geoffreycaveney's Middle English theory

[geoffreycaveney]

Any idea why Englishmen would use German for their marginalia?

I hypothesize that it is most likely that the German marginalia was added later, perhaps when the manuscript had already made its way to Bohemia or somewhere nearby. I still stand by the following part of my original Edward, 2nd Duke of York hypothesis, as long as we revise "diary" to "York family journal":

"Edward, 2nd Duke of York, was killed at the famous Battle of Agincourt in northern France in 1415. Edward was the highest-ranking English casualty of the battle. I propose that at some point in the confusion during or after the battle, after Edward's death, a Frenchman came into possession of Edward's diary [correction: York family journal] and kept it as a sort of small spoils of war, a small consolation perhaps for the French side's defeat in the battle itself. That is how Edward's diary [York family journal] ended up in Continental Europe, eventually making its way into the possession of Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor, nearly two hundred years later. 

"Another potential objection to this theory is that according to some reports, Edward was killed at the Battle of Agincourt after he rushed forward to save the life of King Henry V. (Henry IV had died in 1413.) However, I believe the same person could have both written the virulently Yorkist Voynich manuscript in private while still acting loyally toward the Lancastrian King Henry V in public in an important battle. Edward dedicated The Master of Game to Henry V when the latter was still the Prince of Wales during his father Henry IV's reign. Perhaps this was all just a public act on Edward's part, or perhaps Edward simply despised Henry IV but did not necessarily blame Henry V for his father's crimes."

Geoffrey