Statistical and cryptanalytical analyses tend to assume that ciphers will fit one of a small number of well-known and well-researched pigeonholes (e.g. Vigenère, autokey, etc). Unfortunately, this kind of “backwards attack” can often be stopped dead if the encipherer includes one or more additional steps sideways, unless the backwards attacker happens to be cunning or lucky enough to reconstruct those tiny steps.
But as they knew in Bletchley Park, it is sometimes possible to “forwards attack” cryptograms. There, a “crib” was the name BP codebreakers used to describe where you already had the plaintext, typically obtained by decrypting the same message enciphered using a different cipher system: having this would help the code-breakers reconstruct daily settings for the second cipher etc. Just so you know, this is precisely why you should never forward a received (and deciphered) message word-for-word using a different cipher, a lesson many WW2 code bureaux stubbornly failed to learn.
Similarly, the idea behind my “block paradigm” methodology is that if we can use secondary historical clues to determine the plaintext from which a given section of ciphertext was derived, we stand a reasonably good chance (I think) of reconstructing the cipher forwards from there. You can therefore think of it as a high-level “historical crib”, where the plaintext is reconstructed via in-depth research rather than by breaking a parallel cipher.
At the very least, this whole process could very possibly yield a completely different class of problem to solve, which in the case of the Voynich Manuscript shouldn’t be a bad thing, given that a century’s worth of backwards attacks has been largely unproductive. 🙁
But what might the plaintext for the Voynich zodiac look like? Would we even recognize it if we had it in front of us?
The Voynich zodiac section
In the same way that many people have long suspected that the Voynich Manuscript’s “Herbal” section(s) probably contains plant and/or remedy descriptions (albeit secret, valuable or unexpected ones), there has long been a strong – yet untested – historical hypothesis about what the Voynich zodiac section might well contain, which is simply this: per-degree astrology. This is because each sign seems to be divided into 30 elements (29 in the case of Pisces, though this may possibly have simply been a slip of the quill), and there are 30 degrees in each zodiac sign (i.e. 12 x 30 = 360).
The modern history of per-degree astrology is something I covered here before: it moved back from Marc Edmund Jones (1925) to the nineteenth century astrologers “Charubel” (who claimed he channelled his per-degree symbols) and “Sephariel” (who claimed that he copied his from “La Volasfera”, supposedly a Renaissance book by Antonio Borelli / Bonelli [did he mean Guido Bonatti?], but this has never turned up).
It’s often written that Western medieval per-degree astrology arrived from Arabic sources via Pietro d’Abano (while he was in Spain during the 13th century). Heidelberg has a 15th century German translation of his work in MS Cod. Pal. Germ. 832 (“Regensburg, nach 1491”), which Rene Zandbergen mentioned in a comment here back in 2009. (If you look at fol. 36r onwards, you can see a few lines of text for each of the thirty degrees in each of the signs in turn, along with some rather jaunty miniatures.)
Prior to the Arabs, you can doubtless trace all this back to the original Indian sources (Diane O’Donovan pointed to the encyclopaedia-sized “Brihat-Samhita” by Varahamihira), but taking things back that far falls way beyond my paygrade, so I’m not going to attempt it in this post. 🙂
However, if you take the time to read Chapter XII of volume III of Lynn Thorndike’s “History of Magic and Experimental Science”, you’ll see that another medieval writer famously wrote on per-degree judicial astrology: and this is where my search began.
Andalò di Negro
Andalò di Negro (fl. first half of the 14th century) was a noble from Genoa. Boccaccio, who he famously taught “in the movements of the stars”, noted that “since [Andalò] had traversed nearly the whole world, and had profited by experience under every clime and every horizon, he knew as an eye-witness what we learn from hearsay” (De genealogia deorum, XV, 6, quoted in Thorndike, p.195).
One of Andalò’s works (“introductorium ad iudicia astrologie”) that discussed per-degree judidicial astrology was of particular interest to me. So, back in 2009, I managed to get some working photocopies of it courtesy of the Warburg Institute’s Photographic Collection: these were of the two known documents listed further below.
Interestingly (and unlike the Pietro d’Abano-derived Heidelberg manuscript), the key feature that seems to oddly parallel what we see in the Voynich Manuscript’s zodiac section is that these two documents contain only a small amount of data per degree (though admittedly arranged in columns of a table rather than in the form of nymphs, stars and labels).
The first document is at the British Library: I managed to get a look at this in person, kindly thanks (if I recall correctly) to a letter of introduction from Dr David Juste, who was then a historian of astrology at the Warburg Institute. One unusual feature was that a few key parts of the tables were highlighted in different colours, something that wasn’t at all apparent from the black-and-white photographs taken for the Warburg in the (I guess) 1920s or 1930s. (Sadly, the colour notes I took at the time have long since disappeared).
* BL Add. MS 23770 (BL: “14th century”, Warburg: “circa 1350”)
http://searcharchives.bl.uk/IAMS_VU2:IAMS032-002097417 – “Letter of introduction required to view this manuscript”
1. “INTRODUCTORIUS ad iudicia astrologie co[m]positus ab A[n]dalo de Nigro de Janua;” with paintings of the signs of the Zodiac, the planetary Gods, etc., ff. 1-44.
Aries (8r), Taurus (9v), Gemini (11r), Cancer (12v)
Leo (13v), Virgo (15r), Libra (16v), Scorpio (17v)
Sagittarius (18v), Capricorn (19v), Aquarius (20v), Pisces (21v)
You can see monochrome thumbnails of these twelve images on the Warburg Institute’s Photographic Collection.
In the case of the second document, since 2009 Cod. Fonds 7272 has been placed online and made downloadable by BNF. As a result, I can include links directly into the Gallica pages for you (which is nice).
* BNF Cod. Fonds Latin 7272
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8452771j
Aries (112r), Taurus (114r), Gemini (115v), Cancer (116v)
Leo (118v), Virgo (119v), Libra (121r), Scorpio (122v)
Sagittarius (124v), Capricorn (126r), Aquarius (127v), Pisces (129r)
Here is the Aries table as it appears in BNF Cod. Fonds Latin 7272, courtesy of Bibliothèque nationale de France via Gallica:
By way of a guide, fol. 22v of BL Add. MS 23770 explains (says Thorndike, p.192 n.5) Andalò di Negro’s “fivefold distinction of degrees within the signs: 1, masculine or feminine; 2, lucidus, tenebrosus, fumosi, or vacui; 3. putei; 4. azamena (like the putei, to be avoided); 5, augmentates fortunam.”
However, I have to mention at this point that according to Boncompagni’s (1875) “Un Catalogo dei Lavori di Andalò di Negro” (an offprint taken from “Bullettino di Bibliographia e di Storia delle Scienze, Matematiche E Fisiche”, Tomo VII – Luglio 1874, and for an original of which I paid a load of money several years ago but which is now available print-on-demand from Kessinger *sigh*), there might possibly be a third copy still floating around.
Boncompagni (pp.54-55) mentions that an 1834 alphabetical index of the Biblioteca Altieri di Roma published by Federico Blume lists: “de Nigro, Andali de Ianua, Introductorium ad iudicia astrologiae, Fogl. membr. V.E.5”. Moreover, Emilio Altieri’s index to the Biblioteca Altieri (car. 11a, recto, lin.2) reads: “Andalus de Nigro de Janua, de Astrologia, Pil. 13, Lett. A. Numo. 5”. Yet according to a 1690 index, “Il detto Altieri non possiede ora alcun esemplare manoscritto d’alcun lavoro di Andalo di Negro“, so it seems that it had already disappeared by then.
That sums up the known versions of this work tolerably well: but what might these tell us about the Voynich zodiac? Obviously, that’s a good question something I’ll have to leave for a follow-on post…
This is a track that I walked before, with no success.
What you describe is a (the earliest view I’ve seen so far!) kabbalah view on the zodiacs.
My best match with respect to the VMS can be seen in this (book from 1788) picture: http://ms.webpoint.nl/img/favadiani/manoscritto_ebraico_kabbalistico_trattante-lastrologia1.jpg
In the lunar calendar the 12 zodiacs (hamazalot) are matched with 36 units of 10 degrees.
david: I don’t see any Kabbalah here so far… but this page is just introducing the literature and various key documents that I will be working with. Perhaps it will become more clear in the following posts… 🙂
I agree that the two links you mentioned do not seem to have a direct link with it, based on a quick glance at the pictures.
I thought that the “introductorium ad iudicia astrologie” means “intro in Jewish astro” but perhaps i assumed that wrong.
david: “iudicia” actually means “judicial” – and judicial astrology is a certain type of astrology where an astrologer makes a judgement as to the outcome of a query based on a specific time and date, for example by examining the table entry for the specific degree in which (say) the moon was located when he/she was asked a question by a client.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judicial_astrology
The Zodiac section does seem to be a good candidate for finding cribs – I had half a thought that the little labels under the figures might be numbers (whether encoded numerals or words), but if that is the case it is, as you say, not a simple cipher method.
I’d like to suggest that a much simpler pattern is found in the first part of the VMs Zodiac and that pattern is pairing. Is there another pattern that is simpler?
The search for pairings can then be called the ‘pairing paradigm’ for which there are a multitude of examples in the VMs Zodiac illustrations starting with Pisces.
Another investigation of patterns found in the VMs Zodiac on some of the tubs is concerned with the comparison with traditional patterns in heraldry.
Here are two new discoveries of correspondence between traditional heraldic patterns and the designs found on the VMs Zodiac tubs. They are gurges and armille.
On the outer left of Pisces, is a representation of gurges, the whirlpool, in its early concentric variation.
On the outer left of Dark Aries, courtesy of MarcoP, is a representation of armille, the arm bands.
Both insignia have good, strong, and strangely singular historical identifications so far.
What I am seeing in the so-called Voynich Zodiac is simply the RC calendar of Holy Days and Saints Days — as are written in Sahagun’s Psalmodia. True, maybe, that Sahagun may, in turn, was following his formal education which he received when he became a Franciscan Friar.
bdeyed1der
Nick, Rene, Pete, Job — and the multitude of translators of the so-called Voynich manuscript :
Although it is Valentine’s Day, I no longer have the ‘heart’ to continue to post my TRANSLATIONS of any section of the so-called “Voynich” manuscript. It finally became obvious to me that my posts go into oblivion — rather than being considered by Nick, or Rene, or Pete, or even Diane.
I’m guessing that “I get no respect” much less consideration……
beady-eyed wonderer
Good day!
My name is Nikolai.
To a question about the key to the Voynich manuscript.
Today, I have to add on this matter following.
The manuscript was written no letters, and signs for the letters of the alphabet of one of the ancient languages. Moreover, in the text there are 2 more levels of encryption to virtually eliminate the possibility of computer-assisted translation, even after replacing the signs letters.
I pick up the key by which the first section I was able to read the following words: hemp, hemp clothing; food, food (sheet of 20 numbering on the Internet); cleaned (intestines), knowledge may wish to drink a sugary drink (nectar), maturation (maturity), to consider, to think (sheet 107); drink; six; flourishing; growing; rich; peas; sweet drink nectar and others. It is only a short word, mark 2-3. To translate words consisting of more than 2.3 characters is necessary to know this ancient language.
If you are interested, I am ready to send more detailed information, including scans of pages indicating the translated words.
Sincerely, Nicholas.
Nick, I’ve mentioned before (on one particular ‘zodiac’ feature which displays several people sitting at a table, holding hands). One of your frequent ‘flyers’ asked me if I had an idea of what was happening. My guess was that two families were consulting the stars (astrology) to determine if their children’s marriage would be a suitable match.
One last observation: The many circular “star formations” were observed by the Aztecs/Nahuatl-speaking native South Americans who built (and observed frequently) in their observatory (pre-European invasion).
I’ll be following up this latest comment to see if the ruins of the observatory may be perched on Monte Alban (Mexico).
I reiterate; I am an “armchair” traveler. We have several observatories in California. I have yet to be inside of one (holidays closed, Limited visiting hours, rainy days……)
Song: The bear went over the mountain, the bear went over the mountain, the bear went over the mountain to see what he could see. The other side of the mountain — the other side of the mountain……..was all that he could see!
Nick I expect you know this, but just in case..
Michelle Smith brought to notice (courtesy of Rene as bearer), a student’s notebook made in Padua (he finished writing it in June 1402, at the age of 15), in which the disposition of images about the page and even some particular motifs are strongly reminiscent of the Vms’ “bathy” pages. (Attendance at Padua was 1407-1413)
As you know, I’ve already said I think the VMs was probably made in Padua, though I dated it c.1436-7 on the basis of the quire’s dimensions (having never been trimmed down for binding).
More to the point for your block paradigm, this notebook created by a student while studying at Padua is full of identifiable blocks of text.
The student went on to become a fairly well-connected humanist, too.
Here’s the best source I’ve found online so far:
http://sozomeno.fondazionecrpt.it/showArticolo.php?ID=22&back=approfondimenti.php
Cheers.
Diane wrote: “Michelle Smith brought to notice (courtesy of Rene as bearer), a student’s notebook made in Padua (he finished writing it in June 1402, at the age of 15), in which the disposition of images about the page and even some particular motifs are strongly reminiscent of the Vms’ “bathy” pages.”
————————————————————–
Did you mean Pistoia?
I don’t think he created the notebook in Padua. He was born and died in Pistoia, about 234 km southwest of Padua. He attended the University of Padua from 1407 to 1413 as you noted, so if the notebook was finished in 1402, then it was done in Pistoia.
There are also different opinions about whether he actually did the drawings. The handwriting has been studied and found to be very similar to his later scribal writings, so the humanist writing attributed to him don’t appear to be contentious, but the drawings have not been confirmed to everyone’s satisfaction.
JKP – you’re perfectly right. I have corrected that first impression of mine and also put up a post about Michelle’s great find.
I don’t see the value in the find anything about the humanist hand; on the contrary. But (if you like) see
https://voynichimagery.com/2018/02/09/michelle-smith-what-a-find/
What I hope is that this early work may help with the ‘block paradigm’ thing. Who knows?
Diane,
Don’t know if you’ll spot this, but if so it’s a question right in your wheelhouse…
Looking at:
https://www.jasondavies.com/voynich/#f79r/0.129/0.839/5.00
while Rich thinks this is supposed to be modeled on a 17th century swimming girdle, my impression is that it’s supposed to be exactly what it looks like — someone hanging out in the pool/pond/whatever, leaning on a rail conveniently placed there for that purpose, with their elbow draped over one of the support posts.
So here’s the art historical question (and I recognize that the somewhat sloppy and inconsistent application of pigment, and the hidden line removal issues around the figure’s right elbow make reading too much into details of the drawing dicey…):
The support posts (if that’s what they are) are depicted going down part way into the water and vanishing. It’s hard to tell, but the bottoms don’t look closed. As an artistic convention for depicting something extending down into deeper water, does that potentially say anything about period/location? Or is that a dumb question?
Karl
Karl, that image reminds me of medieval drawings I’ve seen that depict strategies for getting across fords without getting swept downstream (which is especially important for soldiers wearing heavy armor, but would be pertinent to anyone trying to avoid being swallowed by the current).
One might also see something like this in a recreational pool (e.g., like a thermal spa) where the current is heavier.