+- The Voynich Ninja (https://www.voynich.ninja)
+-- Forum: Voynich Research (https://www.voynich.ninja/forum-27.html)
+--- Forum: Voynich Talk (https://www.voynich.ninja/forum-6.html)
+--- Thread: Observations on the Visual and Functional Structure of the Voynich Manuscript (/thread-5340.html)
RE: Observations on the Visual and Functional Structure of the Voynich Manuscript - emanuele.pegorin - 09-02-2026
The idea of drainage systems becomes meaningful when viewed in sequence with what precedes them, namely the ritual of communal baths and the maintenance activities associated with them
RE: Observations on the Visual and Functional Structure of the Voynich Manuscript - Antonio García Jiménez - 09-02-2026
I don't believe there are any water flows, drainage systems, or much less communal baths. In f86v3 what I believe is shown is the astral influence, which is represented by those lines and points.The four corner elements that make up the sphere of the universe look towards the center of the page where the Earth is represented in T-O
In fact, I believe that the bird we see is a representation of the Holy Spirit, which also symbolizes heavenly influence. We actually see two birds on that page, but I think it's the same symbol.
RE: Observations on the Visual and Functional Structure of the Voynich Manuscript - emanuele.pegorin - 09-02-2026
Dear Jiménez, thank you for your reply — and compliments on the name, at least in football terms ? (just joking, of course).
I am not contradicting the idea that it could represent the Holy Spirit, or any other symbolic or religious interpretation you believe in. That is entirely possible.
My deduction comes from the fact that I have tried to give the manuscript a logical reading from beginning to end. Following this internal coherence, I am led to interpret these elements as water flows.
Of course, it could also be the Holy Spirit, a dove, or an angel — that cannot be excluded. What I am proposing, however, is an interpretation that starts at the beginning of the manuscript and continues consistently to the end, creating a logical thread.
This interpretation could be wrong, it can certainly be challenged — and it probably will be — but my intention is to offer a coherent line of reasoning that connects the manuscript as a whole.
RE: Observations on the Visual and Functional Structure of the Voynich Manuscript - pjburkshire - 09-02-2026
(09-02-2026, 08:33 PM)emanuele.pegorin Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
— but my intention is to offer a coherent line of reasoning that connects the manuscript as a whole.
Are you including the plants pages in that or just the non-plants pages?
RE: Observations on the Visual and Functional Structure of the Voynich Manuscript - emanuele.pegorin - 09-02-2026
I consider the manuscript from beginning to end, in its entirety, focusing on the images, but there’s also something in the text that sparked an idea. From start to finish, it gave me a coherent concept, including, of course, the plant pages.
RE: Observations on the Visual and Functional Structure of the Voynich Manuscript - pjburkshire - 10-02-2026
What are your thoughts about the two volcanoes on the Rosettes page? The one from the circle in the upper right has something coming out of it. I can't decide if it looks like air or water. It is curved so that makes me think it is air but it is blue so that makes me think it is water. The one from the circle in the lower right is even more obscure.
RE: Observations on the Visual and Functional Structure of the Voynich Manuscript - emanuele.pegorin - 10-02-2026
According to my deductions, the so-called Rosettes page is composed of nine circles.
The central circle represents the main core: it can be interpreted as the kingdom, the district, or the primary city.
Around this central circle there are other circles placed above, below, left, and right. I do not interpret these as separate or purely symbolic places, but rather as sectional enlargements, meaning zoomed-in views taken from specific points of the same territory. It is as if the drawing shows: here is the center, and here are enlarged details of particular areas.
Inside at least two of these circles, symbols appear that are also found elsewhere in the manuscript, especially in what I interpret as circles related to specific roles and duties, which I have not yet discussed in detail. I am attaching images showing these “enlargements” and the similar recurring symbols that I observe in those role- or function-related circles.
What I consider important is that these circles are not isolated. The image clearly shows that they are connected by bridges and pathways, suggesting that they belong to a single urban or territorial system rather than to independent symbolic elements.
In one of these circles, a small castle is depicted at a reduced scale. In my view, this reduced size indicates that the drawing is not meant to represent the castle itself, but rather a specific section of the territory associated with it.
For these reasons, I interpret the nine circles not as abstract or disconnected symbols, but as a visual explanation of different sections, functions, and activities within the same community or kingdom, shown through a centric or radial perspective that is consistent with other parts of the manuscript.
This interpretation is, of course, open to debate, but it comes from an attempt to provide a continuous and coherent line of reasoning across the manuscript as a whole.
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
RE: Observations on the Visual and Functional Structure of the Voynich Manuscript - emanuele.pegorin - 10-02-2026
As a follow-up, I’d like to clarify one point about the recurring circular layouts.
I think many elements are drawn as circles not because they are literally circular objects, but because this seems to be a habitual way of representing space.
The circles placed to the north, south, east and west, and connected to others, may be a generic projection expanding outward from a central circle, which I interpret as the core area — a city, a district, or a “realm”.
In this view, the circles are not maps in scale, but conceptual enlargements or sections, organized around a center.
RE: Observations on the Visual and Functional Structure of the Voynich Manuscript - pjburkshire - 10-02-2026
I do not think the entire manuscript can be taken as a whole. I think there are differences between the sections.
- Pages with text and illustrations of plants.
- Pages with text and illustrations that are not primarily plants.
- Pages with text but without illustrations other than paragraph bullets.
I think the studies on handwriting and character/word frequencies show that there are differences.
On the Rosettes page, I think most of the outer circles represent Earth or the physical world. I think the large center circle represents Heaven or the spiritual world. My best guess is that the volcano is showing something moving or transferring from Earth/physical world to Heaven/spiritual world. I don't know if it is souls or prayers or something else.
I do think that the repeated use of circles throughout the non-plant pages indicates that it is more likely to be Bohemian and less likely to be Bavarian. But use of circles and Bohemian vs. Bavarian is a topic for a different thread.
RE: Observations on the Visual and Functional Structure of the Voynich Manuscript - emanuele.pegorin - 10-02-2026
I fully respect your interpretation and I am not contesting it in any way. I have great respect for any perspective, comment, or critique. I am simply sharing how I personally read the manuscript.
My working hypothesis is that the Voynich Manuscript, dated to the late Middle Ages, may describe the working life (not the private life) of a community of women in a female abbey or monastery. In such institutions, women could manage water systems, canals, land, and personnel, and the abbess herself could be of noble origin. In this context, the presence of a nude woman wearing a crown or regal headpiece in one of the circular diagrams could be interpreted as a symbolic or functional reference to that role.
The manuscript appears to give great importance to plants, which is consistent with the first section. I then interpret the following circular diagrams as circles of duties or roles, a kind of mansionary, including hierarchical distinctions. These hierarchies are reinforced later in the manuscript, where we find recurring star symbols (yellow stars, filled stars, stars with a central dot). The same star symbols also appear in the hands of the nude women in the earlier sections, suggesting continuity. I have also noticed that words associated with identical star symbols often share similar initial characters or visual patterns, which may indicate a structured internal system.
The subsequent section, in my view, concerns ritual bathing and purification. These would not be leisure activities, but washings after work, especially after handling plants, dyes, and other substances. In monastic contexts, bodily purity often reflected order, discipline, and hierarchy, not personal hygiene in a modern sense.
Later sections seem to deal with maintenance, followed by areas or territories under their responsibility, and finally with the processing and preparation of plants. The jars, all different from one another, may indicate distinct functions, destinations, or recipients—some perhaps intended for internal use, others for external patrons or specific individuals of rank.
Regarding the Rosettes page, I personally do not see volcanoes in the strict sense. Rather, I see sectional enlargements radiating from a central circle. The central circle may represent the abbey, city, or domain, while the surrounding circles show expanded views of specific areas (north, south, east, west), connected by paths and bridges. The circular form may be a conventional way to represent spatial organization rather than a literal geometric map.
I am fully aware that the colors may have been applied later. However, even if this is the case, it does not necessarily mean that they were applied randomly or incorrectly. It is possible that the person who added the colors followed an internal coherence and had some understanding of the manuscript’s structure or meaning.
This interpretation is, of course, contestable and open to criticism, and I do not present it as a definitive explanation. My intention is simply to propose a coherent line of reasoning that connects the manuscript from beginning to end, based on visual repetition, structure, and internal consistency. If there is interest, I am happy to continue discussing or clarifying specific points.