Biocodicology - A Deeper Dive

[Mark Knowles]

More broadly, I think it is also extremely unlikely that we will ever have a name to attach to the origins of the manuscript. We may be able, someday, to narrow down a more specific place of origin, and perhaps a community, but a name? I doubt it. There is really no reason to assume that the manuscript must have been written by someone(s) whose name(s) are known to us.

This is an area of speculation for all of us. I personally see no reason why the manuscript could not be narrowed down to a specific person or people, but then that's my thinking, ultimately time will tell.
There is really no reason to assume that the manuscript must not have been written by someone(s) whose name(s) are known to us. And what do we mean by "known to us"? My own theory as stated elsewhere has been that the manuscript was written by Abbot Antonio Barbavara, probably in collaboration with my his brother Ducal Secretary Francesco Barbavara and Milanese Ambassador Marcolino Barbavara. These are not "famous" people, so I don't know if people like them would count as "known to us". But for example I know surviving members of the Barbavara family, who if the eventuality ever arose would I think be happy to provide a DNA sample. There are a number of other specific historical individuals whose names have been similarly associated by other people with other theories about the Voynich, potentially DNA comparisons of their descendents could be done. And so people could be eliminated.