify a good day for taking medicines in general.</p>