The Voynich Manuscript

The Voynich Manuscript

Author: Gerry Kennedy

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2006-08-28

Total Pages: 278

ISBN-13: 159477854X

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An examination of the many theories surrounding this enigmatic text, apparently written in code • Reveals the connections between this work and the Cathars, Roger Bacon, and John Dee • Explains the cryptanalysis methods used in attempts to break the code • Includes color images from the manuscript juxtaposed with other medieval writings Since its discovery by Wilfrid Voynich in an Italian monastery in 1912, the Voynich Manuscript has baffled scholars and cryptanalysists with its unidentifiable script and bizarre illustrations. Written in an unknown language or an as yet undecipherable code, this medieval manuscript contains hundreds of illustrations of unknown plants, cosmological charts, and inexplicable scenes of naked “nymphs” bathing in a green liquid that some interpret as a symbolic depiction of human reproduction and the joining of the soul with the body. Gerry Kennedy and Rob Churchill explore the mystery surrounding the Voynich Manuscript, examining the many existing theories about the possible authors of this work and the information it may contain. They trace the speculative history of the manuscript and reveal those who may be connected to it, including Roger Bacon, John Dee, and the Cathars. With the possibility that it may be a lost alchemical text or other esoteric work, this manuscript remains one of the most intriguing yet enigmatic documents ever to have come to light. Gerry Kennedy is a freelance writer and has produced a number of BBC Radio 4 programs, including one on the Voynich Manuscript in 2001. Rob Churchill is a professional writer who has written scripts for many production companies, including the BBC and Thames Television. Both authors were consultants for the BBC/Mentorn Films documentary The Voynich Mystery. They live in London.


Book Synopsis The Voynich Manuscript by : Gerry Kennedy

Download or read book The Voynich Manuscript written by Gerry Kennedy and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2006-08-28 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An examination of the many theories surrounding this enigmatic text, apparently written in code • Reveals the connections between this work and the Cathars, Roger Bacon, and John Dee • Explains the cryptanalysis methods used in attempts to break the code • Includes color images from the manuscript juxtaposed with other medieval writings Since its discovery by Wilfrid Voynich in an Italian monastery in 1912, the Voynich Manuscript has baffled scholars and cryptanalysists with its unidentifiable script and bizarre illustrations. Written in an unknown language or an as yet undecipherable code, this medieval manuscript contains hundreds of illustrations of unknown plants, cosmological charts, and inexplicable scenes of naked “nymphs” bathing in a green liquid that some interpret as a symbolic depiction of human reproduction and the joining of the soul with the body. Gerry Kennedy and Rob Churchill explore the mystery surrounding the Voynich Manuscript, examining the many existing theories about the possible authors of this work and the information it may contain. They trace the speculative history of the manuscript and reveal those who may be connected to it, including Roger Bacon, John Dee, and the Cathars. With the possibility that it may be a lost alchemical text or other esoteric work, this manuscript remains one of the most intriguing yet enigmatic documents ever to have come to light. Gerry Kennedy is a freelance writer and has produced a number of BBC Radio 4 programs, including one on the Voynich Manuscript in 2001. Rob Churchill is a professional writer who has written scripts for many production companies, including the BBC and Thames Television. Both authors were consultants for the BBC/Mentorn Films documentary The Voynich Mystery. They live in London.

The Voynich Manuscript

The Voynich Manuscript

Author: M. E. D'Imperio

Publisher:

Published: 1978

Total Pages: 164

ISBN-13:

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In spite of all the papers that others have written about the manuscript, there is no complete survey of all the approaches, ideas, background information and analytic studies that have accumulated over the nearly fifty-five years since the manuscript was discovered by Wilfrid M. Voynich in 1912. This report pulls together all the information the author could obtain from all the sources she has examined, and to present it in an orderly fashion. The resulting survey will provide a firm basis upon which other students may build their work, whether they seek to decipher the text or simply to learn more about the problem.


Book Synopsis The Voynich Manuscript by : M. E. D'Imperio

Download or read book The Voynich Manuscript written by M. E. D'Imperio and published by . This book was released on 1978 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In spite of all the papers that others have written about the manuscript, there is no complete survey of all the approaches, ideas, background information and analytic studies that have accumulated over the nearly fifty-five years since the manuscript was discovered by Wilfrid M. Voynich in 1912. This report pulls together all the information the author could obtain from all the sources she has examined, and to present it in an orderly fashion. The resulting survey will provide a firm basis upon which other students may build their work, whether they seek to decipher the text or simply to learn more about the problem.

The Voynich Manuscript

The Voynich Manuscript

Author: Wilfrid Voynich

Publisher: e-artnow

Published: 2012-06-25

Total Pages: 204

ISBN-13: 8087664191

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This ebook is the complete reproduction of the preserved Voynich Manuscript, formatted for high resolution color ebook reader displays. The Voynich manuscript, also known as "the world's most mysterious manuscript", is a work which dates to the early 15th century, possibly from northern Italy. It is named after the book dealer Wilfrid Voynich, who purchased it in 1912. Much of the manuscript resembles herbal manuscripts of the time period, seeming to present illustrations and information about plants and their possible uses for medical purposes. However, most of the plants do not match known species, and the manuscript's script and language remain unknown and unreadable. Possibly some form of encrypted ciphertext, the Voynich manuscript has been studied by many professional and amateur cryptographers, including American and British codebreakers from both World War I and World War II. As yet, it has defied all decipherment attempts, becoming a cause célèbre of historical cryptology. The mystery surrounding it has excited the popular imagination, making the manuscript a subject of both fanciful theories and novels. None of the many speculative solutions proposed over the last hundred years has yet been independently verified. Illustrations: The illustrations of the manuscript shed little light on the precise nature of its text but imply that the book consists of six "sections", with different styles and subject matter. Except for the last section, which contains only text, almost every page contains at least one illustration. Following are the sections and their conventional names: Herbal: Each page displays one plant (sometimes two) and a few paragraphs of text—a format typical of European herbals of the time. Some parts of these drawings are larger and cleaner copies of sketches seen in the "pharmaceutical" section. None of the plants depicted is unambiguously identifiable. Astronomical: Contains circular diagrams, some of them with suns, moons, and stars, suggestive of astronomy or astrology. One series of 12 diagrams depicts conventional symbols for the zodiacal constellations (two fish for Pisces, a bull for Taurus, a hunter with crossbow for Sagittarius, etc.). Each of these has 30 female figures arranged in two or more concentric bands. Most of the females are at least partly naked, and each holds what appears to be a labeled star or is shown with the star attached by what could be a tether or cord of some kind to either arm. The last two pages of this section (Aquarius and Capricornus, roughly January and February) were lost, while Aries and Taurus are split into four paired diagrams with 15 women and 15 stars each. Some of these diagrams are on fold-out pages. Biological: A dense continuous text interspersed with figures, mostly showing small naked women, some wearing crowns, bathing in pools or tubs connected by an elaborate network of pipes, some of them strongly reminiscent of body organs. Cosmological: More circular diagrams, but of an obscure nature. This section also has foldouts; one of them spans six pages and contains a map or diagram, with nine "islands" or "rosettes" connected by "causeways" and containing castles, as well as what may possibly be a volcano. Pharmaceutical: Many labeled drawings of isolated plant parts (roots, leaves, etc.); objects resembling apothecary jars, ranging in style from the mundane to the fantastical; and a few text paragraphs. Recipes: Many short paragraphs, each marked with a flower- or star-like "bullet".


Book Synopsis The Voynich Manuscript by : Wilfrid Voynich

Download or read book The Voynich Manuscript written by Wilfrid Voynich and published by e-artnow. This book was released on 2012-06-25 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This ebook is the complete reproduction of the preserved Voynich Manuscript, formatted for high resolution color ebook reader displays. The Voynich manuscript, also known as "the world's most mysterious manuscript", is a work which dates to the early 15th century, possibly from northern Italy. It is named after the book dealer Wilfrid Voynich, who purchased it in 1912. Much of the manuscript resembles herbal manuscripts of the time period, seeming to present illustrations and information about plants and their possible uses for medical purposes. However, most of the plants do not match known species, and the manuscript's script and language remain unknown and unreadable. Possibly some form of encrypted ciphertext, the Voynich manuscript has been studied by many professional and amateur cryptographers, including American and British codebreakers from both World War I and World War II. As yet, it has defied all decipherment attempts, becoming a cause célèbre of historical cryptology. The mystery surrounding it has excited the popular imagination, making the manuscript a subject of both fanciful theories and novels. None of the many speculative solutions proposed over the last hundred years has yet been independently verified. Illustrations: The illustrations of the manuscript shed little light on the precise nature of its text but imply that the book consists of six "sections", with different styles and subject matter. Except for the last section, which contains only text, almost every page contains at least one illustration. Following are the sections and their conventional names: Herbal: Each page displays one plant (sometimes two) and a few paragraphs of text—a format typical of European herbals of the time. Some parts of these drawings are larger and cleaner copies of sketches seen in the "pharmaceutical" section. None of the plants depicted is unambiguously identifiable. Astronomical: Contains circular diagrams, some of them with suns, moons, and stars, suggestive of astronomy or astrology. One series of 12 diagrams depicts conventional symbols for the zodiacal constellations (two fish for Pisces, a bull for Taurus, a hunter with crossbow for Sagittarius, etc.). Each of these has 30 female figures arranged in two or more concentric bands. Most of the females are at least partly naked, and each holds what appears to be a labeled star or is shown with the star attached by what could be a tether or cord of some kind to either arm. The last two pages of this section (Aquarius and Capricornus, roughly January and February) were lost, while Aries and Taurus are split into four paired diagrams with 15 women and 15 stars each. Some of these diagrams are on fold-out pages. Biological: A dense continuous text interspersed with figures, mostly showing small naked women, some wearing crowns, bathing in pools or tubs connected by an elaborate network of pipes, some of them strongly reminiscent of body organs. Cosmological: More circular diagrams, but of an obscure nature. This section also has foldouts; one of them spans six pages and contains a map or diagram, with nine "islands" or "rosettes" connected by "causeways" and containing castles, as well as what may possibly be a volcano. Pharmaceutical: Many labeled drawings of isolated plant parts (roots, leaves, etc.); objects resembling apothecary jars, ranging in style from the mundane to the fantastical; and a few text paragraphs. Recipes: Many short paragraphs, each marked with a flower- or star-like "bullet".

The Voynich Manuscript

The Voynich Manuscript

Author: Raymond Clemens

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780300217230

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The first authorized copy of this mysterious, much-speculated-upon, one-of-a-kind, centuries-old puzzle "For the first time, a complete reproduction [of] The Voynich Manuscript, has been published, featuring essays exploring what is known about the book and extra-wide margins so readers can record their responses to its beguiling, beautiful strangeness."--Nina Maclaughlin, Boston Globe "For people who like a good historical mystery, this . . . fifteenth- or sixteenth-century Voynich Manuscript will fascinate."--Rebecca Onion, Slate Many call the fifteenth-century codex, commonly known as the "Voynich Manuscript," the world's most mysterious book. Written in an unknown script by an unknown author, the manuscript has no clearer purpose now than when it was rediscovered in 1912 by rare books dealer Wilfrid Voynich. The manuscript appears and disappears throughout history, from the library of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II to a secret sale of books in 1903 by the Society of Jesus in Rome. The book's language has eluded decipherment, and its elaborate illustrations remain as baffling as they are beautiful. For the first time, this facsimile, complete with elaborate folding sections, allows readers to explore this enigma in all its stunning detail, from its one-of-a-kind "Voynichese" text to its illustrations of otherworldly plants, unfamiliar constellations, and naked women swimming though fantastical tubes and green baths. The essays that accompany the manuscript explain what we have learned about this work--from alchemical, cryptographic, forensic, and historical perspectives--but they provide few definitive answers. Instead, as New York Times best-selling author Deborah Harkness says in her introduction, the book "invites the reader to join us at the heart of the mystery."


Book Synopsis The Voynich Manuscript by : Raymond Clemens

Download or read book The Voynich Manuscript written by Raymond Clemens and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2016 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first authorized copy of this mysterious, much-speculated-upon, one-of-a-kind, centuries-old puzzle "For the first time, a complete reproduction [of] The Voynich Manuscript, has been published, featuring essays exploring what is known about the book and extra-wide margins so readers can record their responses to its beguiling, beautiful strangeness."--Nina Maclaughlin, Boston Globe "For people who like a good historical mystery, this . . . fifteenth- or sixteenth-century Voynich Manuscript will fascinate."--Rebecca Onion, Slate Many call the fifteenth-century codex, commonly known as the "Voynich Manuscript," the world's most mysterious book. Written in an unknown script by an unknown author, the manuscript has no clearer purpose now than when it was rediscovered in 1912 by rare books dealer Wilfrid Voynich. The manuscript appears and disappears throughout history, from the library of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II to a secret sale of books in 1903 by the Society of Jesus in Rome. The book's language has eluded decipherment, and its elaborate illustrations remain as baffling as they are beautiful. For the first time, this facsimile, complete with elaborate folding sections, allows readers to explore this enigma in all its stunning detail, from its one-of-a-kind "Voynichese" text to its illustrations of otherworldly plants, unfamiliar constellations, and naked women swimming though fantastical tubes and green baths. The essays that accompany the manuscript explain what we have learned about this work--from alchemical, cryptographic, forensic, and historical perspectives--but they provide few definitive answers. Instead, as New York Times best-selling author Deborah Harkness says in her introduction, the book "invites the reader to join us at the heart of the mystery."

Unraveling the Voynich Codex

Unraveling the Voynich Codex

Author: Jules Janick

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2018-08-16

Total Pages: 412

ISBN-13: 3319772945

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Unraveling the Voynich Codex reviews the historical, botanical, zoological, and iconographic evidence related to the Voynich Codex, one of the most enigmatic historic texts of all time. The bizarre Voynich Codex has often been referred to as the most mysterious book in the world. Discovered in an Italian Catholic college in 1912 by a Polish book dealer Wilfrid Voynich, it was eventually bequeathed to the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library of Yale University. It contains symbolic language that has defied translation by eminent cryptologists. The codex is encyclopedic in scope and contains sections known as herbal, pharmaceutical, balenological (nude nymphs bathing in pools), astrological, cosmological and a final section of text that may be prescriptions but could be poetry or incantations. Because the vellum has been carbon dated to the early 15th century and the manuscript was known to be in the collection of Emperor Rudolf II of the Holy Roman Empire sometime between 1607 and 1622, current dogma had assumed it a European manuscript of the 15th century. However, based on identification of New World plants, animals, a mineral, as well as cities and volcanos of Central Mexico, the authors of this book reveal that the codex is clearly a document of colonial New Spain. Furthermore, the illustrator and author are identified as native to Mesoamerica based on a name and ligated initials in the first botanical illustration. This breakthrough in Voynich studies indicates that the failure to decipher the manuscript has been the result of a basic misinterpretation of its origin in time and place. Tentative assignment of the Voynichese symbols also provides a key to decipherment based on Mesoamerican languages. A document from this time, free from filter or censor from either Spanish or Inquisitorial authorities has major importance in our understanding of life in 16th century Mexico. Publisher's Note: For the eBook editions, Voynichese symbols are only rendered properly in the PDF format.


Book Synopsis Unraveling the Voynich Codex by : Jules Janick

Download or read book Unraveling the Voynich Codex written by Jules Janick and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-08-16 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Unraveling the Voynich Codex reviews the historical, botanical, zoological, and iconographic evidence related to the Voynich Codex, one of the most enigmatic historic texts of all time. The bizarre Voynich Codex has often been referred to as the most mysterious book in the world. Discovered in an Italian Catholic college in 1912 by a Polish book dealer Wilfrid Voynich, it was eventually bequeathed to the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library of Yale University. It contains symbolic language that has defied translation by eminent cryptologists. The codex is encyclopedic in scope and contains sections known as herbal, pharmaceutical, balenological (nude nymphs bathing in pools), astrological, cosmological and a final section of text that may be prescriptions but could be poetry or incantations. Because the vellum has been carbon dated to the early 15th century and the manuscript was known to be in the collection of Emperor Rudolf II of the Holy Roman Empire sometime between 1607 and 1622, current dogma had assumed it a European manuscript of the 15th century. However, based on identification of New World plants, animals, a mineral, as well as cities and volcanos of Central Mexico, the authors of this book reveal that the codex is clearly a document of colonial New Spain. Furthermore, the illustrator and author are identified as native to Mesoamerica based on a name and ligated initials in the first botanical illustration. This breakthrough in Voynich studies indicates that the failure to decipher the manuscript has been the result of a basic misinterpretation of its origin in time and place. Tentative assignment of the Voynichese symbols also provides a key to decipherment based on Mesoamerican languages. A document from this time, free from filter or censor from either Spanish or Inquisitorial authorities has major importance in our understanding of life in 16th century Mexico. Publisher's Note: For the eBook editions, Voynichese symbols are only rendered properly in the PDF format.

The Voynich Manuscript

The Voynich Manuscript

Author: Palatino Palatino Press

Publisher:

Published: 2015-05-09

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781508697862

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A complete illuminated manuscript in 204 full-page color plates. The Voynich manuscript is a richly illustrated codex hand-written in an undeciphered script. While the manuscript's origins are unknown it has been carbon-dated to the early 15th century and is most likely from Northern Italy or Central Europe. Its illustrations suggest that it is some form of pharmacopoeia or scientific treatise and it is divided by convention into six sections: herbal, astronomical, biological, cosmological, pharmaceutical and recipes. Wide ranging hypotheses on the nature of the script have been put forward - from it being a complex cipher system or unknown natural language to a sophisticated hoax or pure gibberish - and decoding it remains a popular challenge in cryptography. The manuscript is named after Wilfrid Voynich, a Polish book dealer who purchased it in 1912. It is currently held by the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.


Book Synopsis The Voynich Manuscript by : Palatino Palatino Press

Download or read book The Voynich Manuscript written by Palatino Palatino Press and published by . This book was released on 2015-05-09 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A complete illuminated manuscript in 204 full-page color plates. The Voynich manuscript is a richly illustrated codex hand-written in an undeciphered script. While the manuscript's origins are unknown it has been carbon-dated to the early 15th century and is most likely from Northern Italy or Central Europe. Its illustrations suggest that it is some form of pharmacopoeia or scientific treatise and it is divided by convention into six sections: herbal, astronomical, biological, cosmological, pharmaceutical and recipes. Wide ranging hypotheses on the nature of the script have been put forward - from it being a complex cipher system or unknown natural language to a sophisticated hoax or pure gibberish - and decoding it remains a popular challenge in cryptography. The manuscript is named after Wilfrid Voynich, a Polish book dealer who purchased it in 1912. It is currently held by the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.

The Voynich Manuscript

The Voynich Manuscript

Author: M. E. D'Imperio

Publisher:

Published: 1976-11-01

Total Pages: 140

ISBN-13: 9780894121227

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Book Synopsis The Voynich Manuscript by : M. E. D'Imperio

Download or read book The Voynich Manuscript written by M. E. D'Imperio and published by . This book was released on 1976-11-01 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Solution of the Voynich Manuscript

Solution of the Voynich Manuscript

Author: Leo Levitov

Publisher:

Published: 1987

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Solution of the Voynich Manuscript by : Leo Levitov

Download or read book Solution of the Voynich Manuscript written by Leo Levitov and published by . This book was released on 1987 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

The Voynich Manuscript

The Voynich Manuscript

Author: Stephen Skinner

Publisher:

Published: 2017-09-18

Total Pages: 440

ISBN-13: 9781525259203

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"''The Voynich Manuscript is the limit text of Western occultism. It is truly an occult book - one that no one can read.'' - Terence McKenna, ethnobotanist and mystic This complete edition of the Voynich Manuscript includes a fascinating and authoritative foreword and introduction by Dr Stephen Skinner, Dr Rafal Prinke and Dr Ren� Zandbergen, who together detail all that is currently known about this mysterious medieval manuscript, the only book in existence that has been written in this particular language and alphabet - a language that nobody can read. Drawing on their extensive knowledge of the period, of other esoteric and alchemical works and of the curious history of the Voynich, they explore its relation to magic and alchemy, and what may be guessed about the meaning of its beautiful illustrations. This information, together with the images themselves, invites readers to form their own interpretations of this most famous of enduring mysteries.The elegant design of this Watkins edition is a fitting showcase for the manuscript's strangely beautiful cryptographic script and otherworldly illustrations, which include astrological, astronomy, herbal medicine and enigmatic drawings of naked women bathing."


Book Synopsis The Voynich Manuscript by : Stephen Skinner

Download or read book The Voynich Manuscript written by Stephen Skinner and published by . This book was released on 2017-09-18 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "''The Voynich Manuscript is the limit text of Western occultism. It is truly an occult book - one that no one can read.'' - Terence McKenna, ethnobotanist and mystic This complete edition of the Voynich Manuscript includes a fascinating and authoritative foreword and introduction by Dr Stephen Skinner, Dr Rafal Prinke and Dr Ren� Zandbergen, who together detail all that is currently known about this mysterious medieval manuscript, the only book in existence that has been written in this particular language and alphabet - a language that nobody can read. Drawing on their extensive knowledge of the period, of other esoteric and alchemical works and of the curious history of the Voynich, they explore its relation to magic and alchemy, and what may be guessed about the meaning of its beautiful illustrations. This information, together with the images themselves, invites readers to form their own interpretations of this most famous of enduring mysteries.The elegant design of this Watkins edition is a fitting showcase for the manuscript's strangely beautiful cryptographic script and otherworldly illustrations, which include astrological, astronomy, herbal medicine and enigmatic drawings of naked women bathing."

The Voynich Manuscript: an Elegant Enigma

The Voynich Manuscript: an Elegant Enigma

Author: M. E. D'Imperio

Publisher: CreateSpace

Published: 2012-08-17

Total Pages: 150

ISBN-13: 9781479146024

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The reader may well wonder, "What still another paper on the Voynich manuscript?" So much has been written already on that most studies, most curious, and most mysterious manuscript upon which so many researchers have exhausted their faculties in vain. As a relatively recent newcomer to the ranks of Voynich manuscript research, the author retraced the steps of all his predecessors, rediscovering their sources, repeating their experiments, growing excited over the same promising leads that excited them, and learning only later that all these things have already been tried and had failed, often several times. The author does not wish to imply that he regrets any of his efforts. In fact, he little suspected, when he was first introduced to the problem of the Voynich manuscript at Brigadier Tiltman's lecture in November 1975, that he would spend all his spare time for the next year on an intellectual and spiritual journey spanning so many centuries and ranging over so many aspects of art, history, philosophy, and philology. The fact remains that, in spite of all the paper that other have written about the manuscript, there is no complete survey of all the approaches, ideas, background information and analytic studies that have accumulated over the nearly fifty-five years since the manuscript was discovered by Wilfrid M. Voynich in 1912. Most of the papers have been written to advance or to refute a particular theory, providing in passing a brief glance at others' efforts, primarily to sweep them out of the way. Much vital information is to be found only in unpublished notes and papers inaccessible to most students. The author felt that it would be useful to pull together all the information that he could obtain from all the sources and present them in an orderly fashion. This monograph is arranged in four main sections. First, the presentation of a survey of all of the basic facts of the problem: the "givens," as it were. Second, coverage of all the primary avenues of attack and the information relevant to each, the external characteristics of the manuscript itself, the drawings, and the text. Third, a survey of the major claims of decipherment and other substantial analytic work carried out by various researchers. Fourth, a sketch of collateral and background topics which seem likely to be useful.


Book Synopsis The Voynich Manuscript: an Elegant Enigma by : M. E. D'Imperio

Download or read book The Voynich Manuscript: an Elegant Enigma written by M. E. D'Imperio and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2012-08-17 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The reader may well wonder, "What still another paper on the Voynich manuscript?" So much has been written already on that most studies, most curious, and most mysterious manuscript upon which so many researchers have exhausted their faculties in vain. As a relatively recent newcomer to the ranks of Voynich manuscript research, the author retraced the steps of all his predecessors, rediscovering their sources, repeating their experiments, growing excited over the same promising leads that excited them, and learning only later that all these things have already been tried and had failed, often several times. The author does not wish to imply that he regrets any of his efforts. In fact, he little suspected, when he was first introduced to the problem of the Voynich manuscript at Brigadier Tiltman's lecture in November 1975, that he would spend all his spare time for the next year on an intellectual and spiritual journey spanning so many centuries and ranging over so many aspects of art, history, philosophy, and philology. The fact remains that, in spite of all the paper that other have written about the manuscript, there is no complete survey of all the approaches, ideas, background information and analytic studies that have accumulated over the nearly fifty-five years since the manuscript was discovered by Wilfrid M. Voynich in 1912. Most of the papers have been written to advance or to refute a particular theory, providing in passing a brief glance at others' efforts, primarily to sweep them out of the way. Much vital information is to be found only in unpublished notes and papers inaccessible to most students. The author felt that it would be useful to pull together all the information that he could obtain from all the sources and present them in an orderly fashion. This monograph is arranged in four main sections. First, the presentation of a survey of all of the basic facts of the problem: the "givens," as it were. Second, coverage of all the primary avenues of attack and the information relevant to each, the external characteristics of the manuscript itself, the drawings, and the text. Third, a survey of the major claims of decipherment and other substantial analytic work carried out by various researchers. Fourth, a sketch of collateral and background topics which seem likely to be useful.