The Most Mysterious Medieval Manuscript we STILL Can't Decipher...

[@alinashirinian2485]

My first thought was that it was written by some kind of a medieval Tolkien-like figure who created an elaborate fictional universe with its own flora, fauna and language, but it's a very flimsy theory. Some people below suggested that it was written by a person afflicted with mental illness or dementia, and while this one is more tragic, I think it makes the most sense. I also like the theory that it was all a bunch of nonsense meant to trick rich clients into thinking that the author is a great alchemist lol.

[@gloriamontgomery6900]

It was originally in the cabinet of curiosities of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II. He was willing to pay huge sums for unusual works of art or strange objects. Could someone have simply invented the whole thing with the idea of selling it to Rudolph or another rich patron?

[@katbrown1449]

Some ancient Tolkien. No doubt.

[@delia_watercolors]

​@@gloriamontgomery6900 do you know if Rudolph purchased at the time of it's creation, or it was stored away and some art trader thought "eh, he might like this dusty piece of junk that's been in the back for years" (not direct quote)

[@gloriamontgomery6900]

@@delia_watercolors Well, I believe carbon dating places it many years before Rudolph’s reign - a long enough time for the origin of the manuscript to be lost. I’m inclined to believe that it is an authentic language or code because of the great expense needed for the parchment and the pigments- and computer analysis of the text shows characteristics of a genuine language or code. But, I’m definitely going to look into it more. . How I wish someone would translate it! There are some who believe it to be a medical reference work showing medicinal herbs and treatments for various ailments which affect women-so many illustrations show women engaged in what may have been medicinal baths , or some form of hydrotherapy. Then there is the astrological section-astrology was commonly used in early medicine. It was an elaborate, very expensive , beautifully illustrated book. I suppose Rudolph found it every bit as fascinating as we do! Sorry for going on at such length!

[@indigo22284]

It was obviously created by a bored child, or possibly an especially precocious child who was instructed to copy over information from at least one lost text and possibly many more to keep him or her occupied - duh. 🙄

[@oceanfar]

Speaking from personal experience, I once wrote complete gibberish with weird pictures while tripping mushrooms. Maybe this is an example of this from that era.

[@Paul-ou1rx]

I was thinking it was somebody's journal of DMT trips. I have heard recently of people trying to "build a map" of the DMT realm with micro-dosing.

[@gloryshadow8710]

Maybe you wrote it in one of your previous lives 😮🙏

[@SEAKPhotog]

I thought the same.

[@user-tu5un8jc9v]

​@@Paul-ou1rxthey didn't have DMT yet, since it's from the American continent... 🤦‍♂️

[@majabugarski386]

😅🎉​@@Paul-ou1rx🎉

[@latetotheparty4785]

There are small drawings in the Valley of the Queens drawn by Coptic hermits that look like something from this manuscript. Living for decades without human contact can also induce alternative states of mind.

[@sixeses]

There is some recognizable writing in Voynich. The names of the months are said to be Occitan.

[@M167A1]

It's a manual from the medieval version of D&D. Or an elaborate prank whose context has been forgotten.

[@znametep4159]

An advanced period-correct unabridged "Fiend Folio" no doubt.

[@ovrair6340]

A practical inside joke perhaps

[@ezracramer1370]

I also think its just a prank. Or maybe work of someone who "spoke to god" and had to do it in "secret language only they understand" type of "prophet". But you gotta love people for argument: "the fact that it make no sense is proof that it has to make sense" :D

[@ShannaNL]

No it's an old turkish dialect, cracked by a turkish man and his son. And for the last past years already being translated.

[@JamesFromTexas]

​@@ShannaNL got links or proof?

[@fnersch3367]

The Codex Seraphinianus was inspired from the VM. All five pillars of decipherment (language, biscript, corpus, script type, cultural context) need to be accomplished to read the manuscript. In the case of the VM only the cultural context is hinted at.

[@rewis3d]

The herbs, star charts, and women who appear to be pregnant, could mean it's a manual to aid in pregnancy. Which herbs to take, when to take them, and other things to aid in successful childbirth

[@miapdx503]

That makes sense.

[@PaulMuadib11811]

@@miapdx503 its nsfw erotica

[@c59294fje]

That’s exactly what it says . Well done.

[@brulsmurf]

Or contraception manual. Which may also the reason for it not to be written in a known language.

[@nickhuynh6321]

Then why wasn't it written in a more useful language so that it could be useful to more people?

[@theophilos0910]

The Vounich MS 408 in Yale’s Beinicke Rare books library comprises 116 pages (232 sides) written in a gypsy-Romanyi base language in at least two dialects coded using a mix of common Latin late 14th century abbreviations - with 6 divisions (Herbal A/B, Astrological, Cosmological, Balnealogical, Pharmacological & Recipe sections) … The VMS 408 is ostensibly a gynecological Herbal (1/2 of the book is symbolic plants having to do with gynecologist treatments such as swollen ankles, pain relievers, oxytoctics (‘birth easing’), poisons such as belladona, menstural cramps & related issues, post partem depression, excessive bleeding & infection following birth, astrological control of genders, herbs causing spontaneous abortion, aphrodisiacs, make-up tips, morning sickness & other female reproductive issues… The late Stephen Bax of Bedfordshire had done an involv’d preliminary study of the 26 or so ‘sigils’ in the MS using ‘Centauron’ as his first letter by letter uncovering matching the flower ‘Centaura’ on folio 2v and studying many of the identifiable star names (many of which turn’d out to be old Persian & Arabic) so that he was fairly confident in the actual pronunciation of up to 13 letters (about half of the sigils us’d in the VMS) - revealing that many of the plants have labels that can be Urdu, Sanskrit (e.g. the label for Linen) or other cognate languages whereas the main body of the VMS text is written in early 15th century Romanyi gypsy dialects -the plants originating along trade routes taken by the Romanyi people from Punjab in the 7th century to Brescia in the 15th century passing through Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Greece, Albania & northern Italy where high quality calfskin was produc’d (14 pages of vellum, comprising 28 sides have been remov’d from the book c. 1665 & sent to Athanasius Kircher for samples from each of 5 out of 6 sections (the Recipe section of 365 paragraphs each mark’d with a star (white & black in alteration) was left intact … Experts in early 15th century Turko-Romanyi would have to be brought in giving them the 13 letters that have been isolated so the herbal-like guide could be translated into modern English …the MS calfskin has been carbon-dated to around 1390 to 1420…

[@Donathon-qx8kq]

Very, very interesting.,. . that's actually a possibility... thanks

[@Zanoskei]

I like to imagine it's like the medieval equivalent of Codex Seraphinius, maybe one of the first examples of imaginary world building.

[@indigo22284]

It was obviously created by a bored child, or possibly an especially precocious child who was instructed to copy over information from at least one lost text and possibly many more to keep him or her occupied - duh. 🙄

[@buschovski1]

ive imagined that same thing.

[@loganstroganoff1284]

I think that's almost certainly what it is.

[@orchidorio]

Oh, dude! I didn't know about the Codex Seraphinius ! Mind Blowing ! My compliments to the author! 52223

[@orchidorio]

@@indigo22284 Or possibly a bored, especially precocious child diagnosed ADHD and presenting Tourette Syndrome, and mild voyeurism. 52223

[@freelancepear87kakkoka11]

i have heard theories that some of the plants depicted in the book are new world plants (mostly from mexico) and that the language may have even been a forgotten dialect of nahuatl. it makes me think that the original manuscript may have been a native american manuscript that was carried over to europe (maybe through the pacific ocean to the silk road and europe or through the western africa to the mediterranean perhaps?) and was copied by monks in northern italy. who knows the jesuits could even now have the original manuscript laying forgotten somewhere in their vast collections.

[@napoleonfeanor]

Written in the 1400s. Too early.

[@freelancepear87kakkoka11]

@@napoleonfeanor maybe, but just because europeans didn't go to america around that time doesn't mean no one else did. the western africa is practically right next to southern america and has some favorable currents. one theory also suggests that the spanish royal couple funded columbus' voyage because they already had a hunch that there is something across the atlantic ocean which would mean that there may have been contact with the americas before columbus.

[@napoleonfeanor]

@@freelancepear87kakkoka11 There is scarce evidence of having discovered islands before Columbus but certainly no contact large and early enough to make botanical studies.

[@freelancepear87kakkoka11]

@@napoleonfeanor i mean the book was literally made by native americans and was carried over by some unknown merchant into europe before larger contact happened. this original book would have then gone into jesuit collections where it was copied by monks, this copy of the book is what we have now.

[@gloriamontgomery6900]

But, nahuatl was not a written language.

[@Mister-Mayhem37]

Definitely something new, something different! Really like this channel! Job well done lads! Cant wait to see what new material you come out with and i will be on my way to check out your channel about pirates as well! 🥂 Cheers 🥂

[@jackpayne4658]

Dr Justin Sledge of the Esoterica channel has made a comprehensive video about the VM. After discussing the numerous attempts at interpretation, he suggests that the manuscript might well be a medieval hoax. Reluctantly, I tend to agree - which is less exciting than we might hope, but seems more probable. I'd love to be proven wrong, though - the possible alternatives are fascinating.

[@indigo22284]

Closest theory I’ve seen to my own but why a hoax when it could have been sincere/genuine/authentic for the time? Parsimony. Who remembers Occam’s razor ? It was obviously created by a bored child, or possibly an especially precocious child who was instructed to copy over information from at least one lost text and possibly many more to keep him or her occupied - duh. 🙄

[@thecianinator]

I definitely think it's a hoax, but I still want to know who made it, and why

[@jennyvinyl85]

It's not written in any language, known or unknown. It wasn't meant to be read silently, but to be sung as part of a healing ceremony for women's health issues, specifically those living in medieval Italian cloisters. The herbs, astrological signs, and recipes throughout the book are symbolic representations of the connection between human health and the natural world. Imagine chanting a rhythmic, medieval song based on the markings in this book. This chant would have been used in a ceremony to promote women's healing, incorporating practices like therapeutic baths. The reason linguistic and cryptographic analysis have failed, and will continue to do so, is because this isn't code or a secret language. It's a form of musical notation. To understand this book, we need to focus on the intonations and sounds associated with the different symbols, rather than trying to translate them word for word. This is where musicology can be incredibly helpful in deciphering the melody.

[@knotzed]

5:27 i always thought it had something to do w alchemy. Maybe its a practice of creation creating a language animals plants ect

[@OstblockLatina]

2:10 the problem is, the age of the velum doesn't prove anything besides when the velum was manufactured, not when the writing and paintings made on it were. The author could've just as well used old clean velum and use it decades if not centuries later, in order to create an impression the piece would be much older than it really was. And just because Eamon Duffy (9:45) can't conceive of anyone to be as mad or psychopathic (hoping to win fame and make money on scamming people) to use some forgotten and rediscovered stash of clean calf-skin for a major forgery, because he himself wouldn't have done it, only proves his own naivete, narrow horizons and shallow imagination. In my opinion it's forgery, meaningless babble and fantasies of a fame-hungry graphomaniac who wasn't able to impress his contemporaries with anything substantial and meaningful, so created this scam in form of a mock-medieval manuscript, filled with meaningless babbling with a mix of randomly arranged invented letters, plants and other objects, and ultimately played a prank on everyone who took it seriously.

[@shadetreader]

This really is the most plausible hypothesis.

[@gloriamontgomery6900]

That is a definite possibility. Voynich himself would have had access to old parchment. And, as far as I know the pigments can’t be dated-the place where they originated can be determined, but not WHEN the minerals were dug from the ground. And the pigments would be far more accessible than they would have been centuries before

[@MrLuridan]

I agree 100%

[@thecianinator]

The main question is, how accessible is ancient parchment? Wouldn't it be more plausible that this was a hoax created in the 1500s?

[@coyotemojo]

I think it's gibberish that an "alchemist" showed to rich patrons to get them to pay him lots of gold.

[@chrismako6734]

This is so clearly the only reasonable explanation. I can't believe there aren't a thousand other comments echoing the same sentiment

[@thecianinator]

We still got to figure out which alchemist, the velum is carbon dated to be too old to be attributable to Edward Kelly, the obvious suspect

[@Olkv3D]

The Medieval Unsolved Mysteries

[@adarkerstormishere]

The time and materials it would take to make the manuscript means that the author would've had to have been wealthy. Or at least in the employ of someone wealthy. Does that rule out it being gibberish? No. Just that it was a "get rich quick" scheme.

[@briteness]

The scam theory simply does not resonate with the manuscript itself. Obviously if it was a scam it would have been trying to present itself as some mysterious thing that it was not, but the vibe of the document is just too strange to feel like a deliberate fraud. A con artist would likely have tried to link his fraud to something the intended mark would recognize. For instance, they could have invented a "new" work by an established figure. There were, of course, attempts to link Bacon to the manuscript, but a fraudster would have made such links more explicit, so that the mark could have clearly understood the supposed origin of document. Also, they would likely have used a code which could actually be cracked, so that what was supposedly hidden would be fairly easily revealed, and the mark would pay a lot for this extraordinary historical find. Your cynical theory is, at present, hard to disprove absolutely, but I do not believe it is really supported by the evidence at hand, the manuscript itself.

[@viatrixaoctavius]

People have theorized it to be a sort of manual about women's health. Its also said to be too intricate to be a hoax; thst said that doesn't entirely nullify the possibility.

[@indigo22284]

Womenfolk always verbally passed down their wisdom, knowledge of herbs, … none of the plants are recognizable, … and what of the zodiac parts of the book? Vellum and writing too expensive in time, materials, and labor to be included simply in order to “throw off” anyone from finding it out … remarkable that you would think so, though! And enough to espouse and promote the idea on a platform with potential for worldwide reach!! More than the VM ever hoped to achieve…

[@viatrixaoctavius]

@BeeN TeN That's a super fun & interesting theory. Mind you I don't really know if I believe that myself. It was very unusual for women to write books; even reading and writing was quite unusual for women in historical settings. But, certain cultures were different. Mind you it IS written in a yet undeciphered "language" so it's actively not completely out of the realm of possibility. I don't know. Maybe it was written by a wise woman for women? What I'm sure about is that it's some sort of manual about women's health 🤔

[@therondayview7684]

There is mounting evidence that it's written in an early Turkish dialect. Passages have been translated with this as a starting point. It appears from these translations to be a book of herbal medicines with some passages directly relating to women's health. Even should this turn out to be only partially correct or slightly in error, it's fairly certain it isn't any more mysterious or mystical than someone's, perhaps some early apothecary's, sketches and notes intended for no eyes but those of the original author as a reminder of which plants to use for what ailments.

[@diemaschine2287]

Glad someone else actually researched this topic

[@saulerius]

Yes, this video here is outdated !

[@therondayview7684]

@@saulerius And frankly, if you look around YT, it isn't the only one!

[@HagbardCeline23]

Can you explain why the plant species can't be identified?

[@therondayview7684]

@@HagbardCeline23 Which do you mean? The Indian Thunbergia grandiflora or the Atropa belladonna. Or perhaps you mean the Greek Diffuse Knapweed or the aquatic Nymphoides. You could, of course, and perhaps you'll confirm at you leisure, mean the Alpine Saxifrage which is slightly different in the Voynich drawings, being more populated with buds than are found in nature today (depending on the altitude). Conversely, I'm sure we all recognised the Sea Holly instantly from its drawings. The research has been or is being done. While it is not generally believed that the manuscript was ever intended as a scholarly work for mass study or widespread distribution (we can intuit this because it wasn't written in Latin), all any interested party need do today is to look for the studies that have been conducted by various individuals, hobbyists and educational entities over the years, rather than jump to the complicated, though admittedly attractive, conclusions perpetuated by enthusiastic but ill-informed internet fantasists. On a completely different subject, what did you think of Avatar 2?

[@ActionPanda-g5n]

One has to ask what a young, intelligent, high born woman do with her time (in those times there was very little options apart from having babies, tapestry or gossiping) So these are the notebooks of such a woman, look at the subjects, herbs, plants, star gazing, and bathology. Sort of hobbies a rich woman with an inquiring mind would dabble in. Vellum and inks are very expensive so she would need to be rich a high noblewoman. " A fantasy encyclopedia " This is a record of both her acquired knowledge and also wanderings into her imagination. Such a work would be a labour of love and take years to produce. "People have theorized it to be a sort of manual about women's health." This is something that conceivably be important to an educated medieval noble woman. All the subjects lend themselves to this theory. The figures show that the author is very comfortable in drawing naked ladies not so much men, something a woman would primarily do. The figures also show them to be in non sexual activities, secret woman's business? I think in the entire codex there is only one or two males depicted (in astrological section?) It is more likely that a woman did the illustrations. The only comment that I have on the writing is that is beautifully stylised, with remarkable fine penmanship (Likely feminine?). The cypher fits into the theory that she is doing this solely for her own pleasure, her thoughts are private and not for others who might misconstrue or criticise her. There I said it first - this is my theory and in years to come I may be vindicated for the psychology of my thoughts. Of course I am probably wrong but if it is deciphered it will be very interesting.

[@debra1363]

That is the mist convincing theory I have ever heard,and you are the first person to my knowledge to propose a woman as the author.It's the perfect solution.

[@festyguy7405]

Sounds plausible

[@ActionPanda-g5n]

I would also like to point out from Wiki: Witch trials saw that between 1400 and 1782, around 40,000 to 60,000 were killed due to suspicion that they were practicing witchcraft. These trials occurred primarily in Europe. Also one of the most serious charges against Joan of Arc was nothing more than that she wore men's clothing. For this she was condemned. Attitudes to intelligent educated women were very different in those times and could turn dangerous, leading to a great need for secrecy. This was even though your writings could be perfectly innocent.

[@theladytudor3805]

Did no one else immediately think this looks like a book on women's health? Like midwifery, period cycles, etc. Just that one guy? Also why did no one think it was made by a woman in a self-made conlang, like the "language of women"?

[@davidgriffiths7696]

It’s organised according to contemporary models, yet the plant drawings are fictitious. Possibly a work of imagination and possibly some sort of mental derangement, consisting of entirely invented language, more like a kind of fusion of artistic imagination in the conceptual vocabulary of the time. Someone in a monastery, producing work in a conventional format, yet fictitious and unintelligible in every respect.

[@marktwain368]

I like the derangement hypothesis. This is schizophrenia talking on paper. So Voynich was either mistaken or a scammer.

[@davidgriffiths7696]

I suppose so…high functioning, able to remember and draw hallucinations perhaps. Manuscript may be produced as experienced.

[@The_InfantMalePollockFrancis]

I always thought it was a schizophrenic monk, lol.

[@entiretotal7207]

The trouble is that most analysts think at least four scribes had a hand in writing it

[@tacticalsapper]

Trying to decipher something that was never meant to be deciphered is the best and longest troll ever.

[@flaviusnita6008]

I had also a mad colleague in first classes who drove a lot of nonsense in his huge book. He had talent and he had his own alphabet. Maybe also an alien(ate)?

[@GeneralLeia]

Have you seen Fletcher Crowd’s paper from 2022 in the Journal of Historical Archaeology and Anthropological Sciences? Very compelling argument and research!

[@Jaker2123]

Can you get a link to it?

[@AVGVSTVSDETECTING]

Hello there! I am searching for a way to create a medieval intro, for my metal detecting channel, mostly about the medieval periode. I really like the part at: 1:07 , but how did you create this? Would be really greatful for a tip. Have a great evening 😊🙏

[@jeffaltier5582]

Of the various theories, I almost believe it's a coded book of alchemy. Based on the work of John Dee, it could be an "Enochian" type language. That accounts for both the drawings and the inability to decipher it.

[@Leofwine]

The Voynich Manuscript's paleographic and codicological evidence suggests an origin of 14th or 15th century Northern Italy (Ghibelline merlons, shaped like a swallow's tail, can be seen in the manuscript). John Dee lived in 16th and early 17th century England, where the architecture was noticeably different.

[@illeagle9560]

​@@Leofwine I think he means based on, as it gives a lead not that the manuscript writer took from John Dee

[@Growmetheus]

@@Leofwine an old american ornithographic artist (townsend?) had recorded the appearance of hundreds of north american birds with a few still missing. The idea of alchemy isnt far off as the plants undiscerned are likely the same as those lost to time or outbred.

[@jeffaltier5582]

@@illeagle9560 yes, that is exactly what I meant.

[@dan13ljks0n]

The writings of a madman, or maybe Bacon did have telescope that at least saw details on the moon or mars, and he was just imagining how they would write and what life was like there.

[@grrrrbabyverygrrr8165]

Clearly a woman wrote it

[@Kroggnagch]

Really makes you wonder about what languages we will never know of, and parts of history we will never be able to recall. Like, there could’ve been an entire little town of strangely speaking and writing folk whom all understood one another, but sickness or raids, something wiped them out before they were really in their prime, but still left the manuscript... somehow.. cause my plot needs it lmao...

[@Badgerlust]

95% of human existence is lost to the sands of time

[@iainballas]

For all the dangers of AI, I can't wait until we can sic one on this and answer once and for all if it's some kind of next-level code or a galaxy-brain prank.

[@xavierzabie8184]

Neither of those are gonna happen because AI is not as complex as you think and even if it were it couldn't be properly confirmed. It's not a time machine.

[@RyanJones-ew8vm]

@Xavier Zabie alright nobhead calm down, how do you know that wouldn't happen? I'm pretty sure if you was living 500 years ago and I explained there will be phones in the future you would think I was mentally unwell.

[@danquaylesitsspeltpotatoe8307]

Theres nothing to decipher, its a fake book to sell and make money an old scam relic! People claim its all sorts of languages! Meaning its none! not mention of the ink never being tested for age! WHY HASNT IT BEEN? :) Yet if written in code it looks like black magic satanic! OPPS!

[@brunospasta]

You guys overestimate what current "AI" can do and its future potential. Unless there is another revolution with a completely new concept, there will be very little "dangers of AI".

[@danquaylesitsspeltpotatoe8307]

@@brunospasta ' Unless there is another revolution with a completely new concept, there will be very little "dangers of AI"." NOPE if you leave it incharge of starting a war thats not a good idea! it would rationally do it!

[@cybergothika6906]

Its interdimensional. The medium that wrote it has the "mannerism" of roundy words (often when they're training the channeling to write it.) You can even see the "layers" of dimensions surround Earth. It is said on Spiritism for a century now, that multiple layers exists in worlds and in space between worlds. Problem is, even Allan Kardec decoded Spiritism hundreds of years after the estimated book's age, which means someone else tried it and probably hide it from the church (Allan Kardec had to decode Spiritism hiding in basements).

[@MagdaleneDivine]

It was quite common in those times when someone important or in the clergy would go msd and they just gave them color crayons and paper and just let them do whatever. Imagine what someone with Alzheimer's or dementia in the clergy was like to live with and you don't know what Alzheimer's is cause most people didbt live that long. A constant unmanageable handful. So give them stuff to write on and problem solved. Someone donated money from whatever people they were from.. Cause it reads out like almost genius but it's scattered and you know, Swiss cheese logic. That's all it is. Someone trying to not hurt down a lifetime of wisdom before its all gone. Or they hoped. But it's busy work. In institutions they will give out notebooks so that they can babble and nonstop chatter in a notebook so they can get through mid morning mass and sister Amalia can feel occupied. It was the kindest option they had

[@b-rextheprgoddess1872]

Sound like a valid theory to me.

[@MagdaleneDivine]

@@b-rextheprgoddess1872 because it almost makes sense but not quite? Cause someone was senile and or it was only supposed to be read by others who knew what she meant. Women had to hide whatever wisdom they had. That's how come parts make sense to some end others can see which letters to switch cause they're familar with that subject

[@paulh2468]

It's pretty obvious: he was recalling a past life on a distant planet. It had alien plants and creatures, and was written in alien script. Solved.

[@grapeshot]

I remember watching a documentary, they were talking about in old medieval manuscript entitled The Devil's Bible. It had weird illustrations also.

[@--Snowy--]

The Codex Gigas?

[@johnduquette7023]

That was due to everyone turning to the page with the depiction of the Devil. It had more exposure to sunlight, finger oils, and the elements than any other page in the book, so it was heavily discolored relative to the other pages. That only added to the mystique because it appeared as though the page itself was corrupted.

[@xoxoRS97]

Okay thanks for the information

[@katbrown1449]

Looked at notes. You mean the codex gigs yep. Truth

[@indigo22284]

Parsimony. It was obviously created by a bored child, or possibly an especially precocious child who was instructed to copy over information from at least one lost text and possibly many more to keep him or her occupied - duh. 🙄

[@brulsmurf]

The drawing @2.14 looks like the wild carrot flower. This is a contraceptive. Together with all the naked ladies, could this be a book about birth control? This would explain the reason to make it hard to read.

[@mariolimabuso8269]

Has anyone ever tried to use a mirror image of the script. Da Vinci wrote his anatomical comments using a mirror image. Perhaps trying to avoid the church’s inquisition tentacles.

[@charlenekeates8639]

I watched a documentary about this last year. One of the theories is that as Voynich was a rare old book collector, and most of those tomes had extra pages, he could have expertly removed these pages and bound them all together, along with other blank parchment which he kept, and made the whole thing up himself. He also had a friend who was an expert at making ancient inks, so it could be a hoax.

[@indigo22284]

Cool idea. What about this … more parsimonious explanation, tho? It was obviously created by a bored child, or possibly an especially precocious child who was instructed to copy over information from at least one lost text and possibly many more to keep him or her occupied - duh. 🙄

[@daphne4983]

This makes the most sense

[@booognish]

An expert at making ancient inks? So who made up all the shit inside?

[@thecianinator]

​@@booognish according to that theory, voynich did

[@kimmathis1945]

The pages are supposed to come from one source only.

[@vodyannoi]

The drawings and words are gorgeous. Very beautiful.

[@NPC-0013]

I really really love these lil documentaries about life in these times!!! So I have started to slowly buy n collect gold. I started at 1 gram about 3 months ago. Now have 8 grams gold and 1 ounce silver with two lil extra bars one 5gram one 10gram. So one and a half ounces of silver and only 8 grams gold. What would this be worth in these times please? Can I buy a loaf of bread or a house? Maybe a horse? It would be super cool to know please mate

[@twistedeternal8053]

When the new depression hits you’ll be ballin

[@NPC-0013]

@@twistedeternal8053 hahaha yes matey I’ll be the next Elon Musk level wealth!!! Coz now I have 27.5 grams gold in coins and bars. About 27/28 ounces silver 😂😉👍🤪 cor blimey that’s nice to see how much it grew since only two months ago. You know what they say ay? By this time next year Rodney we will be millionaires 🤣

[@twistedeternal8053]

⁠nice, I think you probably have more now. Life is getting crazier by the second

[@NPC-0013]

@@twistedeternal8053 so now have about an ounce of gold and around 30 ounces of silver 😉

[@miapdx503]

Okay, I'm in my 60s, so it was about forty years ago, someone gave me a book. He gave me all sorts of warnings with it. And when I opened it, more warnings were inside. It was about all manner of angels...and that's a mild telling. I didn't read more than three pages...you could feel the need for the warnings. I was very young and it frightened me. I wish I could remember the title, but it may be among banned books.

[@vagabundood]

Bible ? 😅

[@Joe-sn6ir]

@@vagabundood 🤣 nice!!! I was going to put that.😂

[@Cellocurve]

I remember seeing a video with an near exact title and about Voynich about 8-10 years ago Also just had an existential crisis about being…not 20 anymore.

[@vinesthemonkey]

and in another decade there'll be another similar video

[@natalie_v0.0.1]

@@vinesthemonkey and they'll be having another existential crisis about being almost 40

[@JCOwens-zq6fd]

Hard to say exactly what it says w/o it in hand b/c its more than likely in a form of masonic cipher. The images are of an alchemical nature that im quite familiar w/. Which would be why they encoded it in a cipher. Such things could cost one their life back then.

[@Alamyst2011]

Ever read a modern book. Some strange stuff out there. Dictionaries for entire fictional worlds, replete with pictures and descriptions in made up languages. Artists find any media to make a statement.

[@chrisradano]

It certainly looks health related, how humans can relate to the universe and the wonders of flora among other things. It's an alternative religion almost but not well thought out. It was written by someone who ate psychedelic mold that grew on bread at the time. It is an attempt at tapping into the human higher state of being that is universal. And was written in a language that would not be easily recognized by the Roman Church. Well it's just my theory but sometimes things are what they appear.

[@jrjubach]

The Walk The Plank channel seems cool too!

[@rudeinterplanetjanet]

It could be a prank but to write and paint the pages and the costs associated with paper and binding the book is just too expensive to be a prank. It's not impossible it's a prank but I don't think that is likely. I think it's a code. Many different codes may have been used. We may never know.

[@ObsessedCollector]

They deciphered the title. "To Serve Man".

[@mauganra2589]

It’s a very old form of Turkish, and there’s a guy who came out a while back and pretty much proves it. Don’t know his name but I’m pretty sure he was Turkish too, if someone looks they should be able to find it. I watched a video about it many years ago here on KZbin.

[@F4Insight-uq6nt]

*Medieval Madness = MM = 33* *Most Mysterious Medieval Manuscript = MMMM = 3333* *So with that in mind Proof of all Claims made in this Video are Required.*

[@JuhiSRK]

Some of the plant drawings look vaguely like Venus Flytrap and Sundew fly trap.

[@TheDrivebynerf]

Awesome vid bud, I learned alot

[@buildingwithtrees2258]

Many people did not know how to read or write. I can imagine a person who looked at books and saw the scribbles and pictures and decided to write their own book of scribbles and pictures. But not knowing how to read or write words.

[@kellyharrison5184]

Utterly fascinating! It is STILL puzzling us today.

[@Rog5446]

Dr Gerard Cheshire, a research associate at Bristol university deciphered the manuscript in 2019.

[@hulkingcolosussklunnulk2501]

I can read this book for writing cannot be forgotten

[@hewasfuzzywuzzy3583]

Maybe it's like that foldable mystery reveal image in the back of the MAD Magazine.

[@RubenKelevra]

Funnily enough, a German actually has started decoding it. Sadly, he died before he could finish :(

[@veritylife8432]

does anyone know if I can get to the online images at harvard?

[@LaserSharkPhotoablations]

0:55 REAL pirates ALWAYS trim their cable ties...Yarrrrrrr!!

[@1231mn]

when u take a noble school child sketches too seriously

[@jasonmuller1199]

I bet it was just a stoned monk that wanted to prank who ever came across the manuscript

[@MJWPub]

"wrote it in code to avoid accusation " 🤣 I don't think Bacon knew that much about bathing ladies?

[@DaleDix]

The tentacle and other weird stuff they have today will be more confusing for people in the future.

[@katbrown1449]

I hope I live long enough to see this decoded.

[@RedGarnett-n2p]

There is some goofy zoomer on this thread that says she has figured it out and a child did it to occupy himself😂😂😂

[@peterodonnell5820]

i was puzzled by the references to the original owners of the document - the 'Jess weets'. I have just realised it is the Jesuits, or the order of The Society of Jesus, a catholic order of clerics. I'm used to it being pronounced Jez- U- It.

[@briteness]

I had never heard that pronunciation either. I wonder if it is just the British way of saying Jesuit.

[@peterodonnell5820]

@@briteness No, I'm British and it was new to me too. Maybe the narrator has not encountered the Jesuits before and just took a stab at it.

[@ftumschk]

@@peterodonnell5820 Perhaps he thought the word "Jesuit" was French, hence pronounced a bit like "je suis" - but it isn't!

[@AnaFolkenstal]

Someone was world-building for his fictional story.

[@p.istaker8862]

A clear example of what happens when you ingest Ergot.

[@nickmonk7945]

Wow your voice sounds identical to the narrator of the channel Fascinating Horror. Identical.

[@5upergamer8]

Imagine some random guy just made a random book just as he was bored in the medieval era and here we are deciphering it thinking it as a great mysterious book. 😂

[@keithiebaby100]

Love the zip ties on the pirate flag at the beginning.

[@RubenKelevra]

Here's he decoding of the first paragraph. It's a quote from a different author: »A farmer, sitting comfortably in the village, moaned about the times and ate a soup. After he digested it, he became ill. The people lamented: 'get well, get well' and also (tried to) help him (with) sacrifices. He went to a fraudulent doctor, but he was mistaken about his illness. (Out of) fear (he) began to tremble, (and) with the enemy (= the disease) on (his) heels (he returned). (At home he) fearfully locked (his) chamber (and) also the front door.«

[@dustinherk8124]

$30 says its a nonsense piece written by the medieval equivalent of a second grader, writing their own imaginative creative story; but with this ancient language's version of poor grammar and sentence structure

[@jackbombay1423]

This has been translated some time ago. It´s written in an ancient Turkish or something like that. And it´s just a herb book.

[@mrpoing8977]

4:50 Atlantis?

[@jubb1984]

At this point im pretty sure its just an ambitious dream diary, written by someone who believed their dreams had real meaning, written in code...because its a diary, with what the writer considered profound secrets, its coded. In my mind mystery solved

[@latetotheparty4785]

Didn’t a father-son team figure this out a couple of years ago?

[@RedGarnett-n2p]

​@@williamedwards2512 they didn't figure out Jack 💩

[@Annieisnthome]

It's the medieval version of ishtposting. They didn't have twitter or reddit, so they worked with the materials they had.

[@Dmitriy_Bezfamilnyi]

The funniest thing about this book is that there are no corrections in it, not a single one. Which is quite uncommon for manuscripts and nearly impossible for a text of this size. Usually a writer, diligent as he may be, still makes mistakes and tries to correct them. Unless, of course, he doesn't care about the sense, perfectly knowing there is none. Which might be the case here, with this Voynich manuscript. It well may be a really old manuscript, but a fake from the very beginning, just imitating some scientific oriental book (which were in high demand in those times, especially after Marco Polo's voyage to the East).

[@-Thauma-]

Always love a good mystery

[@wasntme777]

Oh come on , they already deciphered it and between 2018 and 2020 it was all over the news. . Hannig concluded that the text must be a Semitic language, and given the European imagery in the book’s illustrations, he narrowed the options to Arabic, Aramaic, or Hebrew-languages spoken by European scholars of the Middle Ages. After identifying a connection between certain Voynich characters and Hebrew, he managed to translate the first words, and then full sentences. “The actual translation of the Voynich-book will need a couple of years work, even if specialists in Hebrew language, who are well versed in medieval Hebrew and the terminology of botanical and medical texts, take over the analysis,” Hannig writes. “The character of the script, the pronunciation which one needs to get used to, the peculiarity and the vocabulary of the period will cause a lot of trouble even to a native speaker of [Hebrew].”

[@SPAMDAGGER22]

All the scholars, experts and learned people who cannot decipher this, are looking in the wrong place. One only needs to peruse the comment section on any of the videos about this book to find out that neighbour Dave has it all figured out.

[@SpecialAgentOso]

Thumbnail = precursor to Komota's Connect lol

[@mikhail5002]

It has been decoded last year I believe. It's all actually hebrew, albeit hidden behind a cypher. There are many sentences translated already.

[@RedGarnett-n2p]

No it was not that is just a bunch of crap it was not decoded at all

[@RubenKelevra]

@@RedGarnett-n2p I think you're referring to the AI decoding. This is not what Mikhail is referring to. :)

[@martindonald7613]

You do know that most manuscripts were created by monks. Monasteries could also be a dumping ground for offspring who were not quite right. Schizophrenia is not a new thing. There are many examples of texts, elaborate artworks etc. created by people with schizophrenia that make sense only to the author. Rye Agaric was also common at the time.

[@napoleonfeanor]

Given the price of vellum, I think there must have been financial interest behind it. Very likely alchemy but was it coded or intentionally made up to get money?

[@OstblockLatina]

You wouldn't believe how many times in history of mankind objects that connaisseurs consider close to priceless, were sold and bought for pennies because the seller was totally uninformed of the value of what he possessed.

[@napoleonfeanor]

@@OstblockLatina I mean the time it was made. The material was expensive. Pergament ist aus Tierhaut.

[@Nervadane]

The funny thing is, it might just be fan fiction Like my google docs full of aliens i draw

[@michaelthomas1726]

Jez-YOU-its, not Je-SWEETS.

[@MM-ig1iv]

I don't know but they sure do like using that circular tall letter a lot . Or "letters" I'm not sure.

[@proto57]

You erased my comment! Wow. If anyone wants to know why the Voynich has not been solved, you just gave a perfect demonstration.

[@nadeau1]

Fantasy before fantasy was a thing. Possibly a mad monk.

[@simonjones3863]

I would like to see ChatGPT have a go at this.

[@stompthedragon4010]

A rare book discovery authored by Bacon would have been worth a fortune and Voynich would have had the knowledge and skill to create it. Makes sense.

[@RedGarnett-n2p]

Bacon never had nothing to do with it

[@t.j.payeur5331]

It's just a magical looking book that a scam artist created and sold for big money. Discover magazine showed exactly how it was made 12 years ago.

[@HalfWarrior]

Whoever made the book said:’Watch this, I’m gonna make the best mind fuck book ever!

[@dianep1385]

Yes,they had pranksters too😂

[@jaekn]

A Turkish Engineer appears to have made progress. He claims it to be a phonetic representation of Old Turkish and has, seemingly, translated several of the pages.

[@girlonfire2.076]

Perhaps it's from another realm there are other lands beyond the ice wall, or it could have been written before the last reset

[@truthseeker8615]

That’s what I’m thinking , fairies 🧚‍♀️ or elves but it wouldn’t of been preflood cause it was carbon dated to the 1400’s

[@Kommander_Rahnn]

LOL. "ice wall" ok, dude.😂😂😂😂

[@leadingauctions8440]

This video gave a lot of details other videos have not.

[@neoAREAXIS]

I managed to score the 1st edition facsimile from Yale. It's a prize possession right next to my bed. It's so curious.

[@supergrafxengine4620]

You can't decipher it !? That normal, there is nothing to decipher in the first place. A book made by some monk .... Purpose? The purpose was to mimic a exotic book that came from faraway... Why? Because it worth much more. The monk couldn't be bothered to write a foreign language so he invented 5 strange words that run after each other will repeating and shuffle from time to time. Mystery solved!!

[@twistedeternal8053]

Maybe

[@LDN76]

Muchrooms and or fungus in grain.

[@paulmudreac5784]

This is probably an alchemical treaty. Bears similarities with more modern alchemical books.