Capsicum Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 I did a search to see if this was already a topic, to my surprise it isn't! The Voynich Manuscript is an early 15th century "illustrated codex" that has left cryptographers and archaeologists stumped. It's over 200 pages of intricate, hand written and illustrated information of an unknown source...and in an unknown and indecipherable language. Many people believed it to be a "novelty" or a "fake" ...even made that way as a novelty for some medieval duke or royalty to believe they had acquired a tome of great wisdom. What is unusual about it possibly being a fake is that it was crafted with extremely expensive materials for the time period, only a wealthy man would have been able to afford to commission such a creation...or create it himself. It's been tested and carbon dated. Most importantly, if you look at the manuscript...it looks like an herbalist's notes...although the plant drawings seem alien. It has many depictions of what look like remedies and several extremely intricate paintings of (unusual) star charts and zodiac wheels. If you're interested in talking about it...have a look for yourself. The Voynich Manuscript pdf copy I have is too large to attach for download from TW but it's not difficult to find. I find its images moving and beautiful...and rather enigmatic. Definitely occult...but witchy? maybe... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombee Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 Id heard of this manuscript. I looked at the photos. Im no herbalist, but i sure couldn't spot any recognizable plant drawings, not even a carrot. I thought the women in the tubs/tubes looked to be in varying stages of pregnancy. Maybe it's a midwife guidebook for someone working with the alleged ET cross-breeding program? The printing makes me think of Elfin Script from Lord of the Rings. Just speculating 'cuz I'm clueless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mountain Witch Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 I've seen a digitized copy of this and am totally stumped. (Not that I'm any better than expert cryptologists and archaeologists.) I'd love to have a peek into the future to see if, at any time, someone does manage to decipher it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capsicum Posted October 11, 2016 Author Share Posted October 11, 2016 There are plenty of plant drawings that people believe they've been able to ID with common European plants, but it's possible that these people are using confirmation bias or a light form of pareidolia...I've seen the comparisons but I'm not convinced 100% by them. Another interesting observation about the manuscript that I've seen is that some of the "bloom" looking drawings seem to resemble bacteria and other microscopic items like magnified wood grain. That's important because microscopes hadn't been invented yet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombee Posted October 11, 2016 Share Posted October 11, 2016 The Magnifying glass has been around since Egyptian times, haven't they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalinia Posted October 11, 2016 Share Posted October 11, 2016 I spent some time yesterday reading about this and looking at it. How interesting! Looking forward to learning more about it. I wonder if the language was perhaps a made up one and a spirit is laughing at everyone trying to decipher it :p Stufff like this is incredibly fascinating. I only had time to look at the biology type pages and read a few beliefs. The drawings are so interesting. Almost looks like they are trying to either explain the cycle of pregnancy or showing various women in groups pregnant together Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PapaGheny Posted October 11, 2016 Share Posted October 11, 2016 This book has peaked my interest a few times. I would like to take the time for a closer look at it. I redownloaded(if that's a word I kind of feel like it shouldn't be) it so maybe after I get settled for winter in a week or two.It always looked like odd genetic experiments. Then I had the thought after you first made this topic it might describe formulas. Many alchemy books of the renaissance would have images of mythological stories and such that described formulas for alchemical work. So mayhap the plants aren't alien they are just representing traits of plants being used in stages? Anyway that's just breath in the wind, but was my thoughts on it. Regardless its a great book to get the wheels turning. Thanks for bring it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capsicum Posted October 12, 2016 Author Share Posted October 12, 2016 The Magnifying glass has been around since Egyptian times, haven't they?---Perhaps not that old...but you can't see bacteria with a magnifying glass. You need a microscope for that...which wasn't invented until the 17th century ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
citoyenne Posted May 27, 2017 Share Posted May 27, 2017 Stumbled across this manuscript on the interwebs yesterday and have been scrolling through. Glad to see I'm not the only one here intrigued by it. I don't think the ladies are pregnant since there are no babies, I'd imagine that usually a manuscript with a section about pregnancy would also address babies. I think they are all just soft ladies with varying amounts of paunch. I think the section with all the nudies is about bathing, there's series of baths filled by pipes and catchment systems(?) In medieval times the bathhouse was still a common feature in most well established towns like in roman times. Also the style these ladies are drawn in is reminiscent of another work of art I'd seen, dated a little later like 1490s, maybe, that echos the small pert tits and round lower belly of these ladies in a bathhouse; I'd have to track it down, I mean the similarities are striking. It could just be the beauty standard at the time. I agree with PapaGheny that it could be showing the plants in different stages. I also am not convinced that we will be able to ID the plants from the drawings, given the way that the few dogs(??) drawn in aren't exactly accurate either and the ladies are basically all drawn the same way (also there is a lady in a fish's mouth so grain of salt taken there). I think there was a bit of artistic license used to make up for realism ;) The text would probably make it all fall into place and probably is much more important to the meaning of the manuscript than the illuminations are. My guess is that it is about health with the herbalism, the hygiene and the astrology. I wish that the text could be translated, I am so curious to know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
citoyenne Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 Aha! Stumbled across -THIS- yesterday.Apparently it's an old form of Turkish. There are efforts underway into translating it but they have managed to translate some tracts. Super Neat. One picture that turns out to be a sunflower, I couldn't see it before but it makes so much sense. I think that as it is translated more will fall into place. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holdasown Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 Look like there is a section with recipes which I would imagine are for healing. Those would be cool to read. I love reading old remedies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solanaceae Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 Very cool! It will be most interesting to see what is revealed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrozenThunderbolt Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 A couple of guys have used an AI to start cracking it apparently:https://phys.org/news/2018-01-ai-uncover-mystery-voynich-manuscript.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duchess Posted March 30, 2018 Share Posted March 30, 2018 That’s pretty interesting. Though the video Cit linked has it being translated in a form of Turkish. It doesn’t look like the Hebrew theory has managed to crack much. Nothing like a good ol’ game of AI versus human intelligence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bouwinda Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 So I found this link, which decodes the manuscript as using medieval Latin abbreviations that correspond with certain word patterns: https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/09/the-mysterious-voynich-manuscript-has-finally-been-decoded/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llyr Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 So I found this link, which decodes the manuscript as using medieval Latin abbreviations that correspond with certain word patterns: https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/09/the-mysterious-voynich-manuscript-has-finally-been-decoded/ It is certainly possible, I have gone through that manuscript many times from start to finish and it has always defeated me but intrigued me all the more!! However, I am no expert on medieval Latin abbreviations. I am also sure that medieval scholars would have been a part of previous studies of the manuscript, so I would like to see more evidence pushing this theory before making a decision to support it or not. It is nice to finally have even a sniff of a breakthrough though!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witchinplainsight Posted June 24, 2018 Share Posted June 24, 2018 This is all new to me and very intriguing! Thanks to all the sleuths who have posted bits and pieces. At least I'm discovering this when there's a chance of figuring it out now. Not so sure about handing over ancient and unknown texts to AI, I'm seeing all sorts of Terminator style scenarios when the machines crack some powerful text granting life and freedom! :rofl: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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