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Inspiration for Philosophers like Marsilio Ficino?

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• Inspiration for Philosophers like Marsilio Ficino?

• Inspiration for Philosophers like Marsilio Ficino?

  GracefulShinjo > 10-07-2026, 11:53 PM

  So I was recently (I mean that literally as it was only a few minutes ago as I write this) struck with an idea: could the Voynich Manuscript have in part influenced the Renaissance philosophers who were interested in reviving paganism/seeking hidden truths in paganism such as Marsilio Ficino. We know that in the time leading up to the start of the Renaissance in Florence there were rediscoveries of formerly lost manuscripts and a revival in interest in other pagan philosophers other than Aristotle such as Plato and even new looks into Aristotle’s work. According to the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy the University of Padua was a center of interest in the works of the Muslim philosopher Ibn Rushd whose translations of Aristotle’s work was influential in the medieval world, especially in the Italian states. Meanwhile the rise of humanism focused on understanding the human condition and how to harmonize with the world (as I understand it) and with that came the revival of Neoplatonism. 
  
   Among the figures who used Neoplatonism for finding hidden truths/reviving paganism in search of finding the veiled secrets of the world was Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola whose works fused Kabbalah, humanism, Christianity and ancient religious practices to uncover the secrets of existence. 
  
   So where does this lead the Voynich Manuscript? Well I want to propose that the manuscript was created by an alumni of Padua, a German scholar who studied in the University of Padua and later worked in the Visconti court as an alchemist/philosopher, writing a book that fused alchemy with philosophy via Aristotle’s interpretation and herbalism, perhaps incorporating hidden interest in ancient paganism. Perhaps this writer was the precursor to those like Mirandola and Pletho who sought insight into the universe via studying the religious practices of ancient civilizations. I know this does have holes but theoretically this would mean the Voynich manuscript was part of a greater path of philosophical texts written as a result of rediscovery of texts thought lost, being perhaps one of a few early works that survived.

• RE: Inspiration for Philosophers like Marsilio Ficino?

  bi3mw > 11-07-2026, 12:02 PM

  (10-07-2026, 11:53 PM)GracefulShinjo Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Well I want to propose that the manuscript was created by an alumni of Padua, a German scholar who studied in the University of Padua and later worked in the Visconti court as an alchemist/philosopher, writing a book that fused alchemy with philosophy .....

  
  Are you thinking of a specific person here, or—if it's supposed to be a fictional character—why a German scholar?

• RE: Inspiration for Philosophers like Marsilio Ficino?

  GracefulShinjo > 11-07-2026, 12:37 PM

  (11-07-2026, 12:02 PM)bi3mw Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

  (10-07-2026, 11:53 PM)GracefulShinjo Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Well I want to propose that the manuscript was created by an alumni of Padua, a German scholar who studied in the University of Padua and later worked in the Visconti court as an alchemist/philosopher, writing a book that fused alchemy with philosophy .....

  
  Are you thinking of a specific person here, or—if it's supposed to be a fictional character—why a German scholar?

   I’m thinking of the inscription at the back. It is speculated that the writer was from Southern Germany (Bavaria, Rhineland Palatinate, Swabia, Baden-Württemberg) based on that charm but I can see them being from Trentino Alto-Adige, Switzerland or Austria.

• RE: Inspiration for Philosophers like Marsilio Ficino?

  ololololo > 11-07-2026, 12:57 PM

  The mystical interpretation of VMS is currently unprovable and highly controversial. There is nothing obviously alchemical about VMS (e.g., symbols or processes like chrysopoeia), but according to your interpretation, they should be there.

• RE: Inspiration for Philosophers like Marsilio Ficino?

  bi3mw > 11-07-2026, 01:22 PM

  I assume that the VMS is a composite manuscript. With regard to Q13 in particular, I think it is possible that alchemical processes are depicted here. However, there is no symbolism of the kind that developed in alchemy from the 16th century onward. Rather, processes might be depicted here using a kind of figurative “free-style metaphor.”
  
  Here is a random example:
  You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

• RE: Inspiration for Philosophers like Marsilio Ficino?

  ololololo > 11-07-2026, 02:28 PM

  (11-07-2026, 01:22 PM)bi3mw Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.I assume that the VMS is a composite manuscript. With regard to Q13 in particular, I think it is possible that alchemical processes are depicted here. However, there is no symbolism of the kind that developed in alchemy from the 16th century onward. Rather, processes might be depicted here using a kind of figurative “free-style metaphor.”
  
  Here is a random example:
  You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.

  It looks too much like the intestines... Also, for some reason, there's no furnace nearby (I'm not good at alchemy, so I don't know what it's called, sorry)
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