The inspiration for the AEIOU might be related to two other vowel-only "pseudo-words" that were in use during the middle ages, and especially found in psalters, service books and other repositories of religious music.
The first is EUOUAE, which abbreviates "saeculorum Amen".
The other is AEUIA, for, you guessed it, Alleluia.
Both are frequently found in medieval music scores.
I mentioned earlier how the dots above the posited Voynich AEIOU might evoke the rhythmic nature of the vowels, but actually they might be an allusion to neumes: musical notation.
See this detail from Morgan MS 1153. Fol. 030r, c.1320 France
![[Image: m1153.030r-1-e1608081627688.jpg]](https://voynichviews.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/m1153.030r-1-e1608081627688.jpg)
Or this one from Philadelphia library mcai420011, c. 1390 Germany:
![[Image: large-e1608081566601.jpg]](https://voynichviews.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/large-e1608081566601.jpg)
Or this one from BNF Latin 780, 11thC, France.
![[Image: native.jpg]](https://voynichviews.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/native.jpg)
According to You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. the practice continued into 20th century english music, with OIOUEA for "World without end. Amen"
The first is EUOUAE, which abbreviates "saeculorum Amen".
The other is AEUIA, for, you guessed it, Alleluia.
Both are frequently found in medieval music scores.
I mentioned earlier how the dots above the posited Voynich AEIOU might evoke the rhythmic nature of the vowels, but actually they might be an allusion to neumes: musical notation.
See this detail from Morgan MS 1153. Fol. 030r, c.1320 France
Or this one from Philadelphia library mcai420011, c. 1390 Germany:
Or this one from BNF Latin 780, 11thC, France.
According to You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. the practice continued into 20th century english music, with OIOUEA for "World without end. Amen"
![[+]](https://www.voynich.ninja/images/collapse_collapsed.png)