The Voynich Ninja

Source: boerhave museum.

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Nepen (neben) thess (diese) herba cui9 (cuium) me//
mi nit  plini9 apud Romeru_
penelope hui9 succo addito
porulie / discutit tristicria
ro_uiuij. unde illud odissex/r /
unde bibebat. Ire. Nepe_thess.
o_mnisqp obliuia cure/ Na_
ha_r uim habere tradu2
per va_/ Gu_t 4~ puta_t et_
buglossam/ de qua Gaken9
stribit. qp vino i_missa
Petirie causa sit.

Sure the first line should be "nepenthes herba cuium"? Especially as the following text mentions Homer's Odyssey, in which the drug nepenthes appears.

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(Indeed, the flower looks like forget-me-not, which is suitably appropriate, at least in English.)

(15-04-2017, 10:20 PM)Emma May Smith Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Sure the first line should be "nepenthes herba cuium"? Especially as the following text mentions Homer's Odyssey, in which the drug nepenthes appears.

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(Indeed, the flower looks like forget-me-not, which is suitably appropriate, at least in English.)

That's correct, it says "Nepenthes herba cuius..." and references Pliny (Plinius), Homer, and Galen (Galienus), etc.

David, my Latin is pretty minimal, but perhaps this can help...

Nepenthes herba cuius meminit Plinius apud Homerus
Penelope huius succo addito porulis discutit, tristiciam
romiuiny(??). Unde illud Odisseae [Odyssey]
unde bibebant.  Ire Nepenthes
omnis quibus oblivia cure. [crossed out text]
Sunt qui putant ene [or possibly eme?]
buglossam de qua Galienus
scribit quibus vino inmissa peticie causa sit.

Nepenthes herba cuius me=
minit plinius Apud Homerum
penelope. Huius sucro addito
poculis / discutit tristiciam
conuiuii. Vnde illud Odisseae /
Vnde bibebant . Ire . Nepenthes .
omnisque obliuia cure / [Nam
hanc vim habere traditur
per Ga(lienum?)] Sunt qui putant esse
buglossam / de qua Galienus
scribit : quod vino immissa
leticie causa sit

Thanks, Helmut.

I was particularly perplexed by "conuiuii". I had no idea what that word might be. Even now I'm not sure. Is it referring to a generous meal?


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So I made some small adjustments (hopefully they are correct... I'm pretty sure "sucro" is meant to be "succo") and have done my best to translate it with my limited Latin (without using Google translate):


Nepenthes herba cuius meminit Plinius apud Homerum Penelope.

Herb Nepenthes, which Pliny mentions with respect to Homer's Penelope.


Huius succo addito poculis / discutit tristiciam convivii.

The juice [of Nepenthes] is added to pots [as a flavoring, to] dispel the dullness/monotony of the feast/meal.


Vnde illud Odisseae / Vnde bibebant . Ire . [reference to Homer's Odyssey in which drinking leads to anger?]


Nepenthes . omnisque oblivia cure / (Nam hanc vim habere traditur per Galienus)

Nepenthes, cure for forgetfulness [or maybe it means a way to forget your worries], (a power/use that is handed down/descended from Galen).


Sunt qui putant esse buglossam / de qua Galienus scribit : quod vino immissa leticie causa sit.

There are some who think it is [confuse it with] bugloss, as Galen wrote : because it is popularly/happily added to wine [or maybe what he's trying to say is that it promotes a happier mood when added to wine].

Sorry, typo, it is succo of course

convivium
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