18-12-2016, 12:31 AM
The year draws to a close, as every year will. It's time to cast a glance back and to highlight points in which Voynich studies have moved forward in one or another way. I can think of several "nominations" of "Voynich highlights". (We do not award any prizes, this is just for the sake of classification).
"Voynich events" - notable events such as new books, conferences, sessions etc.
"Voynich papers" - notable journal publications or perhaps blog posts which introduced academic novelty into Voynich studies.
"Voynich discussions" - discussions and proposals with no decisive results as of yet, but of promising nature.
And, finally, "Voynich advances" - this is for new discoveries in the field of VMS - that is, for decisive results bringing us forward.
You will find my personal list below. Please note that I am not able even to follow this very forum in full, let alone each and every Voynich blog. So don't blame me for any omissions. Rather, please feel free to expand the list.
The whole purpose of the thread is, of course, to provide our users with a brief review of achievements worth looking at.
So, for me the things stand as follows (in no particular order).
Voynich Events:
1. Being a modest person, I won't hesitate though to mention here the emergence of the Voynich Ninja forum. Technically it was created in 2015, but it was launched public only in early 2016.
2. The new Yale book with VMS scans and professional reviews, of course, is also a significant event in 2016.
3. I would also like to mention our VMBOK effort here. Although it's still in its infancy, I firmly believe in this initiative (even that I'm often lazy to participate).
Voynich Papers:
Can't really remember any publication that truly brought us forward.
There was quite a number of interesting ones, but no decisive results have been obtained.
Voynich Discussions:
1. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.. Something definitely existing - but what's the underlay meaning/significance?.. Noone knows yet.
2. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. and the developing discussion of the glyph construction principles. Excellent work done by Wladimir who observes and summarizes "unusual" glyphs and glyph combinations occurrences leads to re-assessing of our understanding of how the Voynich glyphs were intended to be constructed. The discussion is already much past the curve-line system as suggested by Brian back in 2015, but still needs systematization.
3. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.. Although the result of the discussion is still indefinite, what is essential is that we were able to locate very close imagery parallels. So far, the thread has been lost in the poetic Latin, of which "pro salute hominum" happened to be the most clear, but (alas!) the most useless portion.
4. Relentless attacks at f116v, and respective forum discussions, led to a You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. of the last line of that folio. Unfortunately, the interpretation still waits to be encouraged or disproved. A middle high german expert is #1 on my list of persons wanted into Voynich studies.
5. Voynich mnemonics. The concept as introduced by Koen was a totally new light for me in which to look at "strange" Voynich plants. Don't know if things were looked at from this perspective earlier, but IMO that's an important consideration.
Finally,
Voynich Advances:
The only one that I can think of - but a real one - is the You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. (thx Yulia for parsing through the old books). The discussion has been an excellent team work and a demonstration of what a team discussion can achieve. Mind there's still oladabas there.
***
I may have mentioned many of things which I've authored or participated in. Hope I'll avoid the shower of critique though, cause that's because I naturally remember what I've done but I may even be unaware of what other people have. So your additions are welcome.
And may the forthcoming year 2017 be no less fruitful - "as muckle better as he can".
"Voynich events" - notable events such as new books, conferences, sessions etc.
"Voynich papers" - notable journal publications or perhaps blog posts which introduced academic novelty into Voynich studies.
"Voynich discussions" - discussions and proposals with no decisive results as of yet, but of promising nature.
And, finally, "Voynich advances" - this is for new discoveries in the field of VMS - that is, for decisive results bringing us forward.
You will find my personal list below. Please note that I am not able even to follow this very forum in full, let alone each and every Voynich blog. So don't blame me for any omissions. Rather, please feel free to expand the list.
The whole purpose of the thread is, of course, to provide our users with a brief review of achievements worth looking at.
So, for me the things stand as follows (in no particular order).
Voynich Events:
1. Being a modest person, I won't hesitate though to mention here the emergence of the Voynich Ninja forum. Technically it was created in 2015, but it was launched public only in early 2016.
2. The new Yale book with VMS scans and professional reviews, of course, is also a significant event in 2016.
3. I would also like to mention our VMBOK effort here. Although it's still in its infancy, I firmly believe in this initiative (even that I'm often lazy to participate).
Voynich Papers:
Can't really remember any publication that truly brought us forward.
There was quite a number of interesting ones, but no decisive results have been obtained.Voynich Discussions:
1. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.. Something definitely existing - but what's the underlay meaning/significance?.. Noone knows yet.
2. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. and the developing discussion of the glyph construction principles. Excellent work done by Wladimir who observes and summarizes "unusual" glyphs and glyph combinations occurrences leads to re-assessing of our understanding of how the Voynich glyphs were intended to be constructed. The discussion is already much past the curve-line system as suggested by Brian back in 2015, but still needs systematization.
3. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.. Although the result of the discussion is still indefinite, what is essential is that we were able to locate very close imagery parallels. So far, the thread has been lost in the poetic Latin, of which "pro salute hominum" happened to be the most clear, but (alas!) the most useless portion.
4. Relentless attacks at f116v, and respective forum discussions, led to a You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. of the last line of that folio. Unfortunately, the interpretation still waits to be encouraged or disproved. A middle high german expert is #1 on my list of persons wanted into Voynich studies.
5. Voynich mnemonics. The concept as introduced by Koen was a totally new light for me in which to look at "strange" Voynich plants. Don't know if things were looked at from this perspective earlier, but IMO that's an important consideration.
Finally,
Voynich Advances:
The only one that I can think of - but a real one - is the You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. (thx Yulia for parsing through the old books). The discussion has been an excellent team work and a demonstration of what a team discussion can achieve. Mind there's still oladabas there.
***
I may have mentioned many of things which I've authored or participated in. Hope I'll avoid the shower of critique though, cause that's because I naturally remember what I've done but I may even be unaware of what other people have. So your additions are welcome.
And may the forthcoming year 2017 be no less fruitful - "as muckle better as he can".
