The Book Switch Theory

[asteckley]

This diagram attempts to summarize the main points of evidence for the provenance and to highlight where lie the tenuous connections, that are so relied on.

Thanks for the neat diagram!

I have three quibbles. 

Quibbles are good, but I have quibbles with your quibbles.

The diagram is specific in saying that the the animal skin parchment is what was dated. It does not convey any claim on the creation of the VMS itself. That was intentional. (Aside: I prefer the term "parchment" over "vellum", since the latter term refers to parchment of particular high quality; the VMS is not.)

As for your second and third quibble, I do agree that they imply facts when they are actually only presumptions. 

The de Tepenec signature, however, is colored yellow for this reason; the other yellow blocks are also based on presumptions -- taking their various claims at face value.

I have to agree with your quibble regarding the statement that Voynich purchased the manuscript from the Jesuits; it should not be green -- or at least it should be reworded. It does seem like a pretty reliable fact that Voynich brought the VMS back to London in 1912 from a book hunting trip in Europe (Millicent Sowerby at least gives an independent account of that in Rare People & Rare Books)  but as I stated in an earlier thread, Wilfrid could just as well have picked the VMS up from a shop on his way back from the train station. We really have only Wilfrid's word to go on.

I realize, now that you point these things out, that I prepared the diagram on the basis that there were no intentional deceptions -- the observations may be mistaken, but the diagram is assuming there were no forgeries or misrepresentations. As we know though, that is an arguable problem, especially when it comes to Wilfrid.

So I'll have to think about the best way to modify the presentation of the 1912 acquisition.

Thanks for the feedback!