23 January 2018

I realized today it might be a good idea to post an occasional roundup of blogs to make it easier for readers to find related information. Most of the topics discussed on this site are too long to present in one post, so they are split up over a series of blogs. When read individually without the previous background information, they don’t make much sense, so hopefully this will make it easier to find related topics.

Voynich Text

Could some of the glyphs with ascenders be pilcrows?

• Some statistics on the possibility of pilcrows

Some observations on transcriptual interpretations of “dain” (this is very introductory, I have much more information on this, including statistical charts)

Observations on individual characters with parallels in Latin and Greek scripts:

• The VMS bench char and common Latin conventions
• The EVA-m glyph that resembles a “j” and represents “-ris” in Latin
• “Benched” characters and numerals in Greek and Latin manuscripts
• Observations on the VMS “4” glyph (this is long but even this does not include all the information I have on the 4 glyph)
• Observations on “gallows” characters (this is only an introduction, I have much more information, including some statistical charts that I will post when I have time)
• The “bird” glyph and squiggle (introductory, I have more information and examples that I will post when I can)
• Is VMS cc different from VMS c c?

A sample of Voynichese that illustrates how the text is heavily rule-based

• Introduction to biglyphs (June 2016)
• How Latin shapes don’t necessarily mean Latin text (patterns that suggest the presence of biglyphs)
• More on the structure of VMS text (I have much more information on this topic that will be posted as a series of blogs)
• More on possible biglyphs (This is a followup to the June 2016 introduction to biglyphs. My observations apparently parallel some of the patterns Nick Pelling has observed, which I was unaware of at the time I wrote this—they may differ in a few details, but definitely agree on the overall structure.)

General observations on paleography – some notes on two very similar scribal hands

Introduction to entropy for those who are unfamiliar with the term and want some clarification so they can explore some of the VMS computational attacks

 

Voynich Marginalia

Trying to discern the column text on f1r (Colorizing the text so it’s easier to see the letter forms)

• The almost-obliterated column text of f1r  (More discussion of the column text)
• Updated Column-Text Chart Update to the column-text chart (I have more information on this since the March 2017 update and will upload the more recent chart when I have time)

Marginalia and possible color annotations on f1v

The marginalia on 66r (the prone figure with the pot)

Marginal Notes on f17r (I’ve written about this several times and have posted additional information on the voynich.ninja forum and I keep coming back to it, hoping to improve the interpretation, so this is a work-in-progress)

Folio 116v (the last page):

• The “plummeting rock” (Some observations on the strange rounded shape on the last page)
• The text on the last page (I’ve blogged about this several times. I keep coming back to it, hoping I can see it with fresh eyes and a different point of view.)
• Introduction to healing charm (Abracula) and the last page marginalia (July 2013)
• Introduction to the last page script and the handwriting on the last page (These blogs are from 2013 and are a bit dated—I have a huge amount of new information on this topic that I will post when I can find time.)
• Is the last page a healing charm? (A 2016 continuation of the July 2013 post on the text and healing charm)
• more on Pox Leber/Leben
• what if it were French instead of German?
• A paleographic investigation of the last-page marginalia text, Sept. 2017 (I have more information on this now that I will post when I can find time)

Parallels in scribal conventions between medieval Latin and Indic scripts

The conceptual basis of relative music systems and how they might be applied to ciphertext

 

Voynich Imagery

The Nymph on 77v (some possible interpretations of the arms-spread nymph… note that Cassiopeia has also been suggested by other researchers, and explored in some detail by K. Gheuens)

The Baths of Puteolanis (interesting parallels between the ancient baths near Naples and the VMS drawings)

Do the nymphs around the zodiac symbols represent a series of cycles?

• Is the f79 woman-fish a melusina?
• Is there a Golden Fleece reference?
• The pond critters on 79v
• Are there “flower tails” in the VMS?
• My impression of some of the VMS scribbles
• Possible biological references in the VMS
• Possible references to medical myths (Castorum and Theriac)
• A cross or something else?
• The mysterious blue cube in the small-plant pages
• How many painters?
• The VMS palette
• Plant 51v spinner heads
• jellyfish-like roots
• Possible mnemonic leaves on Plant 51r
• The jaggy leaves on Plant 10r
• The dragony thing nibbling (or smelling) a plant

Some of my earliest ideas about the top-left circle on the “map” foldout (note that these were some of my initial ideas from 2008, since then I have had several more and have also seen some fascinating visual parallels posted by other researchers such as a scallop shell recently posted by K. Gheuens)

Interesting parallels between water gardens and the VMS “map” page. I was hoping to find the water garden that inspired the Villa d’Este which might, in turn, have inspired the “map” page.

Interesting Visual and Cultural Traditions:

• Asian influence on Persian art
• phoenix/simurg legends in medieval art
• interpreting visual legends in herbal illustrations
• an example of cloudband and water iconography
• spirals and whorls
• center motifs
• textural traditions in rural east India textile arts

Examples of mnemonics in an herbal manuscript (Palatino 786)

 

Voynich Zodiac-Symbol Shapes

One of my earliest posts on the zodiac symbols and their marginalia labels from 2013 (subsequent blogs include much more information on the imagery)

Brief introduction to astrology and the history of zodiac imagery, including a map.

• Anomalies in the VMS crayfish/lobster drawing
• Different drawing styles on the noses of green and white “Aries”
• More on the Aries-symbol nose
• Looking at Leo
• The double crayfish/lobster Cancer symbol
• The long neck and horns on Taurus
• Stylistic forms of Libra
• Observations on Gemini
• The archer/bowman origins and how political borders kept changing
• The bowman’s tunic
• The crossbowman and short-legged men
• Looking more closely at the crossbow
• The crossbow individual parts in even more detail.

Trying to make sense of the VMS “zodiac” section – one possibility

 

Commentary on Various “Solutions”

• The Strong solution (notes from Strong’s decryption attempt)
• Tucker and Talbert New World origin and plant IDs based on that premise
• Nicholas Gibbs in the Times Literary Supplement

General statements on code-breaking (not a solution) by Cicco Simonetta

 

Physical Characteristics

Brief list of manuscripts similar in size and dimensions to the VMS

 

History & Provenance

The item put into auction was a Kraus catalog mentioning the VMS, not the VMS itself

Guglielmo Libri catalog

 

General Cryptology

Glyphs from the mysterious note in the dictionary (not directly VMS-related)

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This is a not a full set of links. I haven’t included most of the early blogs from 2013 (they’re mostly about plants and it would take too much space), but if I have missed some of the more recent ones (which is quite likely), I’ll update this page as I come across them.

J.K. Petersen