I suppose this is the review I’ve spent two years steeling myself for. No matter what book critics may say, reviewing other people’s books is an easy word-game to play (typically revolving around inserting themselves into the commentary): whereas putting your own writing under the same spotlight is something closer to therapy. What, with the benefit of hindsight, do I now make of “The Curse of the Voynich“?
“The Curse of the Voynich”, by Nick Pelling
Firstly, the title didn’t work. To an avowedly rationalist commentator such as myself, a “curse” is merely a kind of game a community plays with itself when its members all willfully look away from the ball while wondering why nothing is moving. Fair enough: but the Voynich’s own mythology is so close to fiction that the word’s far stronger associations with literary curses (the Curse of Blackadder, for example) predominates. This means that people’s first reaction is normally to wonder whether the book is some kind of curious historical fiction: so, a bit of an own-goal there.
Secondly, the cover didn’t work: Alian Design did an excellent job of interpreting the brief I sent them, and produced something that was evocative and uncertain in all the ways I intended. But, again, people have a low tolerance for uncertainty: and typically “read” the cover as somehow implying that the book lacks focus. Cover art has a rigidly defined set of conventions, which publishers (even small ones) can only pragmatically subvert, not replace: the absence of a picture of the VMs on the cover (quite literally) sent out the wrong message to buyers. This was own-goal #2.
Thirdly, the editing didn’t work. Though my friend Tabby Magas splendidly subedited my clausally-complex original draft, the overwhelming pay-per-page commercial model for digital print meant that I was forced to squeeze the whole thing into under 240 pages to keep the final price under £10 – roughly a hundred less pages than the content dictated. More pictures to support the visual arguments would have been nice, but these too used up too much of my limited page budget. And so the writing suffered.
Fourthly, the content didn’t work. Even though modern historians now routinely make use of a hugely multi(ple-)media set of influences / evidences when forming their arguments and discussions, few would dare to take on the Voynich Manuscript as a subject because of the overwhelming variety of strands that would need tackling and integrating (let alone try to draw a conclusion based on such a multi-disciplinary approach). “The Curse” set out to build an entirely new research field: while it is true that many elements of “forensic codicology” had been carried out before, I was trying to bring them all together in perhaps the most concerted way yet attempted. Essentially, I was trying to do to the many historical methodologies what mechatronics did for mechanical engineering and electronics – bring them together in parallel and direct their focus on a tangible problem. But, almost inevitably, this was too ambitious a project – to do this properly would require an entire history department, not some baldy bloke in his second bedroom with a wallful of old books, no matter how persistent he happens to be.
Finally, nobody wanted an answer. People inside the Voynich research field seem blissfully content with the irascible status quo that lays upon everything like a stifling smog: feathers get hugely ruffled if anyone so much as suggests a century for the manuscript, let alone a country, town, or (heaven forfend) an individual, never mind if they try to back it up with anything approaching an argument. At the same time, few VMs outsiders have any great interest in such questions: to most people, it’s just a historical curiosity (if, indeed, it is anything at all).
I also received some hostility about my openness to Steve Ekwall’s claims: yet only three people had written anything particularly cogent about the VMs (Rene Zandbergen and Mary D’Imperio were the other two). To me, Steve Ekwall poses a greater mystery then the VMs itself: while I have a rational explanation for everything in the VMs, I have no such explanation for Steve Ekwall. All I can do is observe that his claims about what the VMs actually is do chime to a remarkable degree with what it took me years to grasp, despite the fact that he apparently has no useful art historical grasp of the object at all. And your own rationalization for all that is… what, exactly? Of course, I could (just like everyone else does) simply pretend Steve doesn’t exist: but what is there to be scared of?
No matter: probably the biggest single criticism of my book project is that I exceeded the amount that readers could accept all in one go – it was all too much, all too soon. Yet even if (as is always possible in historical research) the whole Averlino hypothesis is somehow proven wrong, I’m pretty sure I will turn out to be at least “the right kind of wrong” – looking in the right place for the right evidence for the right reasons should be nothing to be ashamed of. In time, people will doubtless catch up and overtake me, to the point that everything in “The Curse” will stop looking like some kind of mad hallucinatory multi-dimensional take on an enigmatic Renaissance curio, and instead become high historical orthodoxy. When you’re ready, I’ll still be here.
Anyway, here’s the first punchline of the day: a brief appendix to “The Curse” that you probably weren’t expecting.
Following my recent post on Giovanni Fontana, Augusto Buonafalce kindly pointed me towards a recent single-page note he wrote for Cryptologia, suggesting that a memory machine called a “speculum” (resembling a set of concentric disks with alphabets on) designed by Giovanni Fontana might well have somehow inspired Leon Battista Alberti’s famous code wheel. But how did that idea travel? In the Quattrocento, hardly anybody knew about Giovanni Fontana’s secret works – even his encyclopedia (composed around 1450) didn’t appear in print for a further century.
In my book, I argued that when Antonio Averlino left Milan in 1465, he went to Rome, and was there when Alberti was researching and writing his little book on ciphers. I further argued that Alberti’s book has a dialogue-like summary of his debate with a different cryptographer (who, like Averlino, favoured transposition ciphers over substitution ciphers), which I argued was probably Averlino. That is to say, I concluded that the two men were probably looking at revolving cipher machinery at the same time and place. In much the same way that I don’t believe three Dutchmen independently invented the telescope at the same time, I don’t believe that Averlino and Alberti both happened to invent revolving cipher machinery at the same time and place – I believe that they were at least aware of each other, if not actually working in some kind of edgy collaboration.
But how might the idea of a “speculum” have travelled to Rome? Fontana lived until 1454, probably in Padua or nearby Venice – yet we can directly place Averlino in Venice and Padua in 1450 and 1461. What are the odds that the secrets-hungry Averlino, broadly the same kind of freelance “travelling master” as Andrea Mantegna, learned of Fontana’s mnemonic wheel directly from Fontana himself in Padua, and then brought the idea with him to Alberti in Rome? In the absence of any better information, this is now what I believe probably happened.
The odds that the secretive (and secrets-obsessed) Averlino was the person behind the VMs have already been shortened, thanks to my recent discovery (from a brief mention by Lynn Thorndike) that Averlino showed off his elegant (but now lost) herbal written in the vulgar tongue in Bergamo – and if there is a better candidate for the plaintext of the VMs’ herbal pages, I have yet to find it.
So now, here’s the second punchline of the day, which is, frankly, as hallucinatory as anything I’ve encountered.
One thing Steve Ekwall repeats over and over is the VMs’ enciphered text’s reliance on the “mirror”. The problem is that Steve has no idea what that actually means – basically, what could a “mirror” be in this kind of context? Somewhat disturbingly, the Latin for mirror is “speculum“. Could it be that it is Fontana’s letter-rearranging “speculum” that Steve Ekwall has been referring to all these years? Myself, I wouldn’t really like to say – but it’s a coincidence that makes me shudder at the thought.
My final bombshell of the day is that all of this basically closes the loop for my whole research programme – that, within the limits of the evidence currently available, I feel I have performed as complete an intellectual pathology on the VMs as is currently possible, which sharply reduces my level of curiosity about it.
I’m therefore now taking a long-term break, both from the VMs and from the blog (though please stay subscribed, as I shall still occasionally post book reviews). I’ll leave my various research leads (on dating, on f57v, and on the zodiac section) open for another day, they’ll probably still be there when I return. 🙂
But all the same, let me know if you find anything good!
So the one that got me restarted in my interest in VMs is now no longer interested in it? Bummer. I do look forward to the book reviews so perhaps all is not lost.
No no no, I’m still very interested in the VMs – rather, it’s just that the Filarete / Averlino path I’ve been tracking for the last few years has looped back on itself, and I now have to reassess what the next big step will involve… and whether I’ll be the right person to take it. We shall see…
Cheers, ….Nick Pelling….
and if there is a better candidate for the plaintext of the VMs’ herbal pages, I have yet to find it.
There are readable parts in the manuscript, but remind it is a census of the past and the pictures are not as weird as they look if you start searching a bit deeper into old books.
I am making progress, so can you.
It took me years dus don’t expect a result tomorrow.
Good hunting, Jody
Hi Jody,
Thanks for dropping by!
I remember the comment you left in 2006 (on the Museum of Hoaxes webpage) about the Voynich author’s voyage across the sea. It sounds as though you approach the VMs from your own unique angle – please email me if you would like to make a guest posting to the blog to let others know what you’re seeing, rather than just communicating to the world through comments!
Cheers, ….Nick Pelling….
I compared the structure of the VMS
with the Asmoles.
I found excistink jars that look alike the ones in the VMS
Pictures in the VMS can be found in other books,
Translated texts correspond withe pictures, except for the herbal pages, which has a reason.
SWEM (Mews) in the zodiak for Pisces is Zwem (dutch) Swem (South African)
Nortbar is the polar bear.
Such words are old european words and therefore i can read the VMS which I will proof soon.
ette a er ette a zos a wara
Prosit
Hi Jody,
Do you mean the majolica at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, or a manuscript held by the Ashmolean?
I’m pretty sure that what you read as “Mews” is actually “Març” (or perhaps “Mars”), and was added by a later owner of the manuscript, probably in South-West France – it’s a different type of quill, ink, and handwriting to everything else. Still, you could be right here, it’s hard to be completely certain.
Having said that, the rest of the text remains unexplained, so your reading of that could well be very reasonable – let me know when you have an update on your research!
Cheers, ….Nick Pelling….
Mars is not a sign of the zodiac
quit the shit
True – but neither are aberil, maij, yony, iollet, august, septebre, octebre, novebre, decebre… and that’s what the same later hand has apparently added to all the other zodiac pages. Why should the first one be a zodiac sign if all the others are month names?
try this
the names were added
sorgiv=lvirgos
sclibra = scales libra etc
now trysagitta and look where his bow points to
then go around
Though I think it’s actually a bit closer to “oclebra”, I can see what you’re saying with the Libra page.
However, the Virgo page I really don’t get at all, sorry. 🙁
For Sagittarius, you’re presumably talking about the EVA ‘otaram’ word at the end of the crossbow bolt? Yes, this ‘ram’ part can just about be made to read ‘sag’… but you’d need more than a single 3-letter word fragment to convince anyone that this is how Voynichese works.
you are so right and hard to communicate with ………baye
You should try the Voynich mailing list, you’ll find I’m a pussycat by comparison. 🙂
never
ata etta delivered something ?
final help try ida
Sorry Jody, I’m not sure what you mean?
Because (like most blogs) I get several hundred spam comments per day, I have comment moderation enabled, which is why your comment doesn’t appear immediately. I do aim to let through any genuine comment unedited, though.
I finish my book this monday and that is no spam.
I am very sorry for what happened.
Wish you all the best.
Jody
1 INLEIDING / INTRODUCTION
2 DE TEKENS VAN DE DIERENRIEM / THE ZODIACAL SIGNS
3 DE VMS TAAL / THE VMS LANGUAGE
4 DE REIS / THE VOYAGE
5 DE POTTEN / THE JARS
6 “HERKENBARE” DINGEN / “EASY” DRAWINGS
7 DE WERELDKAART / THE WORLD MAP
8 “MOEILIJKE” DINGEN / “DIFFICULT” DRAWINGS
9 OVER DE HERBAL / ABOUT THE HERBAL
10 CONCLUSIE / CONCLUSION
I would very much like your opinion about the structer
Hi Jody,
It seems like a very sensible structure – I spent a long time looking at the same things (particularly the “world map” and the “jars”), so I think you are approaching the VMs evidence from a good angle.
In terms of writing, readers like this kind of book to resemble a “murder-mystery”, an intriguing knot that is progressively untied, one twist at a time. So, as long as the introduction focuses mainly on presenting the mystery in a genuinely intriguing way (rather than on the hundreds of dull theories), and the rest of the book unties one big knot at a time, you should be doing OK. 🙂
Do you already have a publisher interested in this book? Or are you planning to release it on the web?
Cheers, ….Nick Pelling….
Thanks
I finish the book first and then give some information to the papers.
I have not a translation of the complete VMS and have no plans making it.
I am working on other projects too:
Nostradamus
Beale papers
Phaistos disk
Charts of William kidd
The last one might be the next one to finish. Are you working on one of these or other projects at the moment ?
Jody
Apart from the Voynich Manuscript, I’m actually looking at a completely different set of cipher mysteries… but more on that later! 🙂
okee
succes Nick
Oh nick, please, please, please..
What cipher mysteries ?
I spent a long time looking at the same things (particularly the “world map” and the “jars”)
So ? You know. What about the cipher project ?
Some people think that important cultural treasures should go back to the place where they belong. (exchange)
How do you think about that ?
The VMS is only A book in A museum.
The VMS can not give us much, but….but…..
I need a comment now
Hi Jody,
For one particular historical cipher mystery, I’m preparing a transcription, some historical notes, some analytical notes, and a forum / mailing-list for people to discuss the whole thing (and, hopefully, to crack it collaboratively).
It’s quite a controversial direction (though no, it’s not Shakespeare/Bacon!), but one which I think people working together will be able to solve… if you subscribe to the Cipher Mysteries email feed or RSS feed, you’ll find out what it is soon enough…
Cheers, ….Nick Pelling….
What, the bottom of the sea? 😉
Once politics is involved, any hope of anything approaching “right” outcome gets left far behind. 🙁
estimated value ?
When we read the VMs, it will doubtless contain a frustrating mix of what (to our modern eyes) looks like sense and nonsense, science and superstition. natural magic and demonological (nigromantic) magic, astronomy and astrology, etc. Whether that is a lot of something or a lot of nothing rather depends on how you see the world, I guess… =:-o
Of course, it seems quite clear from the letters on file in New Haven that the VMs “legal” home would probably be the Vatican, not Yale. 🙂
Nick,
Do not get me wrong, what the hell do you mean ? We are so different.
What do you want to reach in life ?
Why you started with the VMS anyway ?
My guess is that we probably see quite different things in the “nine-rosette” page – which is not to say either of us is right or wrong, but rather that it’s a particularly difficult page to read. 🙁
If that page turned out to be somehow enciphering a design for a rotating magnetic perpetual motion device, I wouldn’t be at all surprised. But the value of that would only be immense if it also happened to work. 🙂
I am en engineer,have 2 bachelor degrees, i am a teacher, I sailed 15 years as an officer for the roayal dutch navy and i have seen a lot.
As Rici has.
Sailors have a way of aproaching things, as Rici, I am like one.
I know all too well my own reasons for looking at Cipher Mysteries, my own goals, and my ambitions – but this is a blog, not a psychotherapy help group. All the same, the short answer is that I’m just trying to find a little bit of clarity through the fog of the world. 🙂
I still believe that energie might take an other form (exchange of) but it get not lost.
quantummechanics-theories about relativity- ( I have seen the books)
thwe only thing that counts is ENERGY
Okee Nick
I like you, just for the fact you put effort in things——
Don’t understand me wrong.
I am an old man, and might be wrong.
Don’t leave the things you believe in.
You have chosen a difficult road.
Some roads I do not take any more.
But I am stil here, talking to you, and I only can say GO ON.
I am not mad and nead no help.
Jody
…then you’ll probably interested to know that I proposed in my 2006 book that the VMs was written on vellum rather than paper probably so that it could be taken on a sea-voyage. My prediction was that it went from Italy to Istanbul and back on a boat (possibly via Cyprus)… not sure how similar a route that is to the one that you reconstruct. 🙂
PS: who is “Rici”? I have Seymour de Ricci on my mind right now, can’t think of any others…
I think the only two things that count are (a) energy and (b) persistence. Not sure which Law of Thermodynamics that falls under, though. 🙂
Don’t you think of stopping either! You have a book to finish! 🙂
It is finished.
De Rici is with one C. I read that over and over again so I write down what I see, like the Rici did.
about the route:
De Rici: Yah I was a mas a maderas etteras T miceras a omeras.
(inside information)
He was so mad he desided to go first to the places he new (meditarranee, Istanbul etc.)
This was of course disobedient and he explains it (inside info)
Now I have worked hard and have fixed:
the jars
the star maps
the herbals
the easy/difficult drawings
THE LANGUAGE
wHAT MUST i DO MORE ?
I am finished.
Ps: What would you like to know most about the VMS ?
About the negro mantic
You are wrong
De Rici praid
There are christian elements
and it is because (of) the water
Vellum might be good,Italy is a point of discussion. (they would like that)
We have Nort Bar at the zodiac and a language that is old European / dutch / german / Ostsea / South american like ( being old dutch).
We have Swem and Vaq(ue) (French)
(South American Dutch gets closest).
Its European.
With European I mean it is a German language, sorry
PS vellum are atttached ???
The note…..
South American dutch = S.A. Dutch
Nick, I am finished, what is the most important thing you want to know about the VMS ?
Answer Promesse
Jody
Oh, there are only naked women, not men.
Weird ??
Nick you are from Yale, so it might be a disappointment, what I deliver.
Make no mistakes, the book is/was worth its weight in gold.(600 dukats)
So….there are things i do not tell in my book Where is Yale/ Beinecvke ?
Are you involved ? Waiting ?
Cultural treasures belong some- where ( Or there is a deal)
I have something in my house I adore.
My children do not like it. To me it is a treasure and it belongs in a museum’
Things have a place where it/they belong.
That is my stupid way of thinking and living.
Museums do not like that, so we made a deal……
treasures belong where they originate from.
How imnportant is the s>> book to you, the bodleian, and any one who can not read it > ????
Nick, I am finished, research takes time.I understand that, But you take too much time checking me, which means you have not a good archive.(or it is not axessable)
Hi Jodie,
It actually means that I was relaxing with my family at the weekend rather than checking my email. 🙂
The Voynich Manuscript is in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University, in New Haven, USA – though the character in the story I just wrote was from Yale, that was not me… though I’ve visited New Haven (and, yes, I brought back a Yale hooded sweatshirt), I’m not actually a Yalie.
The VMs’ zodiac section does actually have a few naked men scattered through it. Dark Taurus, outer ring, 12 o’clock is one: I think there are a couple of others, can’t remember the page references though, sorry. 🙁
The most important thing I would like to know about the VMs is: what happened? That is, why did the author come to invest so much time and effort into making something so apparently strange? What was the author trying to achieve by making it?
Cheers, ….Nick Pelling….
Black taurus 12 o’clock.
I think you are right here Nick and I was wrong. Thank you.
My book is finished and I can sey more (perhaps you know it already, someone else not).
De rici does not say the names of roots or leaves on the Jar pages.
But.. there are links to the other herbal pages.
As you know in early times the plants were drawn more “symbol like” and shapes were manipulated to hint towards the name.
(snake shaped root for snakeweed and in the VMS worms in the root of Wormwood)
At this moment I have found plants by using that others thought might be right but I also found some names in the text (Rose for instance
and Posterata = Postelata = Dutch:Postelein)
I have 23 plants determined now.
The Jars I devided in groups and amazing are the amount of complexe mixes and jars with roots only.
(root only-roots and leaves-roots and flowers etc.)
The accent in the VMS lies not on the use of leaves, but the use of roots.
You gave me something I hope you do not have this Yet:
Did you see the little blue cube next to the POIERASI jar ?
Greetings Jody
Concernig the why.
I Only can say what i think Nick.
Religion and knowledge.
VMS 209 Ladies in green water with roof-like thing.
Like the little cube I found here inspiring information
(CROSS my fingers for you).
Jody
Sorry Nick the page number about the inspiration is not correct. I look at too small pages I give you the right page soon.
VMS 217 corner left up, lady with the cross, you find it in the church, we in Holland call it a KANSEL, SPREEKSTOEL, (preaching chair) I found one like it.
(I guess you knew this)
PS the Rici says he ONLY pray at such a place.
People going to Moscow I ALWAYS advises to go to the Kremlin and visit an orthodox church.
I am looking for a crown I know it excists, I just can not find it.
Nick, stringere tiererem fit now ?
With your black vaq(ue) you proved to me you studied the manuscript very good.
Are you convinced by now I did so too ?
The language is most times not important but… sometimes essential.
(can’t do without it)
If the riddle of the Spinhx can be solved than the VMS can be solved
I do not mind giving information about the drawings. Reading it makes it complete.
Yes, this would be the nymph at the top left of f79v, holding what looks to be a plain crucifix – it’s the only thing that appears to have any overt religious significance in the entire manuscript. I don’t know anything about the history of spreekstoels… I’ll have to find a source for this.
I found the underground stations more awe-inspiring than the churches, but I was only young when I visited Moscow. 🙂
Nope, still can’t read it. 🙁
For sure, you have looked at it closely. But it’s where you head after that which is the tricky part, without a doubt. 😮
I think the VMs will be solved long before the Sphinx! 😉
Sphinx Orion (Milky)water – way
all solved.
Stringere solved
Give me the witch
I am heading.. I do not know.. survived a hurricane (Irene)
You believe that ???
Waters were high like a house , never seen before. Thought i would dy. Everyone did, so what’s life ?
Srviving ?
Give me your witch
No Whitch in the VMS ???
lets make this clear.
The Vms has a Lot of Christian/ cathlotic / orthodoc elements.
(more but one, you know that)
You are pulling information and I do not mind.
We are talking about pictures not the langue.
I want to talk about the laguage
You have a computer program ???
EVA does not fit.
We have a world map we have jars we have a herbal and we have zodiacs,
I wan to know what is within the Jars
(weird ??? )
Ps: World map no problem to me
I LEARNED THAT THE VMS IS IMPORTANT TO YOU NICK I MIGHT HAVE HURT YOU SOMETIMES I TRY TO FIND OUT WHO I CAN TRUST AND WHO NOT. (SO DO YOU)
I TRUST YOU.
(DO NOT DISSAPOINT ME)
GOOD COSTIDIANS ARE HARD TO FIND
Do you mean custodians?
Jody, unfortunately I had to delete three of your other comments – these went over the line, sorry. 🙁
I understand Nick and I am sorry I won’t bother You again. Best wishes Jody.
The information is for everyone or no-one. (My Vieuw)
P.S. where are the others ???
(you heve better running blogs)
You achieve something if you make something that can be USED.
The VMS was a book made to USE.
They VMS was made with a lot of love and accuracy I have a picture/painting of Kublai Chan.
He gets a gift. If you give him something it must be good.
the gift is good Jars.
(and they look a like) (archive)
There are a lot of castles. They look a lika. I look at the roofs.
Mid-European or dutch
I do not say The VMS is dutch, I only say that the lements in the manuscript are not strange to me being Dutch.
The man/woman who wrote it came from Europe.
There are elements of bathing and knowledge that might point o Italy.
But… De Rici used a language that does not fit the Italian one. It is a German-like language.
How can I convinve you without blowing my book ?
P.S. I gave a lot of information by now Nick. (You know tha)
Can you do something with it ???
You don’t need to convince me – you just need to convince yourself, and be confident enough in your own convictions to get the word out.
The main problem I foresee is that others have in the past suggested almost exactly the same way of reading the Voynichese text – most notably Leo Levitov, who saw the Voynich Manuscript’s language as being written in a kind of “Long Island Iced Tea” of a language (i.e. take whatever’s left in your drinks cabinet, and mix it all together until smooth). OK, Levitov actually called it a “polyglot oral tongue”, but the principle is the same.
If you want to forestall criticism, you really ought to look at his book and at the reaction to it, because that is by far the closest thing out there to what you are proposing.
Thank you again Nick
I read the lines from left to right, exceptions and coded ones left.
What I read next to pictures tells something about the pictures.
I think the names at the zodiacs were added. Rici would never do that in such a sloppy way.
(they are in order and match except for Nortbar / sorry)
Most important about the book is not that you must be able to read it. It is a picture book of you do not understand the pictures, meaning of star maps, shape of jars and roots, you can not understand it. And that is excectly what was the purpose.
There were schools for such things.
If the VMS is already translated (or someone might be able to do so, why the effort)
There were people able to read parts or knew more:
De Ricci census of the past…How you know there must have been a letter or you could read the book.
Kid is learning herbal…could read some words at beginning and end.
Nick, NO one will tell I am wrong.
Perhaps not perfect but NOT wrong.
(except the ones that are disappointed ???)
PS in my stupid way of arranging the jars, they are in right order in the VMS, Yep.
Everything about the jars you take of the blog. (why)
Do not expect to find a perpetium mobilae in the VMS (it is not there).
That is not what the VMS is about.
The VMS is more simple. The P.M. does not excist the VMS does.
You notice I have sometimes problems with the letters in a word.
So had De Ricci/Rici editors, using more but one language is hard by the ones adding things.
The Rici had only one laguage, not being a combination of more languages. (makes me stronger).
P.S. the book (not the zodiac part) should have been written by 2 different persons. I can not find proof. (If I am sick I write different, getting older the writing evolves ?)
100 ? sorry Nick
I am…….so happy with the VMS.
The mixes in the Jars are complex and you can not just throw them together.
I have to start working again and won’t be able to reach you this way for a longer time.
(you can always mail though)
Hi Jody,
OK – I’ll summarize the comments you’ve made here in a new post to the blog, so that Voynich researchers can become a little more aware of what you’re doing and where you’re up to. Hope this is OK with you.
Cheers, ….Nick Pelling….
Nick I said once inside information, I ment not that others must not get/see it.
(have to work on my English)
I would like it very much if info might be uesefull to others.
I do not have time for a couple of years to work on the VMS.
Wish you all the best and you know how you can reach me if you want to.
Preciate a summarized version.
Cheers, Jody
Hello both,
that was a long chat you had here.
I see (admittedly without having read it all) that it
helped in setting up Jody’s VMs web site.
Allow me to add a comment at the latest BLOG
entry of Nick.
Cheers, Rene
my students (dutch) can read vms WORDS
Rene (we zijn in spannende afwachting)
UVA is looking, you are looking……and half of the world…
you mean you habe a oppinion, not having…
Post your commrnt…..
Rene,
we want your opinion too.
(being an expert)
This is not ment wrong, Rene , but give the opinion you have .
OK – I’ll summarize the comments you’ve made here in a new post to the blog, so that Voynich researchers can become a little more aware of what you’re doing and where you’re up to. Hope this is OK with you.
Cheers, ….Nick Pelling….
I say Okee
Levitov had a theorie, could not read it.
Rene, we expect something from you..
Dear Jody,
I would just like to know how you created your own alphabet. Your transcriptions are not EVA and are very different from anything I have seen. Please tell me how you assigned each Voynichese letter to the modern day alphabet. Thank you.
Regards, Andy
Nick, In the immortal words of the Am CW naval officer: “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead” as he went into Mobile Bay. Or Grant, “I will fight along this line if it takes all summer”. Don’t even consider bagging it.
You have launched us all on an upward scramble with damned few touchstones to hang onto. Every flower is blooming and your book has nurtured a whole field of rational, irrational and just plain eccentric ideas as to the why, the who and the where of the VM’s origin.
I think your spendid book took us all into sharing your incredible focus on the arcania of pen strokes, of hidden writing, of proposed mechanical devices depicted by plants and reasons for the code. It has encouraged us not to be shy with our own proposals.
VM research may risk, as you fear, becoming a cottage industry with no one wanting to hear a true Eureka. Much like the nuns in “A burned out case (G. Greene)” were not eager to cure leprosy.
The VM may turn out to be some goofy zodiac/herbal/plumbing opus with an historical value of zip but who knows? I think to quote the bard “Though this be madness, yet there is method in it”. There is just too much care that has gone into the vellum preparation, the earlier inks, the delineation of the herbs, the careful copy work of at least two scribes, adhering mainly to the same code, for the VM to be a hoax or the rambling of some cult. So I say, as a latecomer to VM research and several years late posting this, stay with it. Cheers, Tom
‘Curse’ put me off.
I admired the scholarship involved in the codicology.
I could have read the Averlino story as a novel.
Having them scrambled together affected me as if William Burroughs had gone to work with one volume by Brill and one by Penguin.
If I’d been your editor, I’d have separated the strands somehow: maybe facing pages (fact/fiction) or interlinear, like a film + commentary.
But best of all, I’d make it two completely separate books, one which could be used as a source-text (codicology etc.) and the other to become a fine historical novel.
Mention of Padua.
Reminds me that another sort of relic was exhaustively dated with as little to go on – just some imagery and a bit of C-14, plus documentary and technical details that included pollen samples. (link at end)
The real problem with Voynich studies is that people begin by reducing their chosen avenues to so few [no Catholics, no Jews, no dark-skinned people, no Syrians, no Asians etc.etc.) that in the end the sample is too small to yield the necessary elements.
Pure science –
http://www.messengersaintanthony.com/messaggero/pagina_articolo.asp?IDX=287IDRX=84
Some of the illustrations seem to relate to energies – use of/ transmission and transmutation of.