The Most Mysterious Book in the World

Andrea here, musing about . . . mysteries. I’m in the beginning stages of plotting my next Wrexford & Sloane mystery, and starting a new story always makes me reflect on conundrums and why the urge to solve them seems to be coded in our DNA. Whether it’s finding the perpetrator of a crime, learning the identity of a nameless portrait or cracking a code, we seem to driven by a certain primal curiosity to find answers . . .

Now it so happens that I was recently chatting with some librarians and the subject of bibliographic mysteries came up. And one of them mentioned the biggest of them all—The Voynich Manuscript, a 15th century codex (codex is defined as an ancient manuscript in book form) that has bedeviled all attempts to decipher its mysterious text to this day. So . . . as books and mysteries are two subjects near and dear to my heart, I thought it would be fun to take a quick look at the history of this beguiling codex—many call it the most mysterious book in the world— and why it has stumped all experts cryptographers, linguistic experts, bibliophiles and problem solvers who have taken a crack at it.

According to carbon dating, The Voynich Manuscript is written on vellum created in the early 15th century. The ink and paint tests to around that same timeframe, too. And that is about the only accurate information that scholars can give about it. Who wrote it, and what it says are unsolved mysteries.

Even its provenance is murky. According to the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale, it appears and disappears throughout history. It’s known that the codex was owned by the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II, who came to the throne in 1576, and was a patron of the arts and occult sciences. Historians think it’s possible that he bought it from the legendary English alchemist, astrologer and spymaster John Dee, who is known to have visited Rudolph’s court.

In 1903, it was sold at a secret auction in Rome by the Society of Jesus, and in 1912, it was purchased from the Jesuit College of Frascati by a Polish-American rare book dealer named Wilfrid Voynich, for whom the codex is now named. In 1969, H. P. Kraus acquired the codex from the estate of Voynich’s widow and donated it to the Beinecke Library, where it resides today. (You can download a wonderful hi-res PDF of the entire Voynich Manuscript for free from the library website by clicking here.

Now, on to the fascinating and fanciful contents! Is it scientific . . . or magical . . . or simply the personal fantasy of its unknown creator? The illustrations are a strange but beautiful mix, featuring sections on botanicals—some that are identifiable, some that appear imaginary—as well as astrological signs, cosmological medallions, and a number of drawings of women in weirdly spa-like surroundings, which have given rise to some speculation that a section of text may be some sort of health manual for women. (I can’t help thinking that if it had been created in 1960-70s, one might be tempted to guess that it was done by college student tripping out on acid!)

As for the text, it’s a puzzling mix of symbols and lettering that has remained undecipherable despite the efforts of experts in a number of different fields . . . In fact it has a name of its own—Voynichese. Is it an unknown language? A sophisticated cipher? Just nonsensical scribblings? No one knows for sure.

National Geographic reported that researchers working with AI, seemed to think they had reason to think the encoded text was actually Hebrew. However, most scholars are skeptical, so the attempts at making sense of it continue. (Those of you who are suffering from Pandemic Boredom and are looking for a mystery to solve . . . Fame and accolades await the person who can finally figure what—if anything— the codex is saying.)

I love that we have mysteries like this one to titillate our intellect. To me, it’s okay that we can’t figure out everything. After all, mystery adds a certain allure to life.

Do you have a favorite unsolved mystery? Or if you could have one mystery in history solved, what would it be? Where is the Lost City of Gold? . . . what happened to Atlantis? Let’s have some fun with this!

Comments

[Lil]

I love the Voynich manuscript and all the possible explanations of it, but then I love puzzles of all sorts.
One of my favorite historical mysteries is the location of Alaric's gold, the treasure that was buried with him after the sack of Rome in 410. The Goths supposedly diverted a river in southern Italy, buried him and the treasure, and then let the river return to its usual course. Isn't that a great McGuffin?

[Mary Jo Putney]

Very interesting, Andrea. I've never heard of this. I'm not particularly into puzzles and I read mysteries mostly for the characters, but I can see what a great McGuffin this would make, along with Lil's treasure of Alaric! My guess for creation of the ms. would be a Leonardo type with schizophrenia.

[Andrea Penrose]

Ooo, that's a great historical mystery to solve! I'm happy to travel with you to southern Italy and explore rivers . . .while eating pasta and drinking wine!

[Andrea Penrose]

Ha, ha! I think you're. I still vote for a very early hippie stoned on LSD! (There some fungus on wheat that caused crazy hallucinations during medieval times, so it's possible!

[Kareni]

I'd previously read about the Voynich Manuscript; it really does pique one's curiosity.

As for historical mysteries, I'd like to know more about the Plains of Nazca.

If I can add a literary mystery, I'd like to know if it was the lady or the tiger! (Story by Frank R. Stockton.)

[Andrea Penrose]

Those are great unsolved mystery suggestions, Kareni!

OMG, literary mysteries opens a whole realm of possibilities!

[Sue McCormick]

As to the Lady or the Tiger, I think Frank Stockton couldn't deside, and that is why we have this ending! (That was my take at age 12, so I could relax and go to sleep. I've had nothing change my mind since then.)

I do crossword and variety puzzles for relaxation; including logic problems. And I do enjoy them. But I find some puzzles out of my league. i just skip on to the next puzzle. I AM doing this for fun, you know, so why waste time on an activity I dislike? I think I'll put the Voynick Manuscript in that pile. It's WAY beyond my skills.

[Andrea Penrose]

Ha, ha, Sue. it's way beyond ANYONE's skills! I agree, puzzles should be fun, not torture!

The Voynich Manuscript is so weird, one does wonder whether it was created by someone a little off the normal spectrum. It seems like a very private fantasy world and language,

[Pamela DG]

I'm a genealogist. Prowling through my family tree, and those of friends who ask me to wrestle branches for them, provides plenty of mysteries and most of the time I can find the documents supporting the the hypothesis that William Smith is the father of Robert Smith and is married to Elsie Jones, but Elsie is too young to be Robert's mother. She turns out to be a second wife, her older sister Mary was the 1st wife of William and the mother of Robert. The conundrums come from documents proving the relationships then absolutely nothing connecting them to previous generations. It's why I've been doing this since I was a teen. My Genealogy "hobby" sometimes provides a family name that is perfect for a hero or heroine!

[Quantum]

Andrea I think that your fascination with mysteries would have made you a good scientist!

Man made mysteries like The Voynich Manuscript are intriguing but even more intriguing are the mysteries of the natural world. There are many in physics of course but I think there is one mystery that surpasses all others and that is the nature of self. Who or what am 'I'. Religion and mysticism offers solutions but I want a scientific explanation.

The interview 'Non-Duality and the Nature of Experience' with Dr. Paul Mills and Rupert Spira explains and illustrates the problem .... mind boggling for a scientist like me!

https://www.chi.is/non-duality-nature-experience/?mc_cid=4c7607299c&mc_eid=412d8abb07

[Mary M.]

This is good stuff. Thanks, Andrea!

[Andrea Penrose]

Pamela, what a wonderful choice of historical sleuthing! I can imagine how interesting and rewarding it is to figure out family connections throughout history!

And love the finding of names for heroes/heroines!

[Andrea Penrose]

Quantum, yes, is "the Self" really ist he ultimate mystery, isn't it? (And certainly the question of "God" and whether there is some identifiable entity.)

Scientific and cosmological mysteries are, as you say, very different from man-made one. And there are so many that boggle our minds. What is Time, Space . . . really fascinating stuff.

[Andrea Penrose]

Glad you enjoyed the post, Mary!

[Julia Gasper]

A really intriguing mystery. I've come across references to this MS before but have never seen such good images of it. It's got an air of witchcraft about it definitely. It must have been something forbidden or illegal, or why would it have been written in cipher?

[Annette N]

I would love to know who created this work of art, because to me, it is almost like a modern work of art. As for the language, it seems possible that someone created their own language? If it is a self created language, then the author was either another Leonardo (how could there be another genius like Leonardo) or as some have suggested, someone in a home somewhere, in a rubber room, or whatever passed for a rubber room in those days.

I do find the illustrations interesting, it is by someone who loved drawing. The plants are lovely.

As for my mystery, I would like to find out about what makes one person, courageous and brave and another not so much.

I think of the people who were brave enough to go into the unknown. People who sailed off with no idea of what lay ahead. People who decided, "Sure, I'll leave my nice safe life in civilization and go west into a wilderness where death is a good possibility."
Or people who were willing to fight for their beliefs. Men on a battlefield who were willing to save the lives of others.

And there are others who have made dramatic choices, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr made choices which changed the world.

I have always admired people who have inner strength and courage and were able to step out into the world and do huge things.

I have written features for newspapers, and I have loved interviewing people who have been brave and courageous - not falling on a grenade - but doing things which helped better the place where they were.

So, my mystery would be what makes so many people so strong and courageous? What do they draw upon to make them heroic?

I hope everyone is staying well.

[Andrea Penrose]

That's a very good point, Julia.

Or maybe it's just crazy ramblings!

[Andrea Penrose]

Annette. those both really thoughtful musings.

Courage is such an intangible—especially moral courage . . .and I'm in awe of people have it in the face overwhelming odds. Thanks heavens those select do.

The Voynich art really is fascinating, and clearly of someone who had an inner vision. We just don't know what it was!

[Cindy A]

Cool! I love this mystery!

[Jane Nelson]

Fascinating! My favorite unsolved mystery has to be who killed the Princes in the Tower -- although I might not actually want to know, since I'm an avid Ricardian. And then there are various of my own ancestors whose origins I haven't been able to track down!

[Teresa Broderick]

This was fascinating Andrea. I'd never heard of this manuscript. I think it's nice to leave some mysteries unsolved. It gives people something to talk about and ponder over.
Maybe Wrexford and Sloane will give it a shot :):)

[Jeanne Behnke]

So interesting. It makes me think of Ashmole 182 in A Discovery of Witches. I love mysteries & whatever happened to Jimmy Hoffa?

[Andrea Penrose]

Glad you enjoyed it, Cindy!

[Andrea Penrose]

Funny you should mention Discovery of Witches! Deborah Harkness wrote an essay for the facsimile edition that Yale published of the Voynich Manuscript. She's well aware of it!

As for Hoffa, I think most people believe he's under the cement of some building foundation . . .

[Andrea Penrose]

That's a great unsolved mystery, Jane! I think we all want to know the truth about the princes.

And delving into geneaology mysteries is very fun and rewarding.

[Andrea Penrose]

Ha, ha! Maybe Cordelia will try to run a math algorithm to solve it. But that's already been tried!

I agree with you that it's good to have unsolved mysteries to tickle our fancies!

[Laura Resnick]

By coincidence, I happened to listen to a podcast on a roadtrip this weekend, and it was about the Voynich Manuscript. So last night I watched a short documentary about it on Amazon Prime. Fascinating subject!