A few weeks ago, web comic artist Andy Warner emailed to ask if he could bounce some questions about the Voynich Manuscript off me.
Perhaps because many of the answers I gave him were short enough to fit into speech bubbles, Andy’s Voynich article ended up being largely about me and William Friedman and Marcello Montemurro (excellent company to keep).
Doubtless this will ruffle a whole load of Voynichian feathers, but there you go. Enjoy! 🙂
Marvelous! Andy’s strip beats Marvel comics by a mile!
😉
I would probably lean towards it being some dead language that died out without being recorded. This had been feared to become the fate of the Basque language many years ago, if I remember correctly. It puts me in mind of Linear A and Linear B from Crete.
Nick Pelling…. or Nick Robinson off the BBC?
Has Andy unwittingly revealed to the world the secret alter ego of Nick??
🙂
The drawings are fantastic and it’s quite an interesting idea to write an article in the form of a comic. I really like the concept and it’s very easy to consume.
David: Nick Robinson wouldn’t be seen dead in a green V-neck jumper. 🙂
Nick, seriously mate, your head is in another place. I mean that both kindly and sincerely.
Pete: I’ll just take it as a kind and sincere remark, then. 😉
Not necessarily ‘comic-book’ style, but fascinating reading, are two more books:
First, a book from our local public library (many illustrations): Incas and Their Timeless Land (Loren McIntyre & Louis S. Glansman.
Second, a book from my local second-hand bookstore: “The Mummy Congress” (Heather Pringle). I can’t begin to quote whole passages from her book, except refer you to the old catch-all term “bitumen” for asphalt and other similar natural hydro-carbons. Much more discussion in re Europeans fascination with (and use of) mummy flesh as a cure-all.
Most fascinating to me was the photograph of a 2,000 y.o. mummy from the Atacama Desert (South America). The most perfectly preserved mummies have been found in the highest Andean peaks (Mt. LLullaillaco, for one). There is also discussion and a photo of Chinchorro mummification practices in Chile seven thousand years ago.
I’m guessing at the pronunciation of the double ‘L’ word as being yu-yai-ya-co.
😉
Nick and Andy,
Any of my contributions/translations are available to Andy’s ‘comic strip’; to do with them what he does so well — funnies which are portraits of actual people (Nick, for example). Great artwork!
Nick, is there any chance of a collaboration with Andy for your sequel? Before I am totally blind? His artwork stands out of the crowd, in full color and kind portraiture.
beady-eyed wonder
😉
Nick & Andy:
Several weeks/months ago I referred to a small paperback written by Demetrio Sodi M. Although only the cover is in color, the small book is packed with terminology and sketches (pages 82-84 and discusses the ‘Mayapan-Chichen Itza-Uxmal Confederation’ and ‘chilames’ and ‘augurs’ who gazed upon ‘sacred waters’ of cenotes.
Fascinating and vastly informative reading, I think even Nick’s child would enjoy this small book written by Professor Sodi and (perhaps illustrated by Adela Fernandez).
😉
Some more references to “The Amate Tree”, Ficus Tecolutensis – commonly known as “Matapalo” (a stick killer). Current-day references are to Cerro Chalcatzingo Tlahuica Archaelogical Ruins, Morelo Mexico.
Huun: Mayan word for paper — made from the inner bark of the wild fig tree.
I’ll be cross-referencing to various VMs folios which discuss the use of mulberry “paper” tree bark also.
If you are inclined to follow my references, De Lange dot org may still be maintaining their website and discussions.
Good morning! 🙂
Boenicke manuscript 408 folio 1v is the South American tomatillo. The artist obviously had difficulty picturing the object being described in writing. The person who wrote the descriptions for each object may not have been available to the artist for more detailed commentary. Anyway, I haven’t found any discussion in f-1v which would clarify that tomatillo and tomato plants have notched leaflets. Actually tomatillo and tomato are differentiated by the papery husk which envelopes the smaller tomatillo fruit. As the fruit ripens, the ‘paper’ curls away from the fruit. The fruit is bright green until it gradually becomes yellow-orange-red and, sometimes, purple.
Tomatillos are eaten, cooked or raw, in just about any stage of ripeness.
Ix-tom-a-tl
tomaz-quitl, a plant bearing tomato-like berries (Gates, ‘An Aztec Herbal – Classic Codex of 1552;, pages 69 and 138).
xi-to-ma-tl, red tomato (Herrera, Nahuatl-English/English-Nahuatl-English (Aztec) Hippocrene Concise Dictionary.
There is also discussion in codex 1552 of the ‘sand tomato’,
Xal-tomatl (Saracha jaltomata)…..
Regardless of all the various professional discussions, the tomatillo stands out pictorially by the papery white husk which encloses the developing fruit on the vine (and is obvious on folio 1v of Boenicke manuscript 408).
🙂
There is a similar botanical item (which is not edible) which does NOT appear in the VM — and which has confused and garbled botanists for centuries: the ‘Chinese Lantern’ plant. I mention it only because of the one thing that stands out historically, and is being proven by DNA studies: the origin of primitive Pacific Ocean travellers was China/Formosa. The other important ‘clue’ is the varied but limited supply of raw materials for making paper and ‘tapa’ cloth.
ThomS and I have gone around the ‘mulberry bush’ quite a bit. The inner bark was used by Chinese for paper. The inner bark of ‘fig’ trees and ‘paper mulberry’ trees was used by South Americans for manuscript paper (amatl). I don’t know what the Chinese called their manuscript material.
Who knows, perhaps people who have discussed the similarity of Olmec and Chinese facial features may eventually have their observations validated?
I’ll soon be trying to access the university in Hawaii, which apparently has been developing a rather comprehensive Pacific Ocean historical data base. My interest is drawn to their website partly because I hope they may have info on the “Wari” people which tomb was recently opened and discussed with National Geographic’s June 2014 issue (Heather Pringle).
The archaeologists are Milosz Giersz and Roberto
Pimentel Nita. (Note the use of Roberto’s mother’s maiden name prefixing the last name.)
😉
The writer of the NatGeo article, Heather Pringle, wrote an entire book (copyright 2001): “The Mummy Congress”. Her opening page quotes E. A. Robinson; “I will have more to say when I am dead.”
;-^