The Voynich Manuscript: The Unsolved Riddle of an Extraordinary Book Which has Defied Interpretation for Centuries

In 1912, Wilfrid Voynich, an antiquarian book dealer, stumbled upon a strange volume, its vellum pages covered in a beautiful but unrecognisable script accompanied by equally mystifying pictures. The codex has remained undeciphered from that day to this. Voynich believed the codex to be the work of medieval philosopher Roger Bacon, others that of the Elizabethan mathematician and occultist John Dee. Whoever created the book—which now resides at Yale University—it remains to this day a singular enigma which continues to defy the best efforts of linguists, cryptologists, and scholars. With the benefit of the authors' exhaustive research, readers can hazard their own guesses as to the meaning and provenance of this most beguiling of mysteries.

History

Kennedy, Gerry

Churchill, Rob

Europe

Orion Publishing

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 Mysterious Code That Has Defied Interpretation for Centuries

Literature & Fiction

History & Criticism

Inner Traditions

En 1912, el librero Wilfrid Voynich adquirió un extraño manuscrito, propiedad de los jesuitas. Estaba escrito en un alfabeto ininteligible y decorado con dibujos eróticos, de botánica y astronómicos. Desde entonces nadie ha sido capaz de descifrar el manuscrito Voynich, que en la actualidad se encuentra en la universidad de Yale. La primera noticia fiable data de principios del siglo XVII cuando, al parecer, el emperador Rodolfo II de Bohemia lo adquirió por seiscientos ducados; luego pasó por diversas manos hasta llegar, en 1666, a las de Athanasius Kircher. A partir de ese momento y hasta el siglo XX, se pierde su rastro. Su autoría no resulta menos misteriosa: unos creen que es obra de un cabalista, otros que nos hallamos ante un manual de suicidio redactado por los cátaros, otros lo atribuyen al filósofo medieval Roger Bacon, o incluso a Nostradamus, y aún otros a John Dee, matemático, ocultista y embajador de la reina Isabel de Inglaterra. Lo cierto es que el manuscrito Voynich ha sido fuente de inspiración tanto para las novelas de H. P. Lovecraft como de Indiana Jones, y tiene un nutrido grupo de estudiosos en todo el mundo que se afanan por ser los primeros en desentrañar sus secretos.

El manuscrito Voynich: Un enigma sin resolver

Religion & Spirituality

Melusina

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