Voynich through Phonetic Irish

[Koen G]

When I first started looking into the VM about 10 years ago, I was also lured in by its deceptively decipherable appearance. I thought I could translate a label here and there (some kind of Greek was my language of choice), and it was an exhilarating feeling. An immense dopamine release. Am I really the first person reading these words in 600 years? How did nobody else see this before? I have to share this somewhere, people will be so thankful that they can finally start understanding this book! 

I'm not joking, those are the kinds of things I actually thought. In my defense, this was in the Stephen Bax era, and there was still a broader belief that some form of simple substitution might work. The problem was placed with the language (we have to find the right dialect, something that is likely poorly attested). Of course, some people understood that the whole system of Voynichese was problematic, but this sentiment did not yet permeate public awareness as it does today. Again, Stephen Bax was one of the most prominent figures at the time, and his approach seemed respectable, and thus imitable.

After half a year or so of messing around with my Greek, I started getting this weird, unpleasant feeling. No more dopamine, but rather unease. I can find dictionary words for this, but does it really make sense? Aren't I changing too much to make it all work? Did anyone ever write like this? My usually critical self took over again, and the curse of the Voynich had been lifted.

The research has come a long way in those 10 years, and concepts like conditional entropy, that were previously understood only by people with a certain background, have become better known to a wider audience. I am happy to have contributed to that with my own videos, which turned out to be a much more long-term rewarding endeavor than playing word games.

We can all see that you are playing the same word games hundreds of people have done before you, falling for the same traps. They were all more certain than the last that they were the ones to solve it. Every one of them felt exactly the same as you do, and all were deaf to objections. It's the manuscript that initiates this, but it's people that stubbornly continue it.

You will only receive applause from people who don't know much about the manuscript. Not because they are unbiased, but because they don't have the background knowledge to see how wrong you are.