Unraveling the Voynich Codex
By Jules Janick and Arthur O. Tucker
4.5/5
()
About this ebook
Unraveling the Voynich Codex reviews the historical, botanical, zoological, and iconographic evidence related to the Voynich Codex, one of the most enigmatic historic texts of all time.
The bizarre Voynich Codex has often been referred to as the most mysterious book in the world. Discovered in an Italian Catholic college in 1912 by a Polish book dealer Wilfrid Voynich, it was eventually bequeathed to the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library of Yale University. It contains symbolic language that has defied translation by eminent cryptologists. The codex is encyclopedic in scope and contains sections known as herbal, pharmaceutical, balenological (nude nymphs bathing in pools), astrological, cosmological and a final section of text that may be prescriptions but could be poetry or incantations. Because the vellum has been carbon dated to the early 15th century and the manuscript was known to be in the collection of Emperor Rudolf II of the Holy Roman Empire sometime between 1607 and 1622, current dogma had assumed it a European manuscript of the 15th century. However, based on identification of New World plants, animals, a mineral, as well as cities and volcanos of Central Mexico, the authors of this book reveal that the codex is clearly a document of colonial New Spain. Furthermore, the illustrator and author are identified as native to Mesoamerica based on a name and ligated initials in the first botanical illustration. This breakthrough in Voynich studies indicates that the failure to decipher the manuscript has been the result of a basic misinterpretation of its origin in time and place. Tentative assignment of the Voynichese symbols also provides a key to decipherment based on Mesoamerican languages. A document from this time, free from filter or censor from either Spanish or Inquisitorial authorities has major importance in our understanding of life in 16th century Mexico.
Publisher's Note: For the eBook editions, Voynichese symbols are only rendered properly in the PDF format.
Related to Unraveling the Voynich Codex
Related ebooks
Adventures in the Bone Trade: The Race to Discover Human Ancestors in Ethiopia’s Afar Depression Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Toward Distant Suns: A Bold, New Prospectus for Human Living in Space Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTHE FRANZ BOAS ENIGMA: Inuit, Arctic, and Sciences Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAstrobiological Neurosystems: Rise and Fall of Intelligent Life Forms in the Universe Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Religions and Extraterrestrial Life: How Will We Deal With It? Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A Sense of Place: Art at Vancouver International Airport: Fixed Layout Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInteresting Facts about Homer's Odyssey - Greek Mythology Books for Kids | Children's Greek & Roman Books Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Classic Sci-Fi Collection - Volume III Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStar Maps: History, Artistry, and Cartography Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5He Made Ice and Changed the World: The Story of Florida's John Gorrie Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStonehenge 1 Decoded Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUnder the Prophet in Utah Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStrange New Worlds: The Search for Alien Planets and Life beyond Our Solar System Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Benedict Cumberbatch, Transition Completed: Films, Fame, Fans Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMaking Starships and Stargates: The Science of Interstellar Transport and Absurdly Benign Wormholes Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Planet-Girded Suns: Our Forebears' Firm Belief in Inhabited Exoplanets Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/51,124 Facts about the World that you Should Know Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sunflower Part Ii Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHighlights in Helioclimatology: Cosmophysical Influences on Climate and Hurricanes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tibes: People, Power, and Ritual at the Center of the Cosmos Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Call of Cthulhu: H.P. Lovecraft a la Carte No. 1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInca Land Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAvengers and Defenders: Glimpses of Chicago's Jewish Past Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Rambles in the Mammoth Cave, during the Year 1844 By a Visiter Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIndiana Total Eclipse Guide: 2024 Total Eclipse Guide Series Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsChristopher Columbus and the Discovery of the Americas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe American Indians: Their History, Condition and Prospects, from Original Notes and Manuscripts Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNew Mexico Space Trail Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Botany For You
Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Forager's Handbook: A Seasonal Guide to Harvesting Wild, Edible & Medicinal Plants Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFloriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wild Tea: Grow, gather, brew & blend 40 ingredients & 30 recipes for healthful herbal teas Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Complete Language of Flowers: A Definitive and Illustrated History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mushrooms of the Northwest: A Simple Guide to Common Mushrooms Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFantastic Fungi: How Mushrooms Can Heal, Shift Consciousness, and Save the Planet Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Foraging for Survival: Edible Wild Plants of North America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBotany For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Roxane Gay & Everand Originals: My Year of Psychedelics: Lessons on Better Living Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Foraging for Beginners: Your Simplified Guide to Foraging Edible Plants for Survival in the Wild: Self-Sufficient Living Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Complete Kitchen Garden: An Inspired Collection of Garden Designs & 100 Seasonal Recipes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Foraging: The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Foraging Wild Edible Plants and Medicinal Herbs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Scout's Guide to Wild Edibles: Learn How To Forage, Prepare & Eat 40 Wild Foods Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Your Psilocybin Mushroom Companion: An Informative, Easy-to-Use Guide to Understanding Magic Mushrooms Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Practical Botany for Gardeners: Over 3,000 Botanical Terms Explained and Explored Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Edible Wild Plants Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Heartbeat of Trees: Embracing Our Ancient Bond with Forests and Nature Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Enchanted Wood (Faraway Tree #1) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Book of Fungi: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species from around the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beyond Coffee: A Sustainable Guide to Nootropics, Adaptogens, and Mushrooms Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mycelial Mayhem: Growing Mushrooms for Fun, Profit and Companion Planting Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Forest Walking: Discovering the Trees and Woodlands of North America Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for Unraveling the Voynich Codex
2 ratings0 reviews