The Voynich Ninja

One of the things one learns (preferably) soon after entering the online Voynich world, is that speculation is a bad guide. We only speak confidently about those things for which we believe there is evidence, and make sure to express our uncertainty when there isn't.

Speculating is fun, though, when it is clearly separated from evidence-based analyses. I thought it would be interesting to determine, by a set of questions, which beliefs are currently (i.e. at the beginning of 2017) held by the community.

Then, at the end of 2017, we answer the same questions again. Like that we can see how a new year of research has influenced our personal beliefs on the one hand, and those of the community on the other. I'd find it very interesting to be able to keep a finger at the pulse of the community. Which ideas are held, and do these evolve over time?

Rules

• Everybody who was a member of the forum in 2016 is encouraged to participate.
  
• For Yes/No questions, answer the most likely. If you give "yes" 51% chance, then answer "yes".
  
• For the few open questions, again answer what you find most likely. If you really can't think of anything, "I don't know" is allowed as well.
  
• This thread will be closed at the end of January. At the end of the year or in January 2018, we will run the questions again and see if anything changed.
  
• Please answer in a numbered list!!! to avoid confusion.
  
• If you want to participate but don't want your answers posted publicly, you can always PM your list to me and I will post it in a thread in the mods forum (for control). Like that only the mods will ever see your answers. Sharing your answers here in this thread is encouraged of course.
  
• The more participants, the better: we want the entire community to be reflected. So don't hesitate to participate!
  

Yes/No questions::

1. Does the text contain any meaning?
   
2. Has the text been purposefully enciphered to conceal its meaning?
   
3. Do the images match the text?
   
4. Are the plants meant to refer to real plants?
   
5. Is the majority of the plants exotic from a European perspective (Asian, African, American...)?
   
6. Have the images been made ambiguous or otherwise strange to conceal their true meaning?
   
7. Is alchemy an important part of the manuscript?
   
8. Is astronomy and/or astrology an important part of the MS?
   
9. Is medicine an important part of the MS?
   
10. Is the MS the creative product of one mind, i.e. an author? (Taking into account the possibility that one or more scribes helped to fashion the physical manuscript)
    
11. Is the MS authored by a known historical figure?
    
12. Will we ever be able to read the MS?
    
13. Will there be any breakthrough in Voynich studies in 2017?
    
14. Is the MS any kind of hoax?
    

1. Open questions:
   
2. In a few words, what is quire 13 about? (bathing, anatomy, angels......)
   
3. In a few words, what is quire 20 about?
   
4. If we were able to read the script, which language(s) would we read, if any?
   

My answers:

1. Yes
   
2. No
   
3. Yes
   
4. Yes
   
5. Yes
   
6. No
   
7. No
   
8. Yes
   
9. No
   
10. No
    
11. No
    
12. Yes
    
13. Yes
    
14. No
    

Open questions:

1. Hellenistic astronomy and associated myth.
   
2. No idea, unrelated to other sections.
   
3. Various languages, including Greek, an Indo-Iranian language or a pidgin including elements from those.
   

1. Yes
   
2. Yes
   
3. Yes
   
4. Yes
   
5. No
   
6. No
   
7. No
   
8. Yes
   
9. Yes
   
10. Yes
    
11. Yes
    
12. Yes
    
13. No
    
14. No
    
    

Open questions:

1. Medicine/anatomy
   
2. Don't know
   
3. Latin, Italian, Early New High German
   

I've already got an excel setup where I'll enter the data so we'll get some nice percentages.

Oh man, I gotta do all this again?  

1. Yes
   
2. Yes
   
3. Yes
   
4. Yes
   
5. No
   
6. No
   
7. No
   
8. Yes
   
9. Yes
   
10. Yes
    
11. No
    
12. Yes (I flaming well hope so!)
    
13. No (cheeky, I know, but reality trumps optimism  )
    
14. No
    

Dunno, dunno, some sort of medieval European vernacular

Yes/No questions::

1. yes
   
2. no
   
3. yes
   
4. yes
   
5. no
   
6. no
   
7. no
   
8. yes
   
9. yes
   
10. yes
    
11. yes
    
12. yes
    
13. yes
    
14. no
    

1. Open questions:
2. human anatomy and physiology
   
3. Excerpts from known texts
   
4. Latin
   It is a pity you did not ask „Is the script mostly based on the Latin alphabet?“

1. Yes
   
2. Yes
   
3. Yes
   
4. Yes
   
5. No
   
6. Yes
   
7. No
   
8. Yes
   
9. No
   
10. Yes
    
11. No
    
12. Yes
    
13. Yes
    
14. No
    

1. Open questions:
2. Geography/History
   
3. Geography/History
   
4. Greek, Latin, perhaps others such as Aramaic, Syriac, etc.
   

(01-01-2017, 06:19 PM)Helmut Winkler Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.It is a pity you did not ask „Is the script mostly based on the Latin alphabet?“

Anton recommended to drop the question since the answer would almost certainly be yes

Thanks to all who responded so far!

I simply can't answer these without commentary, but since I'm willing to play, I guess what I'll do is PM my answers so my ideas, right or wrong, are dated and on the record.

(01-01-2017, 06:35 PM)-JKP- Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.I simply can't answer these without commentary, but since I'm willing to play, I guess what I'll do is PM my answers so my ideas, right or wrong, are dated and on the record.

I have to admit I felt the need to add commentary and/or qualification as I was answering, but then I realized it's just a snapshot of the current state of things and doesn't lock one into anything, regardless of what anyone else might understand one's answers to indicate. Have fun