In You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. , a "Beatus map" was mentioned. Petersen referred to it in connection with the lower right circle in the Rosettes page.
Evidently, he is referring to this map, also known as the Osma Beatus map:
The rectangular part with Andrew's cross refers to "paradisus".
It is indeed a tempting likeness.
(Copied from You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.by KG)
Ernest Lillie wrote:
Quote:Anything you can provide will be much appreciated. I've long hoped that someone, at some time, had either photographed or hand copied the now obscured bits of "9 Rosette" --- like the above mentioned label and the worn out gutter between the S and SE disks.
I just scanned the relevant pages of the Th.Petersen hand transcription, and realised that it includes only 8 of the 9 circles. The upper right one is missing. I will need to go through the original at home to see if it is there. After that, I will post a link. Note, however, that unfortunately the quality is particularly bad for this part of the MS.
A few words about early sources: Voynich made photostats of the entire MS, in B/W. Many of these are still preserved in the Beinecke, and are probably the earliest copies. A few of them are on glass plates, still preserved, a technique that people interested in old photography can probably explain.
The Th.Petersen hand transcription is also very early, but later than these.
Another early record is the "Friedman copy", which may derive from photostats before the Th.Petersen transcription. It is also preserved in the Marshall library, and photocopies of it have been circulated. Friedman provided copies of these to his contacts, and one of these has been digitised. I have not looked at it for ages. I may still have it. It was not better than the copyflo, as far as I remember.
That last item is a printout of a very early microfilm made by the Beinecke, I don't know exactly when, but certainly before 1976.
The VMs is a programm, not computer, but handwritten one. It must not be read, it is run and it just functions. Of course, it can be written and it is written by a medieval programmer. You could read a source code to understand the function of this program, if you know this especial programming language. As it is doubtful, it keeps and will keep on functioning to its finish line.
As my site with the article, where the theme of the hidden notes and images in the VMs was observed, doesn't work now, I've decided to place it here, with updates and corrections. The aim is to put together all existed hidden and illegible notes, pictures or symbols of the VMs, ; to systematize and to analyse them. As well, it is necessary to know, why they are here and why they are hidden.
I think that revealing of these notes is a very important task. Who knows, maybe, they include a name of the author or a date of the VMs originating, or some sacral symbols, which could explain the nature of the content. For now, unfortunately, there is no progress in proof of my and others's discoveries in this area, also there is no agreement in reading of the suspected notes, but I have a huge hope that the day of the "official revealing" will come sooner or later. 1. The first item in my list is the inscription in the left top corner of the Rosettes page (f86r). It was discovered by others before me and, later, by myself independently.
a) this fragment, edited in a few ways, with and without photofilters
b) this fragment in original look (1) and its interpretation (2, 3-4)
The last level of the interpretation was shown on my site, but I haven't include it here since it is too obscure and doubtful, although I believe it is present.
2. The notes in the right low corner of the Rosettes page (f86r).
a) the fragment of the original image
b) the edited fragment with changing of the lightening ranges
c) the tables with this fragment edited with different methods
d) the table containing the original image (1) and the interpreted one (2-3) (with burned lines)
3. The faded inscription (letter/symbol) in the right low corner of the Rosettes page (f86r). It was discovered and discussed many times. Many of us considered it the capital letter "M". This letter can mean many different abbreviations, therefore, even, if this is the mentioned one, it doesn't clarify the issue, but, there really is one more letter after it, it can be a hint.
a) the edited fragment with the "M"
b) the mentioned "M' in comparison with "M"s of the Codex Sang. 754
c) the fragment showing some letters (abbreviation?) next to the "M" with my interpretation (the last image)
4. The first page (f1r) of the VMs, top right corner. The illegible notes/ symbols/ image.
a) the edited fragment (1-2) and my interpretation with burned lines (3)
5. The notes on the figure on the f85v. Thanks to JKP for paying attention to it. JKP, even, if you are still doubt in its existing or in the reading, I find it to be very important for continuation of my examination on the hidden images of the VMs.
a) the edited fragment of the f85v
b) the next levels of correction (changed lightening ranges, photofilters) and my vision (the left low image)
c) the edited fragment with the suspected word in latin letters on the hand of the figure (1) and the two versions of my interpretation (2-3). The last letter/ symbol is not usual ("bird-glyph?), but, as I think, it substitutes by itself the letter "r"
In conclusion, I need to say that, as much as I see and understand it, the author of these notes often uses capital letters (in the begining of a word, a whole word, a separate letter). So, I'd say that this is a main difference between them and the visible marginalia. I'd note that the handwriting differs, as well.
The hidden notes could be divided in two categories: letters and symbols (sigils?) The letters are Latin, the symbols are not usual for alchemical or habitual magical sigils. I can only suppose that they are personal author's sigils or unknown to us symbols.
One question which has to be addressed by anyone whose theory is that the manuscript's content is some standard text used in medieval Latin European education is this:
Why would anyone trouble to mystify a work whose plain text was available in every scholarly library and taught as part of the ordinary curriculum?
Remember that texts did not only exist in the form of books: their content was quite literally memorised as part of their being read.
If the written part of the text is in cipher (which I tend to doubt) it indicates that the person(s) concerned considered the information valuable and presumably rare - at least rare and valued within their community.
From the blurb:
"This illustrated guide to the Voynich Manuscript is targeted mainly at those who have recently come across the book and are wondering what all the fuss is about, and why, after more than a century of effort, nobody has cracked its code yet. It should also be useful as a set of tests for those who believe they may have cracked the code, so that they can see how their solution matches up against each of the puzzles or notable features described. And finally, it is hopefully of interest to those already familiar with the manuscript – perhaps they will find something new or thought provoking within."
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A 69 page self-published book also available for Kindle which has just been published.
It's written by long time research Julian Bunn whose Amazon author description reads: Julian is an English physicist living in Pasadena, California. He enjoys mechanical and electronic things, puzzles and sunshine.
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