The Voynich Ninja

So here I am minding my own business, casually looking at some Voynich roots, when suddenly I enter You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. .

It's one of those folios with marginalia, and somehow I've always thought the first word resembles Latin for woman, mulier. Compare Spanish mujer, Portuguese mulher, Old Spanish mugier...

Ok so now think "woman" and look at that plant's root. I'm not going to say what it looks like, because I already created the "Voynich phallus" thread and I'm starting to make a name for myself.

I mean, come on...



[attachment=192]

The fourth letter is not an "h", for it lacks a chcracteristic desscender (compare with the subsequent "h" to the right).

I have always thought of this phrase as of "mal lier aller luz heu..."

"luz" is however doubtful, because of the two reasons:

1) the first letter is not so straight as "l" in "mal" and "lier", it looks like "b" partly faded out;
2) the supposed "z" has a horizontal line above it which might designate abbreviation, and it might be "cz" rather than "z"

In Middle High German (MHD) the word "mâl" or "mahel" meant what is now "Gericht" or "Gerichtsverhandlung" - i.e. court or proceedings in a court.

"lier", as I suppose, may be a word form of what is "verlieren" in modern German.

"aller" may be self-explanatory.

"buz" in MHD meant "kick", "shock" and the like.

"heu" may stand for hay or grass, which does not seem relevant. But MHD meanings also include "hauen", "stechen" which might be closer to the context.

The context thus may be that someone lost the trial in court and in consequence was beaten by everyone (aller?), receiving kicks.

The word after "heu" is poorly visible, as is everything after it, but I think I can discern "ol" there, which means "oil". Oil soothes wounds, so this might be applicable to one who was e.g. swished.

BTW, the old Beinecke scan is better that the new one, in terms of this marginalia visibility.

You may be right about the "h", although I'm not sure if it would need a descender...
The first vowel is a mess. I admit that "u" is unlikely, but it just could be an a corrected to a "u". Then "Mullier" could still be some dialect's form to write "woman". What I like about this word is that it seems to bear some relation to what we see in the plant. I just don't see why a text about someone getting punished would be added here.

Quote:You may be right about the "h", although I'm not sure if it would need a descender...

If one "h" has a descender, then it is natural that the other would also have one.

Quote:I just don't see why a text about someone getting punished would be added here.

Marginalia often do not relate to the main text at all and represent all sorts of things, like pen probes or accidental notes.

Possibly wild tarragon - used to induce woman's monthly cycle.
[attachment=195]

I agree that it's not an "h".

This handwriting is probably the same hand as the last page and the "h" is not written like that, but it's a perfectly acceptable "l" ell (they both are) in Gothic cursive of the 15th century.


Also, that line over the c and "z" shape means it's an abbrevation (letters are left out). The "z" shape (it's probably not a "z" even though it looks very much like one) is usually written exactly like this in Gothic Cursive and usually stands for -rum or -orem or -orum (and sometimes other things) depending on context.

Ok, you guys are right about the h. But that brings it a lot closer to Latin mulier doesn't it? All that is needed then is to allow the corrected first vowel mess to represent a u, which is not such a crazy proposal. 

Ellie, ha I'm glad someone studied this before that plant seems like a really good candidate to explain both the mnemonic and a possible reading as mullier. I must say the leaves look very similar.

Herba Oculus Domini ("eye of God" plant) from "alchemical" herbal You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. (XV Century, Northern Italy, with Hebraic annotations), mentioned and linked You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. (number 54).
Segre Rutz tentatively identifies the plant as You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view..

Marco - the plant you link actually has at least two properties related to the female reproductive system: it has contraceptive properties and is oxitocic (= hastens childbirth by inducing contractions).

The text that goes with the herb Oculus Domini in one copy (Aldini 211) of the alchemical herbals says:

Ad sanandum malum lapidis. Accipe radicem istius herbe et fac pulverem et de pulvere cum vino da ei bibere per spatium triginta dierum curatur et sanatur. Item ad sanandum guttam arteticham. Accipe folia istius herbe et coque in aqua, postea pone super guttam per spatium XV dierum sanatur. Item si quis haberet vermes in corpore fac pulverem de foliis istius herbe et da ei bibere cum bono vino, subito sanatur. Nascitur in terrenis macris petrosis et calidis.

At this time, no relationship with childbirth.

Nice recipe, that forces one to drink wine for 30 consecutives days....