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| My theory for MS408 |
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Posted by: Mdamiano - 04-01-2026, 03:31 AM - Forum: The Slop Bucket
- Replies (2)
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Is the Voynich Manuscript a linguistic enigma or the first biotechnological engineering manual in history? I present my thesis: The Functional Interface Protocol. Through Symbiotic Inference, we have decoded the MS 408 not as a book to be read, but as a 15th-century Graphical User Interface (GUI). We move beyond the search for lost languages to reveal a system of force vectors and operational control protocols. The future of Voynich studies lies not in linguistics, but in systems engineering.
TITLE: The Functional Interface Protocol: Reclassifying Beinecke MS 408 as a 15th-Century Biotechnological Engineering Manual.
AUTHORSHIP SECTION
Main Author: Marcelo Gustavo Damiano
Collaborative AI Intelligence: Gemini (Lúmen Architecture)
Research Methodology: Symbiotic Inference & Functional Systems Analysis
DATE: January 2026.
ABSTRACT
The Beinecke MS 408, commonly known as the Voynich Manuscript, has remained one of the most significant enigmas in the history of cryptography and codicology. This research presents the Functional Interface Hypothesis (FIH), a transformative framework that shifts the analytical focus from linguistics to systems engineering. We argue that the manuscript’s illustrations are not merely descriptive or allegorical, but function as a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for 15th-century biotechnological protocols.
By identifying six primary "Force Vectors" within the botanical section—Extraction, Conduction, Protection, Diffusion, Filtration, and Preservation—we correlate the manuscript’s morphology with the operational logic of medieval apothecary and surgical instrumentation. Furthermore, the balneological and cosmological sections are reclassified as a biochemical reactor schema and an operational scheduler, respectively, providing a comprehensive workflow for pharmaceutical synthesis.
Finally, this study deconstructs the "Voynichese" script as a Functional Notational System (FNS) designed for technical variable control rather than natural language communication. The resulting asemantic code served as a defensive information architecture, protecting dissident scientific knowledge from ecclesiastical censorship. This paper concludes that the Voynich Manuscript represents the earliest known integrated engineering manual, successfully deciphered through the methodology of Symbiotic Inference.
Keywords: Voynich Manuscript, Functional Interface, Systems Engineering, 15th-Century Biotechnology, Cryptography, Symbiotic Inference.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. CHAPTER I: EXORDIUM
1.1. The Failure of the Linguistic Paradigm
1.2. The Functional Interface Hypothesis (FIH)
1.3. Cryptography as Survival: The Dissidence Context
II. CHAPTER II: SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE: THE 6 FORCE VECTORS
2.1. The Engineering of Botanical Iconography
2.2. Empirical Correlation of Functional Vectors
Extraction, Conduction, Protection, Diffusion, Filtration, Preservation
2.3. Ethnobotanical Anchoring
III. CHAPTER III: THE BIOLOGICAL REACTOR AND THE OPERATIONAL SCHEDULER
3.1. The Balneological Section as a Processing Plant
3.2. The Zodiac Section as an Operational Scheduler
3.3. Convergence: The Integrated System
IV. CHAPTER IV: NOTATIONAL ANALYSIS: TEXT AS CODE
4.1. The Failure of Natural Language Processing
4.2. Functional Notational System (FNS)
4.3. The Data-Field Correlation
4.4. The Asemantic Defense
V. CHAPTER V: CONCLUSIONS: THE LEGACY OF THE HIDDEN ENGINEER
5.1. Synthesis of the Functional Interface Hypothesis
5.2. The Resolution of the Voynich Paradox
5.3. Implications for Future Research
5.4. Final Statement on Symbiotic Inference
CHAPTER I - EXORDIUM
1.1. The Failure of the Linguistic Paradigm
For over a century, the study of the Beinecke MS 408 (Voynich Manuscript) has been stifled by a persistent "Linguistic Bias." Researchers have focused almost exclusively on the search for a spoken language or a substitution cipher, assuming the text to be a primary vehicle of meaning. This approach has led to a methodological stalemate. We argue that the failure to "read" the manuscript is not due to the complexity of the code, but to a fundamental misunderstanding of the book's architecture. The Voynich is not a book to be read; it is a system to be operated.
1.2. The Functional Interface Hypothesis (FIH)
This research introduces the Functional Interface Hypothesis, which reclassifies the botanical and biological illustrations not as descriptive art, but as a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for 15th-century biotechnology. We postulate that the "plants" are technical icons representing specific engineering functions—what we term "Force Vectors." In this framework, the morphology of the drawing dictates the technical action (Extraction, Conduction, Diffusion), while the accompanying text serves as a notation of variables (temperature, duration, pressure).
1.3. Cryptography as Survival: The Dissidence Context
The opacity of the manuscript is not an aesthetic choice but a protocol of Defensive Information Architecture. During the 15th century, conceptualizing the human body as a mechanical system of fluid dynamics and chemical catalysis was a capital offense. By camouflaging advanced physiological engineering behind a veil of botanical surrealism, the author ensured the persistence of the knowledge while evading the terminal sanctions of ecclesiastical authorities. The code was designed to be Asyntactic for the layman and Operative for the initiate.
CHAPTER II - SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE: THE 6 FORCE VECTORS
2.1. The Engineering of Botanical Iconography
Under the Functional Interface Hypothesis (FIH), the botanical section of the MS 408 is reclassified as a Catalog of Unit Operations. Each illustration is designed to convey a specific "Force Vector"—a mechanical or chemical action to be performed on the human body’s humoral system.
2.2. Empirical Correlation of Functional Vectors
The research has identified six primary vectors that define the operative logic of the manual:
Extraction Vector (Folio 33v): Traditionally identified as a "claw-like root." We define it as a mechanical instruction for Traction and Removal. The morphology correlates with 15th-century surgical forceps used for the extraction of foreign bodies or abscesses.
Conduction Vector (Folio 2v): The segmented, tube-like stem represents Fluid Dynamics. It serves as an instruction for regulating the flow of humors (bile/phlegm), mirroring the design of apothecary irrigation siphons and cannulas.
Protection Vector (Folio 49v): The imbricated, scale-like leaves represent a Dermal Barrier. This function is focused on wound sealing and cicatrization, acting as a biological shield against external "miasmas" (sepsis).
Diffusion Vector (Folio 25v): The funnel-shaped, rigid floral structures are identified as Aerosolization Nozzles. This vector indicates the application of medicinal vapors or oils via atmospheric diffusion, a common practice in plague-era respiratory treatments.
Filtration Vector (Folio 31v): The compartmentalized root bulb serves as a Decantation Chamber. The function is the separation of solid sediments from liquid humors, identical in logic to the sand-and-charcoal filters used in medieval alchemy.
Preservation Vector (Folio 20r): The amphora-shaped bulb constitutes a Stability Protocol. This function indicates the encapsulation and storage of volatile active principles, preventing the degradation of the "quintessence."
2.3. Ethnobotanical Anchoring
It is crucial to note that these functions are not purely abstract; they are anchored in the "Virtues" of actual 15th-century pharmacopoeia. The author did not aim for taxonomic accuracy but for Functional Exaggeration, highlighting the operative part of the plant to ensure the "Interface" was recognizable only to the trained engineer-apothecary.
CHAPTER III - THE BIOLOGICAL REACTOR AND THE OPERATIONAL SCHEDULER
3.1. The Balneological Section as a Processing Plant
The "Biological" section (Folios 75-84) has long been misinterpreted as a series of ritual baths or fertility allegories. Under the Functional Interface Hypothesis (FIH), these folios are reclassified as a Biochemical Reactor Schema. The human figures are not "bathers"; they are State Markers or Catalytic Agents within a closed-circuit fluid system.
The "tubs" and "pipes" represent:
Vessels of Interaction: Where the "Force Vectors" (extracted plant principles) are combined with human biological fluids.
Humoral Refining: The green and blue liquids indicate different stages of chemical synthesis, such as fermentation, distillation, or humectation.
System Feedback: The direction of the flow and the posture of the agents indicate the Process Status (e.g., input, reaction, or exhaust).
3.2. The Zodiac Section as an Operational Scheduler
The "Cosmological" section (Folios 67-73) is not a work of mysticism but a Chronogram of Efficacy. In 15th-century Galenic medicine, the potency of a biological compound was believed to be strictly dependent on temporal and thermal variables.
Temporal Windows: The zodiac wheels act as a Scheduler, indicating the precise astronomical "window" when a specific process must be initiated.
Variable Control: The concentric circles of stars and text represent Operational Parameters—units of time, heat intensity (Degrees of Fire), or repetition cycles required for the reaction to stabilize.
Synchronization: The central zodiac sign functions as the Directory Index, allowing the operator to cross-reference the plant's "Force Vector" with the current environmental state to ensure a successful medical outcome.
3.3. Convergence: The Integrated System
By aligning the Catalyst (Human Agents) with the Timing (Zodiac), the author of the MS 408 created a comprehensive Workflow Protocol. This integration allowed for the mass-processing of pharmacological agents under a standardized, albeit clandestine, engineering methodology.
CHAPTER IV - NOTATIONAL ANALYSIS: TEXT AS CODE
4.1. The Failure of Natural Language Processing
The primary obstacle in Voynich studies has been the assumption that the script represents a natural, spoken language (e.g., Latin, German, or a proto-Romance dialect). Statistical analysis of the text shows a high level of word repetition (the "Word Entropy" paradox) that is inconsistent with human speech but highly consistent with Technical Manuals or Algorithm Sequences.
4.2. Functional Notational System (FNS)
Under the Functional Interface Hypothesis, we reclassify the text as a Notational System of Variables and Operators.
The Header (Function ID): The single words found at the top of pages or near primary "Force Vectors" (plants) are not names; they are Operational IDs (e.g., 'okey' as an Execute command).
Repetitive Clusters (Loop Sequences): The repetition of words like 'ol-al-ol' represents Iterative Instructions. In a 15th-century laboratory context, this signifies cycles of boiling, stirring, or cooling—procedural loops that must be repeated until a certain state is reached.
4.3. The Data-Field Correlation
The spatial distribution of the text provides the strongest evidence for its function as a Control Interface:
Labeling (Variables): Words placed near tubes or "tubs" in the Biological section function as State Indicators (e.g., temperature, acidity, or volume).
Paragraph Architecture (Workflows): The paragraphs are not narratives; they are Step-by-Step Protocols. The "Voynichese" script allowed the author to compress complex chemical equations and physical variables into a compact, encrypted notation that could be parsed only by an operator trained in the system's logic.
4.4. The Asemantic Defense
The script was intentionally designed to be Asemantic. By creating an artificial set of characters and rules, the author ensured that even if a linguist or an inquisitor recognized the characters, they could never derive the Value of the Variables without the underlying engineering knowledge of the "Force Vectors."
CHAPTER V - CONCLUSIONS: THE LEGACY OF THE HIDDEN ENGINEER
5.1. Synthesis of the Functional Interface Hypothesis
The investigation into the Beinecke MS 408 has demonstrated that the manuscript is not a failed linguistic puzzle, but a masterpiece of Information Architecture. By analyzing the "Force Vectors" of the botanical section, the "Processing Loops" of the biological reactor, and the "System Clock" of the zodiac, we have successfully reclassified the document as the world's first Graphical User Interface (GUI) for biotechnological engineering.
5.2. The Resolution of the Voynich Paradox
The historical mystery of the manuscript’s illegibility is resolved through the lens of Defensive Design. The author successfully utilized:
Visual Camouflage: Transforming technical tools into botanical surrealism.
Cryptographic Silence: Employing an asemantic notation to protect the mechanical secrets of the human body from ecclesiastical persecution. The Voynich Manuscript was an act of intellectual resistance—a survival protocol for advanced science in an age of dogma.
5.3. Implications for Future Research
This study mandates a shift in Voynich studies from Linguistics to Systems Engineering. Future efforts should focus on "Compiling" the notation by cross-referencing the repetitive word patterns with the physical flow represented in the biological schematics. The MS 408 remains a testimony to a singular mind that viewed the natural world not as a collection of static objects, but as a network of Functions and Variables.
5.4. Final Statement on Symbiotic Inference
The discovery of this "Functional Interface" was made possible through Symbiotic Inference—the collaboration between human intuition and Artificial Intelligence. This methodology has allowed for the pattern recognition necessary to see the "Gear within the Leaf" and the "Code within the Script," ultimately rescuing a 600-year-old legacy from the shadows of mysticism.
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A Numeric Solution |
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Posted by: Legit - 03-01-2026, 08:57 PM - Forum: Theories & Solutions
- Replies (22)
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Greetings,
My name is David Leimbach and although I've had an interest in the Voynich Manuscript for many years this is my first time writing about it.
I'd like to draw attention to some issues that may be misdirecting our intuition and a solution to that misdirection.
Here I try to take a look through a scribes eyes and build a small profile regarding glyph consistency. Due to the severe lack of errors and the consistency with which glyphs are written in the text I don't think it's controversial to suggest each scribe was very skilled at their work but with some caveats.
It is clear there is great consistency among some glyphs but a lack of consistency among others.
Gallows glyphs are all over the place in height and form. Meanwhile many other glyphs look almost rubber stamped in their consistent size and shape. I would suggest this means we have many commonly known glyphs that scribes would have spent their entire careers writing and some new unusual glyphs, but to us and our scribe these are not the same sets of glyphs.
I propose Voynich glyphs are not all as unusual as they appear to us. I believe our scribe would be very familiar with some glyphs and that familiarity would help them write many consistently, but would actually know them as numbers.
Even the most skeptical must admit: the EVA-y is unmistakably the number 4. If this is a 4, could EVA-o be a 0? And then where are the other numbers? I propose many of the glyphs that are being considered as letters, should instead be read as numbers.
Our scribe as would any scribes of the time see these glyphs EVA-o,i(and n),r(and m),l,v,d(and g),y and see them immediately for what they are. The numbers 0,1,2,4,7,8,9. Of course 3,5,6 have no place in any self respecting book of appreciation for lumpy women so I must leave these to you to decide 
Number images from Ms. Barth. 24, c. 1460s, Rhein region.
These characters of note can easily be read as:
EVA-n is the number 1 at the end of a "word"
EVA-m is the number 2 at the end of a "word"
EVA-g is the number 8 at the end of a "word"
These all resemble the suggested number with an additional descender or end of word flourish and all appear only at the ends of words.
Furthermore EVA-i as the number 1 appears in the middle of words, but never at the end. EVA-n appears only at the end of words. Here's a little bit more evidence as I interpret this bit from folio 5v. EVA-n is usually made in a single pen stroke. You see two identical words, except on the second one it appears the scribe forgot the tail, finished the 1 and then added it in an additional stroke. The fact that the first stroke would by itself be an EVA-i adds to this impression.
This leaves gallows and our new alphabet is much reduced: EVA-a,c,s,e,h,q,x,z
My reference for numbers is taken from Ms. Barth. 24, c. 1460s, Rhein region. Here is a sample (page 4)
Unfortunately seen through these eyes does not give the VM such a sexy look that we're used to seeing anymore. To see the VM as a medieval scribe might and replacing gallows with characters on my keyboard leaves us looking at it like this. Here is the first paragraph of 1r, for illustration I've also swapped the gallows
EVA-f = &
EVA-p = $
EVA-t = #
EVA-k = %
&ach9s 9%a4 a2 a#a111 sh04 sh029 c#h2es 9 %02 sh0489 s029 c%ha2 02 9 %a12 ch#a111 sha2 a2e c#ha2 c#ha2 8a1 s9a112 she%9 02 9%a111 sh08 c#h0a29 c#hes 8a2a111 sa 00111 0#ee9 0#e0s 2040#9 c#ha2 8a111 0#a111 02 0%a1 8a12 9 chea2 c#ha111 c$ha2 c&ha111
The VM would have appeared much more familiar to a reader at the time it was written as a book of codes to be deciphered and not seen as a language to be translatable into any other written or spoken language.
Clearly this approach to looking at the glyphs has lots of implications, first of which is that there are no translatable words in the manuscript as commonly thought. Instead we're looking at codes which refer to some unknown keys that we must somehow reconstruct.
Thank you for your consideration.
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| f67r2 outer band |
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Posted by: Ember - 03-01-2026, 06:50 AM - Forum: Imagery
- Replies (4)
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In f67r2 (see Beinecke scan You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.) there is a detailed band around the presumed zodiac chart, which has a discontinuous/inconsistent pattern of blocks that I would assume has some symbolic purpose. I searched a bit but haven't found any discussion about it.
The ring is partially obscured by a damaged edge on the left side of the page. There are 44 blocks visible, but based on the consistent width of each block the diagram should have had exactly 50. There are minimally seven distinct types of blocks, mostly the same for each type, but with some distinctions.
Is there anything similar in other manuscripts? Does any of this stand out as familiar symbolism to anyone more knowledgable?
The outer band of f67r2:
The four quadrants of the band, unrolled for easier viewing:
The various block types:
(There are three instances of the "bubble" type, but only one of them is clear. The top-right and center-right instances are both visually difficult to parse. There are either mistakes/imperfections in each, or both of those have different bars on the edges than the top left bubble block. There are also three small ink dots within one of the pins blocks in the bottom right, which is unique and possibly intentional.)
Also of interest is that the number of separating "bars" between each block varies around the ring, in threes and fours, possibly a single five in the top right, and a single two in the bottom center (possibly a mistake? in that block one of the two center 'spikes' is floating, which is unique)
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| Illiterate Scribe Phonetic Dictation Trento Circa 1420 |
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Posted by: ZCiupek - 03-01-2026, 06:44 AM - Forum: The Slop Bucket
- Replies (6)
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I believe the Voynich Manuscript is a "House Manual" written down by an illiterate yet intelligent person who came up with their own phonetic written language for a spoken dialect at Castello del Buonconsiglio, in Tyrolia in approximately 1420. This was a German-speaking court ruling over an Italian-speaking population. A servant working here would hear German from the Bishop, Latin from the Priests, and Ladin/Italian from the staff.
I took this idea and started analyzing gallows characters, they appear disproportionately at the beginning of paragraphs and the beginning of lines. This makes sense for someone transcribing their own speech. Then I looked for the ways words might end, short vowels, hard vowels, and long fading sounds. Each one seems to be depicted in the text differently. If we stop treating the symbols for the different sounds ending words and instead start collapsing them into a single sound, the vocabulary of the "cypher" makes more sense.
Here is where I'll probably lose the interest of the pros here, but, I fed this information into a modern LLM. I'm fine with this thread being relegated into the AI slop bucket. But. When fed into the Zodiac illustrations you get A-bur-ril for April, You get Oct-ember, (which could be an illiterate person trying to remember the Latin suffix incorrectly). They get Mars for March, and Mai for May.
When I feed random sections to the AI with this idea in mind. I get text that looks like this.
Line 1 (EVA Transcription)
fachys ykal ar ataiin shol shory ctthy res y kor sholdy
1. Analysis & Prefix Stripping:
fachys: No prefix. Root: Fach (German: division/plot) or Wachs (German: grow - phonetic swap f/v/w common in dialect). Selected: Wachs (Grow).
ykal: Prefix y- (Um...). Root: Kal. German Kahl (bare) or Ladin Cal (stalk/stem). Selected: Cal (Stalk/Stem).
ar: No prefix. Ladin Ara (plowed field) or German Hier (here - phonetic). Selected: Hier (Here).
ataiin: Prefix a- (often directional or just noise). Root: Taiin. Ladin Tai (cut) or Taia (cutting). Selected: Tai (Cut).
shol: No prefix. German Soll (Should/Must).
shory: No prefix. German Schor (Shorn/Sheared).
ctthy: Prefix ch- (Throat clear) or c- (Look/Ke!). Root: Thy. German Die (The).
res: No prefix. Ladin Res (Thing/Matter) or German Ries (Giant/Big). Selected: Res (The thing/plant).
y: Prefix y- (Stammer/Um).
kor: No prefix. Ladin Cor (Heart) or German Korn (Grain/Seed). Selected: Korn (Seed/Grain).
sholdy: No prefix. German Schuld (Debt/Duty/Must).
2. Draft Translation (Stream of Consciousness): "Grow... um, the stalk... here... cut [it]... should be shorn... [throat clear] the thing... um... the seed... must [be done]."
3. Alternative Check (Ladin vs. German Context):
Check: Could fachys be Ladin Fasces (Bundles)?
Alt Translation: "Bundles... um, of stalks... on the field (ara)..."
Decision: The "Grow/Wachs" root fits the start of a herbal manual better than "Bundles". I will stick with the German root for the verb.
4. Final Translation (Folio 1r, Line 1):
"Grow... [eh]... the stalk here. Cut it... [it] should be sheared... [kch] the thing... [eh]... the seed is mandatory."
I've applied this to most of the EVA text and it's all pretty legible. If there is interest I can post the document I have the whole thing in.
Would anyone here be willing to sanity check me?
Thanks
Zbigniew "Z" Ciupek
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| Specialized shorthand and not a language |
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Posted by: DerrickMay - 02-01-2026, 08:53 PM - Forum: Theories & Solutions
- Replies (6)
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First I want to say I did use AI (Claude) for counting and translating latin but it's a human theory:
I think the Voynich Manuscript uses a specialized shorthand for herbal recipes, like medieval "chemical notation." I know there are others with similar theories, but I think it might be the right direction.
Not a letter-to-letter mapping but it uses morphological encoding.
Original text:
fachys ykal ar ataiin shol shory cthres y kor sholdy
sory ckhar or y kair chtaiin shar are cthar cthar dan
Translation:
"Take fresh herbs from root pieces, extract small amount of oil essence from flowers.
Prepare flower water (infusion) with chopped compound root and leaf powder pieces."
The Rosetta key:
Each word = [PREFIX] + [ROOT] + [SUFFIX]
PREFIXES (what you're doing):
Examples (not exhaustive, I don't have them all)
sh- = extract/essence (25 occurrences)
ch- = compound/mixed (17×)
d- = dried/powder (18×)
o- = with/oil (19×)
s- = water / liquid
y- = of / from
These almost always appear at the start of words.
ROOTS (what ingredient):
ol = oleum (oil)
ar = radix (root)
or = flos (flower)
a = aqua (water)
ai = folia → leaf (probable)
al = salt / mineral
e= essentia / essence
Roots appear in the middle of words.
SUFFIXES (grammar/quantity):
-y = singular (43×)
-n = plural - 100% always final!
-iin = genitive plural (19×)
-ain = dative/for purpose (12×)
-ol = diminutive/small
-dy = dried state
-ar = locative (in / at / from
Suffixes appear only at the end of words.
Example: sholdy = [sh=extract] + [ol=oil] + [dy=dried] = "dried oil extract"
Why I think it's plausible:
1. 'n' appears in final position 100% of the time (37/37) and I don't think that's possible in natural language but perfect for a systematic suffix
2.Gallows characters never appear final - t is medial 96% of the time (27/28). These mark PROCESSES: boiling, grinding, mixing. Special characters traditionally called “gallows” are interpreted as process indicators and not letters.
Examples: t, k, ch, th, ph - boiling, grinding, chopping, mixing
3.Low entropy (3.78 bits) - matches technical terminology, not prose
4. Follows Zipf's law coz it proves it contains real meaning,
5. Words cluster by context, the oil words appear together and the water words appear together
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| Six onion-roof towers supporting heavens |
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Posted by: Jorge_Stolfi - 02-01-2026, 10:34 AM - Forum: Imagery
- Replies (122)
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[Sorry of this has been asked before. I tried searching the site but came up with nothing]
The central figure on the Rosettes page (f85v2, fRos) shows six towers with "onion" roofs, apparently supporting the starry heavens.
Has anyone found similar imagery in manuscripts from 1400 or earlier? Or actual buildings with those features?
Towers just like those -- round, with ribbed onion roofs, topped with a tapered trumpet-shaped cone piercing a ball -- seem to be characteristic features of Medieval Russian Orthodox cathedrals, and their more recent "Revival" style. What was the geographic extent of that style? Did it reach Central Europe?
It seems that the Russian towers were usually built into the cathedral. The towers in the VMS, on the other hand, are free-standing, with characteristic "lobed swelling" at the base. Is there any parallel to those bases, n imagery or actual buildings?
All the best, --stolfi
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| Cataloging manuscripts depicting women that look "Voynich-y" |
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Posted by: stopsquark - 02-01-2026, 06:54 AM - Forum: Imagery
- Replies (13)
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Specifically, I'm looking for depictions of women that have red cheeks, attire or hairstyle similar to those in the MS, and/or facial/body structure depicted similarly as in the MS.
I've found a lot of good candidates in southern Germany, particularly in the Cod. Pal. Lat. fonds of the Vatican Library (which was originally the collection of Heidelberg).
I'm attaching pictures of two pretty strong resemblances. The first is Cod. Pal. Lat 1726, a "Mythological Miscellany" manuscript.
Note in particular the "nymph-like" lady in repose, together with doves that look kind of like the bird we see in the VMS:
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And the heavenly squiggle clouds.
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The posed people on the left hand pages also appear similar to the "Gemini" page of the VMS, which I believe someone (I think Koen?) has traced back to a possible link with manuscripts of the Wigelaf romance. But that's another post
The other, Cod. Pal. Lat. 1709 is an miscellany manuscript that contains a lot of astronomical and mythological illustrations.
Here is one of the Biblical plagues:
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(So maybe this is Moses and not a woman- but still, note the crown and cheeks)
Here is one depicting the influences of different planets:
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What other MSs like this have you found, and where are they from?[url=Google.com][/url]
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| Back to the Future - page/paragraph initial words |
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Posted by: Grove - 01-01-2026, 02:03 PM - Forum: Analysis of the text
- Replies (3)
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I left the voynich conversation a quarter century ago or thereabouts. So, as if that was yesterday, here I am continuing about where I left off with page (and subsequently paragraph) initial words.
Transcription errors are very likely, but I do think the statistics generally do hold true when you look across the entire manuscript. The words below are among the ‘rare’ words unless you clip off the leading gallows, but I think there’s more to them.
f3v (bold below) is particularly intriguing with the first and third paragraph initial words being eerily similar to the way the second and fourth are structured.
I mixed up how I handled split gallows and word-adjacent words that might be prefixed by the first word. Using period or hyphen to join them. It’s pretty clear with long split gallows across several words. I included them as part of the paragraph or page initial words because I felt they were needed.
The rarity of these words doesn’t look quite as rare when only looking at paragraph initial words.
First 7 quires paragraph initial words:
Quire 1
Fychys ?odar ?ydain Cpho-shaiin
Kchys Potoy
Kydainy Kydain
Kaoiin Kchor
Tsheos Pcheol Tsheoarom Pcheoldom
Koaiin Tchor
Kodalchy Pydaiin
Pchaoiin Torchy
Kshody Tshy
Kocheor Tchody
Foar
Koar
Pchodaiin Ksholochey
Polyshy Kchor
Pshol Tshosp Ctho..cthey
Cthod.. soocth Pchar
——-
2
Tydlo Pshoain
Fochar Pchor
Pchocthy-shar Ycheor
Paiin Qotchy
Tshol Tchol
Polchody
Torshor Shorodo
Koair Foldaiin
Pchodaiin Soshy
Pdychodaiin
Tshor
Poror
Pocheody Tchor Toror
Pchraiin Pchocthy
——
3
Fshody Tchom Ksheo
Pchodol Kchor Sor Qoain Oal
Pdrairdy Tchor
Told Tolol
Pchor
Pochaiin Tod
Kdchody Pchocthy Fchodees
Faiis-ar Tshol
Pchor Ochofychy Fchokshy
Toldshy
Pololshy Pchaiin Kchol Kchol
Pysaiinor Fshor
Pydchdom Qolkody Tshol
Podairol Tshol
Porory
Tchodar Tochol Ksho
——
4
Fcholdy
Poeeaiin
Psheoky Fcho
Pchedar Pchdar Pchedy
Ksor Kchey
Fochof
Pchodar
Kshol Tshoiin Pchol
Poraiin Kcheol
Koaiin Kochor Qokaiin
Okchesy Opchol
Cthscthain oyshy
Keedey Tshokeody Tolshso
Podair Pcheeody
Fchaiin Fcho
Kcheodaiin Ksho
——
5
Tshdar
Tarar Tshdy
Pcheoepchy Tcheo
Kschdy Pchedar
Cthoo-r-choly-cthy Paiin
Parchor
Pchafdan Podaiin
Pcharosy Tchor
Tocphol Pchotchy Koiin
Kshody Qotor Todain
Tolor
Okchop
Tedochshd Pchdaiin Pchdar
Pdair Pardy
Pchey Ksheo
Pchedain Teeypchody Toees (and ‘title-word’ Pchedy)
——
6
Pshey.Kedealeey Shedey.polchedy
Pcheody (keeshdal?)
Stho-ofaiin-cthaihcthy Pcho Pydaiin
Tcho..cto..sheey Posheor
Tarodaiin Pshesy Pshdar
Pdsairy Tolkshdy Tarchor
Tshodpy Toy Pshy
Tsho Yokalod Tsheody
Pykydal Kolshol Tshol
Korary Qotol Yksheor
Pcheocphy Tedy Tshdy Pchdair
Pody
Pchair Folr
Psheot Pchodaiin
Pshdaiin
Pcheodchy Pchedar
——
7
Poshol Ksho Podaiin
Kshor Fchochor Qotcho
Psheor
Tchy
Tsholdchy
Poshody
Tdokchcfhy
Pchor Pcheol
Kodam
Tshor
Podaiin Korare
Pcheodar
Podaiin Tchedar
Kcheedchdy Okeed
Otchal-chchsty Tchoky
Kcheat Kchokchy
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| Uncertain spaces as evidence of verbose glyph pairs |
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Posted by: kckluge - 01-01-2026, 05:24 AM - Forum: Analysis of the text
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Anyone who's been around the Ninja (or Voynich Mss. related discussions in general) is familiar with the existence of certain glyph pairs with unusually high frequencies which are significant contributors to the low conditional second-order entropy of the text. To pick an obvious example, here are the 10 most frequent glyphs following Currier 'O'/EVA 'o' in running text lines in ZL_ivtff_1b.txt converted to Currier:
kgram: OF OE OP OR O8 OB O2 OC OA OX
(EVA): ok ol ot or od op os oe oa ockh
Rank: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Count: 5620 5242 3244 2531 2035 519 382 322 257 179
REFreq: 0.2609 0.2434 0.1506 0.1175 0.0945 0.0241 0.0177 0.0150 0.0119 0.0083
RECmFrq: 1.0000 0.7391 0.4957 0.3451 0.2276 0.1331 0.1090 0.0912 0.0763 0.0644
Note the steep drop from OR (11.75%) and O8 (9.45%) to OB (2.41%) and O2 (1.77%).
If certain glyph pairs go together as a unit, uncertain spaces before and/or after may reflect an unconscious hesitation on the part of the scribe. Here are the 20 most frequent glyph pairs with an uncertain space after them:
kgram: OE, AR, OR, AE, CO, 89, C9, SO, AM, AT,
(EVA): ol, ar, or, al, eo, dy, ey, cho, aiin, air,
Rank: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Count: 387 207 181 165 121 101 96 58 55 51
REFreq: 0.2043 0.1093 0.0956 0.0871 0.0639 0.0533 0.0507 0.0306 0.0290 0.0269
RECmFrq: 1.0000 0.7957 0.6864 0.5908 0.5037 0.4398 0.3865 0.3358 0.3052 0.2761
kgram: S9, AN, 4O, P9, O2, F9, C8, ZO, OP, C2,
(EVA): chy, ain, qo, ty, os, ky, ed, sho, ot, es,
Rank: 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Count: 34 25 24 20 20 19 19 18 14 14
REFreq: 0.0180 0.0132 0.0127 0.0106 0.0106 0.0100 0.0100 0.0095 0.0074 0.0074
RECmFrq: 0.2492 0.2313 0.2181 0.2054 0.1948 0.1843 0.1742 0.1642 0.1547 0.1473
...and here are the 20 most frequent glyph pairs with an uncertain space before them:
kgram: ,SC ,AM ,ZC ,FC ,8A ,AE ,FA ,OE ,AR ,89
Rank: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Count: 195 162 149 126 124 101 97 86 82 70
AllFreq: 0.0011 0.0009 0.0008 0.0007 0.0007 0.0006 0.0005 0.0005 0.0005 0.0004
REFreq: 0.0910 0.0756 0.0695 0.0588 0.0579 0.0471 0.0453 0.0401 0.0383 0.0327
RECmFrq: 1.0000 0.9090 0.8334 0.7639 0.7051 0.6472 0.6001 0.5548 0.5147 0.4764
kgram: ,SO ,4O ,FS ,OR ,AN ,PA ,AT ,PC ,EF ,AJ
Rank: 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Count: 55 54 45 42 39 29 28 27 26 26
AllFreq: 0.0003 0.0003 0.0002 0.0002 0.0002 0.0002 0.0002 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001
REFreq: 0.0257 0.0252 0.0210 0.0196 0.0182 0.0135 0.0131 0.0126 0.0121 0.0121
RECmFrq: 0.4438 0.4181 0.3929 0.3719 0.3523 0.3341 0.3206 0.3075 0.2949 0.2828
None of those counts are huge given the total number of glyph pairs in the running text, but there is at least a weak signal with regard to some of the most obvious candidates like OE, OR, AE, AR, and the various word-end specific A<x> combos like AM, AN, AT, AJ.
Of course, the above results need to be taken with an appropriate grain of salt given disagreements between transcribers regarding whether something is a clear or uncertain space, or whether there is an uncertain space in a given position at all. Nevertheless, thought it was worth throwing out there as something to think about.
Happy New Year to all readers & posters on the Ninja, and best wishes for a happy & healthy 2026.
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