We would have to be really lucky to find out more about this.
This is because many, many old MSs share the same fate. Their whereabouts are simply not known
for large parts of their existence.
That it surfaced in or around the court of Rudolf doesn't make things easier. He was collecting books and
artefacts from all over Europe, and outside. It could have come from anywhere.
On the one hand, I would not at all exclude that the MS was in Bohemia right from its creation.
On the other hand, it may equally well have travelled a lot before ending up in Prague.
I have some ideas, but all of them are long shots.
Even if it is still listed in some catalogue, its description may not give it away. In the catalogue of books
for sale by the Jesuits it seems to be simply listed as "Miscellanea", 15th Century, on parchment (no author or title).
Edit: let me put all my long shots together in one "grand theory". Note: there's not a shred of proof here, but lots
of circumstantial evidence.
This is because many, many old MSs share the same fate. Their whereabouts are simply not known
for large parts of their existence.
That it surfaced in or around the court of Rudolf doesn't make things easier. He was collecting books and
artefacts from all over Europe, and outside. It could have come from anywhere.
On the one hand, I would not at all exclude that the MS was in Bohemia right from its creation.
On the other hand, it may equally well have travelled a lot before ending up in Prague.
I have some ideas, but all of them are long shots.
Even if it is still listed in some catalogue, its description may not give it away. In the catalogue of books
for sale by the Jesuits it seems to be simply listed as "Miscellanea", 15th Century, on parchment (no author or title).
Edit: let me put all my long shots together in one "grand theory". Note: there's not a shred of proof here, but lots
of circumstantial evidence.
Quote:I assume it would have been created in Northern Italy. One of the composers was of German origin. Together with the alchemical herbal that is now MS Florence 106 (15th C, Veneto area) and who knows how many other books, it went to the French physician Jean Ruel, from Soissons, though working in Paris. He added the 'fo' abbreviation on f2v, by accident. It was meant for Fir.106. He also added the month names in the zodiac signs in his own language, using the same ink. He had a habit of reading in the evenings with orange candles, and caused oranges blotches of candle wax on both books.
From him, the Voynich MS 'somehow' ended up with Paracelsus. (Still working on that one).
The nymphs in the biological section inspired him towards his theory of archei. After his death, the MS was found by Paracelsus MS collector Carolus Widemann. When the latter needed money, he sold many of his MSs (mostly paracelsan) to Rudolf for 500 Taler (approx. 600 florins).