One recent theory that triggered an entire news cycle was the claim by a professor and grad student at the University of Alberta in Canada that artificial intelligence had finally cracked the code. While the media regularly reports that someone has finally cracked the code, none of the claims have so far stood up to close scrutiny. There are people who claim every once in a while to have decoded one word, but nothing else.” “And some people have lost their fortunes and families over this manuscript because of their obsession with it. “There are a lot of different approaches that people have taken over the years and a lot of people have given up,” said Davis. It’s that sense of mystery that has captured the public imagination, and compelled so many to attempt to decipher its meaning. Some of illustrations in the book resemble known plants, others less so. But beyond those facts, the manuscript offers more questions than answers. That dating rules out some of the names postulated as being the author, like Bacon, Da Vinci and Voynich himself. Analysis of the ink confirmed it was consistent with what was used during that period. In 2011, carbon-dating revealed the parchment dates back to the early 15th century, somewhere between 1404 to 1438. Read: Oldest ‘tattoo art’ discovered on Ancient Egyptian mummies Although Voynich never revealed where he got the manuscript, Davis says that his wife disclosed after his death that he had bought it from Jesuits outside of Rome. It then apparently traveled around Europe, disappearing for 250 years, before eventually being acquired by Voynich. Lisa Fagin Davis, executive director of the Medieval Academy of America and a longtime Voynich scholar, says the first recorded appearance of the manuscript was when it was bought in the late 16th century by Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II, who believed it had been written by 13th century British philosopher and alchemist Roger Bacon. ‘People have lost their families over it’ So what do we really know about the Voynich manuscript? Why has it captivated the imagination of so many through the decades? And will its mysteries ever be solved?Įxamining images from the manuscript. Read: Medieval grave reveals rare ‘coffin birth’ and neurosurgery Some thought it might have been written by Leonardo Da Vinci or maybe even an autistic monk, others felt it might simply be an elaborate prank. Its author and original title are unknown, and it is named for the collector and bookseller Wilfrid Voynich, who purchased it in 1912.Įver since Voynich showed it off to the world, the incomprehensible text and cryptic illustrations have spurred countless theories about its meaning, origin, and the identity of its author. Since it came to light over 100 years ago, many have tried and failed to decode the text – from US Army cryptographers to ordinary citizens postulating theories in the deepest corners of Reddit. And nobody knows what any of it means.įrayed, browned and in fragile condition, the Voynich manuscript currently resides deep in a basement at Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library but digitized copies of it are available for free online. Naked women in pools of green liquid, strange looking plants, and text written in an unknown alphabet they can all be found on the delicate parchment pages of a mysterious manuscript from the 15th century.
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