The monastic year

[SparkOut]

Does anyone have a clue where to start? I've had a couple of ideas but nothing to get me going. A bit of a brick wall for me, this one.

[LAT]

Sorry, haven't got a clue on this one yet. Still pondering. Are you being good and doing the puzzles in order?

[SparkOut]

In order of the ones that catch my eye? well yes! In order of the printed pages in the magazine? um... well... no

[Bunnylump]

Well, I'm glad you're doing them at all. So far I haven't managed to complete one!

[Bunnylump]

Am I the only one who can't read the writing on this puzzle, even on the web page?

[eirian]

not the only one - I can read some of them, but only after I'd worked out what they should say, and some still don't tally.

[katsmom]

I'm getting about half. But not from the magazine. I can't even see half the print on that. Ooh is it time for another exam?

[giraffe]

My only thoughts on this were where are the clothes of the girl in the 5th picture? she seems to have stripped off to tease the monks. (I assume it's a girl, but thinking about it, perhaps it's a young monk)

[eirian]

[kingsley]

No idea on this one either. If I do get any ideas then I can assure you all that you will know about it as soon as I do!

[pnward]

My only thoughts so far - and if it helps please tell me how it helps.

The top row is zodiac from aquarius to capricorn
the bottom row is probably january to december
the dials maybe to do with times on a clock

I know, general ramblings of a mad man!!!

[katsmom]

We must have a similar madness then. I was thinking the same thing with the zodiac and the months. I hadn't noticed the clocks though.

[eirian]

the months roughly tally with the signs of the zodiac on each of the 12 sections, but there are 25 divisions in those circles (assuming I can count and they are all the same), which is confusing me if it's time related.

[MBH]

Looks like I'm at about the same stage (although I can't claim to have 'looked' at any). There seemed to be so much information on here, but not a lot you can do with it

I saw the circles as time-related because the separation of daylight and darkness seemed about right for the months - I've got to go back now and check that there are 25 hours in the day

[eirian]

hmmmm, you are right, those light and dark areas do tally to day/night, don't they. Maybe I just can't count! I'll check again, might have to copy the page larger.

[giraffe]

I made it 24, but maybe that was wishful thinking. Is this a real picture? I googled it to see if it had been Scurra-ed in any way, but nothing came up. I did wonder if there was a self portrait in there, that beard looked familiar.

[SparkOut]

It's true there are 24 lines separating the divisions, which made me think that (as monks tended to write in Latin) that we're supposed to think of this as an indicator to Latin alphabet spelling (where I/J and U/V would be equivalent) and the cross indicated which letter of the alphabet is to be used.
If that were the case, then fixing the position of the letter A would be the key, but I can't get anything from using either "daybreak" or "noon" and various other permutations.
There was a string I got "TONAIL" from the top section using this technique, but I can't make anything work out from that.

[Bunnylump]

I made it 24, but maybe that was wishful thinking. Is this a real picture? I googled it to see if it had been Scurra-ed in any way, but nothing came up. I did wonder if there was a self portrait in there, that beard looked familiar.

I seem to remember a link Scurra put "Over there" which was to draw your own Bayeux tapestry or something. I remember making a rude cartoon for my friend and e mailing it to her!

I have no useful observations to make other than there are only 10 "months"!

[pnward]

Jan - 16 black lines - black cross on 9th clockwise - 8th anticlockwise
Feb - 14 black lines - black cross on 4th clockwise - 11th anticlock
Mar - 12 black lines - black cross on 2nd clockwise - 11th anti
Apr - 14 yelow lines - yellow cross on 3rd clockwise - 12th anti
May - 16 yellow lines - yellow cross on 11th clockwise - 6th anti
Jun - 18 yellow lines - yellow cross on 14th clockwise - 5th anti
etc

I think I am going slightly mad!!!

[pnward]

Medieval Farming Calendar - doesnt quite match the pictures.

January - mending and making tools, repairing fences
February - carting manure and marl
March - ploughing and spreading manure dry
April - spring sowing of seeds, harrowing
May - digging ditches, first ploughing of fallow fields
June - hay making, second ploughing of fallow field, sheep-shearing
July - hay making, sheep-shearing, weeding of crops
August - Harvesting
September - threshing, ploughing and pruning fruit trees
October - Last ploughing of the year
November - collecting acorns for pigs
December - Mending and making tools, killing animals

Yep, I've totally lost the plot now.