10-07-2026, 11:53 PM
So I was recently (I mean that literally as it was only a few minutes ago as I write this) struck with an idea: could the Voynich Manuscript have in part influenced the Renaissance philosophers who were interested in reviving paganism/seeking hidden truths in paganism such as Marsilio Ficino. We know that in the time leading up to the start of the Renaissance in Florence there were rediscoveries of formerly lost manuscripts and a revival in interest in other pagan philosophers other than Aristotle such as Plato and even new looks into Aristotle’s work. According to the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy the University of Padua was a center of interest in the works of the Muslim philosopher Ibn Rushd whose translations of Aristotle’s work was influential in the medieval world, especially in the Italian states. Meanwhile the rise of humanism focused on understanding the human condition and how to harmonize with the world (as I understand it) and with that came the revival of Neoplatonism.
Among the figures who used Neoplatonism for finding hidden truths/reviving paganism in search of finding the veiled secrets of the world was Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola whose works fused Kabbalah, humanism, Christianity and ancient religious practices to uncover the secrets of existence.
So where does this lead the Voynich Manuscript? Well I want to propose that the manuscript was created by an alumni of Padua, a German scholar who studied in the University of Padua and later worked in the Visconti court as an alchemist/philosopher, writing a book that fused alchemy with philosophy via Aristotle’s interpretation and herbalism, perhaps incorporating hidden interest in ancient paganism. Perhaps this writer was the precursor to those like Mirandola and Pletho who sought insight into the universe via studying the religious practices of ancient civilizations. I know this does have holes but theoretically this would mean the Voynich manuscript was part of a greater path of philosophical texts written as a result of rediscovery of texts thought lost, being perhaps one of a few early works that survived.
Among the figures who used Neoplatonism for finding hidden truths/reviving paganism in search of finding the veiled secrets of the world was Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola whose works fused Kabbalah, humanism, Christianity and ancient religious practices to uncover the secrets of existence.
So where does this lead the Voynich Manuscript? Well I want to propose that the manuscript was created by an alumni of Padua, a German scholar who studied in the University of Padua and later worked in the Visconti court as an alchemist/philosopher, writing a book that fused alchemy with philosophy via Aristotle’s interpretation and herbalism, perhaps incorporating hidden interest in ancient paganism. Perhaps this writer was the precursor to those like Mirandola and Pletho who sought insight into the universe via studying the religious practices of ancient civilizations. I know this does have holes but theoretically this would mean the Voynich manuscript was part of a greater path of philosophical texts written as a result of rediscovery of texts thought lost, being perhaps one of a few early works that survived.