My Research into the Voynich Manuscript: A Ciphered Treasure of 15th-Century Italy
For years, the Voynich Manuscript has puzzled historians, linguists, and cryptographers alike. As a researcher deeply invested in uncovering its mysteries, I've come to believe that the manuscript is not a hoax or a fantasy—but a carefully encrypted scientific, botanical, and medical compendium from 15th-century Italy. Below, I’ve detailed my original findings, including plant identifications, Latin decipherments, and a broader theory of a Latin-based substitution-permutation cipher system.
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1. The Castle and Rose Garden – Folio 86v (Rosettes Foldout)
I identified the castle in this foldout as a real fortification located in Ameria (modern-day Amelia), Italy. In the foreground lies a rose garden, which I interpret as either medicinal or ornamental in function.
Latin decipherment: O AMERIA ROSARI
Translation: "O Ameria, [garden] of roses"
This phrase grounds the manuscript geographically and symbolically in central Italy and highlights the importance of both nature and devotion in the manuscript’s theme.
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2. Cardoon, Not Sunflower – Folio 33v (Deciphering will be shown in a future post)
Others have misidentified this plant as a sunflower—an impossibility, as sunflowers reached Europe only after 1500. I recognized it instead as a cardoon (Cynara cardunculus), widely cultivated in Dorio, Italy during the 15th century.
This correction supports the manuscript's European origin and aligns with regional botanical practices of the time.
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3. Groundsel, Not Poppy – Folio 6r
(Deciphering will be shown in a future post)
What many believed to be a poppy leaking latex, I deciphered as groundsel (Senecio), likely shown infested with aphids or mites. This plant had known medicinal uses in medieval Europe.
The depiction of agricultural detail here supports a realistic, working knowledge of plants—not a symbolic or fantastical one.
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4. Medicinal Instruction – Folio 66r (Above Reclining Man)
Above a man rubbing his lower abdomen, I deciphered the phrase:
Latin: TERO IRINI DIRECTIS CAUTE
Translation: "Rub iris root extract directly with caution."
This is a direct, practical medical instruction. Iris root was known for treating digestive issues, and this phrase indicates a topical remedy.
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5. Full Text Above the Reclining Man – Folio 66r
I’ve also partially deciphered six lines of text above the reclining man, yielding the following Latin phrases:
1. EC EI NI ELI RUERE CURAE O ERUS
2. CAEDO RADO O ET URERE LIGO IO ROTARE EI SUI CAVUS EVITO CUPLA DISICIO
3. ACUI A CORVUS ACCURRI AC EI SERO STORIA CIS
4. ERO ET IRIS ACER ODOR VIA DO ERUS O ROGO ERUS ILIS O ERUS ACERBUS ACERBUS VISI
5. DELIRO VINI VINI CREBO
6. TERO IRINI DIRECTIS CAUTE
These phrases contain recurring themes of pain, burning, remedies, wine, pleas to a divine figure, and strong sensory references—underscoring the manuscript's medicinal character.
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6. Celestial Movement – Folio 68r
I deciphered the astronomical phrase:
Latin: ERO ADDO VIA ROTO CAELI PERSERPO
Translation: "A hamper perpetually rotates in the sky."
I interpret this as a reference to the Small Dipper revolving around Polaris, the North Star. It reflects the manuscript’s embedded astronomical knowledge and cosmological worldview.
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7. Liniment Without Wax – Final Page
On the manuscript’s final page, I deciphered:
Latin: LINO ACERUS
Translation: "Liniment plaster without wax."
This is a clear reference to a topical treatment used in medieval medicine—further evidence of the manuscript’s practical intent.
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8. Cipher System: Substitution-Permutation Cipher
Based on repeated patterns and linguistic analysis, I believe the Voynich script encodes Latin using a cipher that blends substitution with permutation.
Some glyphs serve as null characters.
Others trigger reordering of letters.
Still others may stand for entire Latin stems or compound words.
This method would have helped conceal valuable medical and botanical knowledge at a time when intellectual property was closely guarded.
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9. Winemaking or Medicinal Preparation – Folio 85r
Latin: COI CADUS ADDO UVA LACUS
Translation: "With the jar, I add grape to the basin," or "Into the vat I add grapes to the pool."
This may describe a fermentation process—either for winemaking or to prepare a medicinal grape-based infusion.
Interpretation: Likely a winemaking instruction or medicinal grape preparation. "Coi" refers to Coan wine, a type of ancient and medieval Greek wine mixed with seawater, known in Latin as "vinum Coanum."
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Conclusion
Each of these findings builds a case for the Voynich Manuscript as a genuine, practical, and encrypted work from Renaissance Italy. By deciphering these Latin phrases and contextualizing them in historical botany and medicine, I hope to show that the manuscript is not a meaningless hoax, but a lost work of encoded knowledge—now slowly being uncovered.
Two preliminary videos can be found at:
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* A third video will come soon, further explaining the deciphering methods.
– Domingo Delgado (all rights reserved)