#the voynich code

[thebeautifulbook]

CIPHER MANUSCRIPT [aka VOYNICH MANUSCRIPT] by Roger Bacon[?] (Central Europe, c.1401-1599) 18th -19th century binding.

‘Scientific or magical text in an unidentified language, in cipher, apparently based on Roman minuscule characters; the text is believed by some scholars to be the work of Roger Bacon since the themes as the illustrations seem to represent topics know to have interested Bacon…. A history of the numerous attempts to decipher the manuscript can be found in a volume edited by R.S Brumbaugh THE MOST MYSTERIOUS MANUSCRIPT: The Voynich “Roger Bacon” Cipher Manuscript (Carbondale, IL, 1978). Although several scholars have claimed decipherments of the manuscript, for the most part the text remains an unsolved puzzle.’ — from an abstract by the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale

source [digitized]

[embracing-the-ineffable]

@kimberleyjean No way!!! I really wanted to say you can't make stuff like this up, except Neil sort of DID make it up, so...

Good Omens is EVERYWHERE, including in actual booksellers from 1900's Soho Square in London...

Do you know anything about Aziraphale's handwriting here? Do you know what language it's in? Enochian? Thanks 😁

Hiya! I don't know I'm afraid :), seems like math to me :D :)

[somedudewithantlers]

just watched a video on the voynich manuscript (book from the 1400s written in an unknown language/code that has yet to be solved) and now i really really really really really wanna write a zine in my code & leave it in the hills for someone to find

[musicaemdx]

Slipknot e Meshuggah fizeram as honras do segundo dia de EVIL LIVƎ Festival'23

[the-cooler-king]

Breaking news: boy is too afraid to talk about emotions, changes subject entirely

[archivist-crow]

On this day:

VOYNICH MANUSCRIPT: MOST MYSTERIOUS MANUSCRIPT IN THE WORLD

On August 19, 1666, the rector of Prague University sent a letter and a manuscript to one of his former students, the Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher. The manuscript had lain forgotten in the monastery library in Frascati, Italy, for 250 years. It was obtained by Wilfred Voynich in 1912 and went on to be dubbed "the Most Mysterious Manuscript in the World."

Christened the Voynich, the six-by-nine-inch parchment codex appears to be a straightforward book. It is, however, over two hundred pages written in a code or unknown language that has never been deciphered. The text is elaborately illustrated with colored drawings of unknown plants and the sun, moon, and stars. Depictions of tiny naked women also frolic over the pages.

First appearing in history in 1586, the book was purchased for a then-outrageous sum of 600 ducats by the Holy Roman emperor, Rudolf II of Bohemia. One of the most eccentric European monarchs of the era, Rudolf collected dwarfs, had a regiment of giants in his army, and entertained all manner of magicians and alchemists. It has been suggested that the Voynich manuscript is the work of Roger Bacon, a famous English monk and scientist, and that it made its way to Prague via John Dee, a famous occultist of the time.

From dating of the vellum, pigments, calligraphy, and drawings, the manuscript is judged to be from the late thirteenth century. It has been labeled as everything from an illustrated herbal, to an alchemical treatise written in code to protect the contents, to an elaborate hoax. Its contents are roughly thought to be divided into sections of astronomy/astrology, biology, cosmology, pharmaceuticals, and recipes. After Voynich's widow died, the manuscript was sold to a book dealer and then donated to Yale University.

Text from: Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible, and the Ignored by Juanita Rose Violins, published by Weiser Books, 2009

[cryptotheism]

why a coded gynaecology textbook?

The angle I've found most convincing is that the text is written in a coded form of medical shorthand, so even direct decoding only produces inconsistent fragments of words that 15th century doctors would have been able to read.

The strange illustrations of women bathing in large flowers are coded instructions for the production of medicated baths, a common treatment for gynocological ailments.

(this is just one of the many theories around the voynich manuscript, it's far from settled)

[onlyhurtforaminute]

[floral-and-the-machine-blog]

I want to believe so badly that I’m gideon coded but the unfortunate reality is that I am sooooo harrow coded. The second coming of Ebony Dark’ness Dementia Raven Way. Listening to Gregorian chants 10 hour mix while decrypting the Voynich manuscript at 2 am. I am the night and light hurts my eyes and ew I don’t need sustenance and water and good health I NEED ANSWERS

[wizardliving]

the voynich manuscript is solved, by the way. i cracked the code years ago

[hands-of-fate-ocs]

"You have been so kind as to provide us with the main points, but I am sure there is still much to learn! I would like to make sure my decision is informed, when it comes to the future of my chapter. So your assistance would be much appreciated!"

“Ah. Of course, captain morgen.” He nods curtly, taking a sip of his warm beverage with a hum as his gaze falls to the Vox Master, who is *pointedly* staring at the captain’s chest.

“Voynich, please write directions and provide them with clearance codes to the grand archive. They are to have unrestricted access.” He hums, knocking the man from his fascination as he sputters. “O-of course, my lord!!!”

[max-headroomfiles]

I think today's episode about the Voynich Manuscript has to be the most interesting one yet. like, i genuinely hope at some point it gets solved soon but at the same time i like it being a mystery - something lost to history and time that we've discovered, something about an unsolved code is fascinating to me. also, the professor my boy

[schibborasso]

working on the voynich-page-project-collages for zines artfusion … (the original voynich manuscript is a document that is notable for its strange text, that to date hasn't been decrypted. theories range from a secret language or code to an old sort of joke or hoax.)

[zen17hdee]

Y'all I'm reading up on Wilfred Voynich, and this dude is low-key kind of Aziraphale coded. So my new head cannon is that Wilfred Voynich is actually Aziraphale using a pseudonym

[weezardthewizard]

My take on the Voynich Manuscript:

It was written by someone who was literate (obviously), artistically skilled, and knowledgeable in a wide range of subjects. Like a proto-Galileo.

It was written partially in abbreviated Latin. Up until very recently, anyone with a Western formal education worth its salt knew Latin.

The author was extremely bright and had a formal Western education at the very least. Likely came from a wealthy family and/or had a rich benefactor. They were important enough that their name and title are possibly still written down somewhere.

It was written partially in Old (High?) German, some 300 years after the language had evolved into Middle High German. Correct me if I'm wrong. That's the equivalent of someone today being fluent in Early Modern (Shakespearen) English. Certainly not impossible, but not something a layman would easily understand.

The author has spent an extensive amount of time studying old texts. Shit that's hard to get your hands on. This person was a scholar that had access to an impressive library.

The Old German/Latin abrv. mishmash is written out phonetically using a version of the old Turkic alphabet. That's kind of vague as hell and covers a huge timespan. Looks like Manichaean script to me, but I'm sure as shit no historical linguist. If anyone knows what it is, that could help us narrow down the timeframe.

The mid-east was bangin around this era. It was THE hot spot for discovery and innovation for pretty much anything.

The author was a polyglot who knew at least two archaic writing systems. They were either well-traveled or had sweet sweet neworking connections to the cool acedemics out east. Specifically: access to their rare books.

The book is coded, presumably to keep the information out of the hands of anyone without the cipher. This makes me think occult, so I'm inclined to believe the alchemist angle. A court alchemist would have access to the crown's deep pockets and private libraries. The coding would conceal any work a benefactor might find scandalous or heretical.

We have a rough timeframe. Finding the author is now a process of eliminating people who wouldn't have access to the knowledge and resources necessary to code the book. So, how many kingdoms in Europe had court alchemists, global connections, and the money to throw around for research? How many of those alchemists studied these subjects?

[wikiweird]

Voynich Manuscript -

The Voynich manuscript is an enigmatic and mysterious book that has puzzled researchers, linguists, and cryptographers for centuries. Named after Wilfrid Voynich, a Polish book dealer who acquired it in 1912, the manuscript is believed to have been created in the early 15th century. It is named after him because he played a significant role in popularizing and bringing attention to the manuscript.

The Voynich manuscript is written on vellum (animal skin) and contains around 240 pages of text and illustrations. It is written in an unknown script that has not been deciphered, making it one of the most famous and enduring unsolved mysteries in the field of cryptography. The script consists of unusual characters and symbols arranged in a structured manner, resembling a written language, but one that remains unintelligible to researchers.

Accompanying the text are numerous illustrations of various plants, astronomical diagrams, astrological symbols, and surreal scenes featuring naked women bathing in pools or interacting with mysterious tubes and machinery. The botanical drawings, in particular, depict plants that do not resemble any known species, adding to the intrigue surrounding the manuscript.

Over the years, many theories have emerged about the origins and purpose of the Voynich manuscript. Some hypotheses suggest it was an elaborate hoax or an encrypted code containing valuable information, such as alchemical or herbal knowledge. Others propose that it is a constructed language or an unknown natural language. However, despite numerous attempts by scholars and cryptographers to decipher the text, no consensus has been reached regarding its meaning or origin.

The Voynich manuscript has been studied extensively by researchers, including codebreakers during World War II, professional cryptographers, and historians. It has been carbon-dated, confirming its medieval origin, and has undergone various forms of analysis, such as linguistic, statistical, and computational methods. However, no breakthroughs have occurred that definitively unlock the mysteries contained within its pages.

The manuscript is currently housed at the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Yale University, where it remains a subject of ongoing research and public fascination. Despite the lack of progress in deciphering its contents, the Voynich manuscript continues to captivate imaginations and stands as a testament to the enduring power of unsolved mysteries.

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