How to pass the medieval quest. Voynich manuscript

Alexander Uliyanenkov.


HOW TO PASS MEDIEVAL QUEST. (English vesrion).
Manual for beginners  and history fans.
Decoding of  Voynich manuscript.

Dear Friends! As I promised post the first part of the article, by deciphering the Voynich manuscript. Keep for updates.
This article - is a translation form original Russian version, because of that please excuse me for any mistakes which you can probably find in the English version.

               

"" "" I want to ask you, my dear readers - if you like this story, or vice versa - not like it, or have any questions - do not be lazy and silent - please write me something in the comments "" ""

(For the people who are not familiar with the story – it is highly recommend at first to see the  reference information about the manuscript here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voynich_manuscript...

A small entry.

The article that you started to read  devoted to the story of how inquisitiveness and curiosity (in Russian these are  2 different words -  similar but not the same) may lead to the disclosure of charming puzzles, discover interesting worlds and civilizations even if your location is a comfort  sofa at home , and of course, to it is addressed to anyone who  wants to broad their horizons considerably.

While writing that article I decide  do not only tell you the story of the passage of this difficult quest, but also give you an opportunity, dear readers, to become the part of that story -  even after decoding of the main text there are lot’s of unsolved riddles still left on manuscript pages -  and  from time to time  I’ll invite you in your personal medieval quest,  placing here and separately different puzzles and riddles.  Some of its are solved by me, but for many of them the answers are still hidden.
At the end you be able more less easily to read the manuscript  pages, silent, terrible to say - half a millennium.

Your answers, questions, ideas are welcome to the following e-mail:





Preface.

There is an ancient manuscript, familiar to many lovers of medieval mysteries under the names "Voynich Manuscript" or "Voynich Manuscript", whose mystery still excites the minds of researchers. Experts call it - "manuscript, which no one can read," because neither the language used for writing it or its author, nor place, nor even the date of writing, is still unknown. (Truly sad – was unknown till 12-03-2016.)

Its current name the manuscript received from the name of one of the last owners - Michael Voynich (1865 -1930) - Polish revolutionary (pseudonym "Wilfred."), bibliophile and antiquarian, husband of writer Ethel Lilian Voynich.

Mysterious manuscript Voynich acquired for his collection in 1912. And although  that did not affected the success in deciphering the manuscript, but finally influenced it  future fate - in 1959 Voynich family heirs sold it to bookseller Hans Kraus, who in 1969 gave it to the library of rare books Benecke at Yale University, where it is still being held. On the inside front cover you can see the special remark - "Gift of Hans P. Kraus."

With the manuscript, in an attempt to decipher the cryptic text, worked and still working professionals and amateurs, but in none of the cases, even where there seemed to be dreamed of hope - success so far no one has made. More precisely (as I’ve mentioned above) that  was until 12 March 2016.

And why  do not try to start to look beyond the veil of secrecy, actually using the available data and, even it may sound strange, using our own observations.

In fact it will be a tour of the code search path - when, where, why and by whom this manuscript was written.

So, CHAPTER ONE:
WHY ME?

May be it is not so usual to start the narrative by author telling about himself, but in this particular case I prefer to do that, because that  will give you further understanding of the story.
In principle, all sufficient information about me and my professional activities, can be easily found in the respective social networks. The general abstract of  my biography – during the last 15 years, my whole life is closely connected with microscopy and materials analysis systems, and in general, with a specialized scientific optics. About 10 years, I worked at Carl Zeiss NTS company's strategic development of the board of international directors committee. That was  the nanotechnology division of Zeiss (now it become to Carl Zeiss Microscopy). I also member of different professional communities, which closely linked to my professional area and etc…

Thus – the science – is my main surrounding space.

The scientific tools  of my professional priority are - the electron microscope with X-ray analyzer, mass spectrometer, and a bit of diffraction, and, of course, a specialized light microscopy. Do not be afraid of a set of these technical terms, but the understanding of the principles of  capabilities of such devices and physics behind their functionality was one of the reasons that propelled me to become interested in the manuscript.

Among the relevant interests there are at least two:
- Cosmology with its current rapid development
- Intricate ancient mysteries

For this my craving to  the world of antiquity the full responsibility bears the three outstanding persons: Umberto Eco ( "The Name of the Rose"), Milorad Pavic ( "Dictionary of the Khazars") and Tolkien. In Tolkien’s collection of work, in addition to all the well-known saga, there are many works on the reconstruction of old English texts and legends. I was totally fascinated by the recently published "The Fall of Arthur" written by Tolkien in the Old English alliterative verse. I even made an attempt to translate the first chapter to Russian (it is available in the internet). But the beauty of the language and thoughts of the great maestro, in full, I could not pass of course.

There was also the gift of  someone from friends  - the cryptogram of Olivier Levasseur (famous pirate), who before his execution, allegedly thrown into a crowd a piece of paper with an encrypted record of the place of the hidden pirate treasure. I found a fairly simple key and read the first line. It sounded something like this - "Wealth ghostly fools beckon ...". After such introduction, I have lost the desire to translate more. Moreover, the text was performed in Latin. Why should, tell me please, the French pirate Latin needed?

However, looking from today, after the discovery of the code of the Voynich manuscript, the crazy idea flashed in my mind -  what about if  suddenly there, Levasseur, after the first line  added in his second one or farther, the text which, for example, sounds: "... But my not ghostly [treasures] you can find here…” and left some description of the hidden place and it location. In general, I’ll think about that…

Well, with me, you little acquainted, and we can now move on to the manuscript.


Thus, CHAPTER TWO
IT IS A TIME TO MEET  THE HERO - the Voynich manuscript.
 
On the official website of the library of rare books Beneckeof Yale University  the manuscript description (in dry bureaucratic language) reads as follows:


Call Number: Beinecke MS 408  (Request the physical item to view in our reading room)

Alternate Title: Voynich Manuscript
Date: [ca. 1401-1599?]
Genres: Manuscripts
Botanical illustrations
Astronomical charts
Drawings
Hand coloring
Illustrations

Type of Resource: mixed material

Description: Parchment. ff. 102 (contemporary foliation, Arabic numerals; not every leaf foliated) + i (paper), including 5 double-folio, 3 triple-folio, 1 quadruple-folio and 1 sextuple-folio folding leaves. 225 x 160 mm.
Abstract: Scientific or magical text in an unidentified language, in cipher, apparently based on Roman minuscule characters.
Physical Description: 1 vol.
color illustrations
23 x 16 cm. (binding)

Well, that’s enough for a first acquaintance with the hero.

Specialists of the Yale library did the excellent color electronic copies of all the pages of the manuscript, and now with him, in smallest details, could work everyone. Even, for example, to try to decipher. But do not forget the copyright!

Somewhere, may be a year ago, the article about  the mysterious manuscript caught my eye in one of  popular scientific journals. I visited the site of the library, read all of the above, stared at the pages of images and ... decided to get acquainted with the hero closer.

More detailed acquaintance began with a search for information online, which is available for instance  in  Wikipedia in different languages.

Now I will make a small remark. At the first meeting, flipping through the manuscript page by page, I suddenly came to the conclusion that it is a bit familiar to me. Definitely familiar. Only with interesting pictures.

- Eureka! - I exclaimed. Manuscript in its construction resembled the "Canon of Medicine" Avicenna, whose five solid heavy  volumes I bought in the late  80s of the last century in the secondhand bookstore "Bookinist" in  Moscow .

The only thing not coincide - volumes of material.

By the way, despite my deep technical background, I was always interested in all the other components of the world, and Avicenna (Abu Ali ibn Sina, peace be upon them both), has contributed significantly to my knowledge. Terrific systematic scientific and poetic approach.

About his work (which has become an indispensable basis for the development of all subsequent philosophy, medicine and pharmacology), the author wrote as follows, starting from  Basmala:

"In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"   
[…]
Now, I'll make this book [ "Canon"] and I will divide it into five books thus:
 - Book One: on general Medicine issues
- Book Two: about simple medicines.
- Book Three: on the particular disease, internal and external, affecting various organs of the person from head to foot.
- Book Four: about private diseases, which are arising, not confined to any one organ, and about giving beauty.
- Book Five: Compilation of drugs, ie pharmacopoeia.
[…]

Let’s remember, my friends, these wonderful words.  They will be  useful to us in  our investigation.


Now let’s look at the contents of the manuscript.

As you know, the using the word "content" in our case  - we will only describe the observed image, in the order in which we have started it read like a book.

 The manuscript is visually divided into the following sections:
 - Botanical - this is one of the most voluminous chapters (p.2 - p.118) -  the description and drawings of plants, the vast majority of which do not lend themselves to recognize even approximately. Any announcements  that experts were able to determine a certain number of plants - you can believe me now - at 99% cases does not corresponds with their real names in the book.

 - Astronomy - contains a chart on which the symbols of the sun is used, the moon, stars and constellations of the zodiac. This section is another excellent puzzle, because of its zodiacal part consists of 12 related images, among which there are no signs of Capricorn and Aquarius, but twice repeated signs of Agnus and Taurus. In addition, the zodiacal section contains signatures in Gothic letters in the Latin alphabet, which are relatively easy to read and which relates to the corresponding months.

  - Biology - a chart with the drawings which  are allegorical images of organs of the body - in the form of tanks and canals (swimming pools and ducts), filled with different colored liquids. The channels and pools "bathe" strange ugly woman, or, as some call them - nymphs.

- Cosmological - Contains pictures and diagrams which are not very clear meaning.

  - Pharmaceutical - section containing plants reduced drawings on the background of some hypothetical pharmaceutical vessels, which may indicate the section as a guide for the compilation of certain herbal mixtures.

- Formulation - the last section, consisting of a rich set of short text paragraphs, the beginning of each of which is indicated by the image of a star. Others pictures section does not contain.

Before starting to look for keys of the manuscript, I had a natural question arises - to what end  I have to start?

 For a start, I’ve chosed - dating ...

It would seem, professional scientists have already done their job, everything is clear, but the phrase from Wikipedia regarding this direction, sounded like something unusual:

[...] The arheometrist from University of Arizona Greg Hodgins on the results based on radiocarbon dating of the manuscript samples assume that the manuscript was created between 1404 and 1438 years.  The manuscript Ink Analysis, performed in the McCrone Research Institutev, Chicago, demonstrated their compliance with this period [...]

You do not bother? No? So, you're specialist from another area.

In my case  - I was really very much confused to see so. The wrong  dating – can play a bad tricks with your search…



So, CHAPTER THREE
LET’S MEET  THE PRE-DATING.
 
If you've been paying your attention -  the estimated period of the creation of the manuscript you can find on  the library website - 1401-1599. Very very well. With great caution, with knowledge of the matter.

And then, suddenly, we have a very precise period - 1404-1438. That  is alarming.

The manuscript is written on the parchment - a specially tanned animal skins, ie organic material of animal origin.

The dating of organic materials is carried out on special mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating. The method was firstly proposed by Nobel Prize winner in chemistry Willard Libby in 1946 and is based on the measurement of the content in the material of the radioactive carbon isotope C (14) in relation to the stable carbon isotopes.

C (14) Isotope constantly produced mainly in the upper atmosphere at an altitude of 12-15 km in the collision of secondary neutrons from cosmic rays with atmospheric nitrogen atoms. Formed its amount for the calendar year of the order of 7.5 kg. The half-life of T1 / 2 = 5730 ± 40 years.

As this carbon is distributed throughout our environment, the miserable, absolutely harmless it quantities  breathes and drinks with water all the living beings. And now, and in the past, and in the Middle Ages, and in the Bronze Age ...  Accordingly, at the time of the death of a living being the amount of carbon fixed in the biological tissues and in the future can only be changed in the smaller side.

Scientists takes samples of thin material, first clean it as much as possible from the later deposited pollutions (in the case of a book, for example, the pollution can be made with your fingers - the fat and sweat, fire, etc.). Then the purified from contamination sample burned (or sprayed) and ionized carbon particles by electric and magnetic fields directed to a special target. During the flight to the target the  different mass isotopes have different trajectories and fall in different parts of the target. The expecting ratio can be easily  calculated  -  the only necessary to count how many pieces of stable isotopes and how many pieces C (14) collided with the target.

Here's an interesting and relatively simple method.

Only the accuracy of his little lame ... Speaking more precisely and correctly - this method has a certain accuracy, and it is in the best cases is about +/- 70, ie, the sum of all 140 years. And the average accuracy of this method lies in the range of +/- 100 years, which gives a total of 200 years in dating scatter. That’s why Yale University carefully have such a wide period, indirectly confirming my doubts.

But! Even in the case if  the analysis the ideally done, it's not that simple to come to the final conclusion re dating.

The analysis results also depends on the place where lived until the death the desired object. When we are  speaking about carbon isotopes in general - again we are referring to a cross - the average estimated amount of a year, the average distribution in the atmosphere, etc. and so on, and in fact for this particular moment, for each particular place it has its own very special conditions.

According to the release  the University of Arizona - the studied four samples of parchment were taken in the size of 1x6 mm, of the least polluted places in different sections of the manuscript. These samples were further processed and purified from possible distorting artifacts and analyzed by the method described above. 4 samples most probably were each further divided into several parts, ie analysis was repeated several times for each of the samples, having worked so statistics. Everything is done professionally and correctly.

I trust professionals, and I willingly accept the period of 1404 -1438, but only in one important remark - if they carried out a comparative analysis, ie if there was a comparison samples of the same material from the same location, the creation date or period of which is well known. For example, this may be another manuscript, but not encrypted, in which the author wrote with his own hand -  the year and/or also month and so on.

Despite the absence of any Arizona comments on they release on this issue, I still inclined to think that they used several comparative spectras of the comparative samples. In conclusion, these laboratories worldwide carry out similar studies and many spectra are recorded in the shared databases to make every subsequent analysis as accurate as possible.

I want to say many thanks to Rene Zandbergen, who placed very detailed article re Arizona analysis - http://voynich.nu/extra/carbon.html

So take until that date for a certain reference point.

Why do I still say so? Firstly -  in the dating problem there is a very important unknown thing - unknown place of writing of the manuscript. And there is a high probability that those samples (used for comparative analysis in Arizona) could be completely from other places and, therefore, gave us somehow distorted information.

And that is I can say secondly?



Secondly -  CHAPTER FOUR
Inks analysis.
 
Let’s recall the phrase
[...]The manuscript Inks Analysis, performed in the McCrone Research Institutev, Chicago, demonstrated their compliance with this period [...]

Weird sounds (at least to me). Well - for the answer let’s turn to Chicago.

An analysis of inks scrapings was carried out using a light microscope, electron microscope with X-Ray microanalyzer and diffractometer.

Oh! What a brilliant, wonderful and professional analysis has been carried out! It reads like a detective.

Just a remark  for your information – this set of the tools in reality is far-far away from the direct dating methods.
But a few words about the instruments used (here please remember about my self-representation in the first chapter):

- Light microscope - used to detect traces of scrapes in minerals (in polarized light and ultraviolet) for subsequent detailed study of the chemical composition and lattice parameters.
- Electron microscope with X-Ray microanalyzer - was used to analyze the chemical composition of the selected previously samples.
- Diffractometer - respectively responsible for the identification of the features crystal lattice.

This set of instruments usually included in the standard equipment of the laboratories as for material science, or as for  expertise laboratory for works of art (it is true to our manuscript as well), and even, for example, it is commonly used in forensic laboratories for the analysis of the evidence collected at the crime scene.

But, I will say at once - to direct dating of the manuscript a set of instruments is very, very indirect relationship.

Its task is primarily to identify specific characteristics of the materials used by the author (the same inks, paints, poisons, soil trace, blood, pollens, tissue structures, composition of coins and other metal things, minerals, handwriting characteristics, etc.). In some cases, it can really give a clue, and sometimes just to prove that just these squiggles's inherent only here it's an outstanding person. But such  results  foe ancients -   even "neglected"  - cases are extremely rare luck.


However, why this expertise was interesting and which gave results?

I will make one more remark concerning the possibility to use the analysis technique.

Light microscope, especially with special design (eg for the study of large paintings from museums), in addition to its basic functionality is also quite powerful, allowing you to work with the manuscript as a whole, to any of its pages, and allows us to study the page across its area without violations-or her integrity. Consider the size of our hero – for standard microscopy it is a bit to much. And it can be used to identify a large number of "evidence" is sufficient, which are imperceptible to the naked eye - such as a hair, for example,  stuck in the cover (very good candidate for genetic examination, which would have immediately found out what nationality could treat the master, his approximate age, and so on. ).

For electron microscopy, as well as for the diffractometer, the manuscript size of a giant  and  does not fits in their internal specimen chambers. Yes, actually, it is not necessary. To carry out the research on such devices sufficiently trace substance that experts extracted using scrapings.

Let us return to the analysis of the results of ink ...

Vintage ink, the most ordinary, which look brown on  parchment and paper - were made since the ancient times and until the end of the 19th century, based on the "leaven" of acorns, rust, lime and salt. The recipe probably  have been so simple, environmentally friendly and cheap, and because of that it was used it with minimal variations over the place, where there was a need for anything to write.

But other colors of ink, simply - paints, or colored mascara - produced from minerals grinded  in a mineral micropowders. Blue color, for example, commonly was prepared by using a lapis lazuli or azurite, green - from cuprite, etc. By the way, some of the paints were toxic because made from minerals containing toxic salts ...

Not sink in to the details of all the work done in Chicago, let’s proceed to its conclusion:

- Manuscript was written by bird feather, leaving a distinctive mark. For us, this means that a number of Orientalist assumptions about the origin of the manuscript - especially in the candidate countries, where for written were used  reeds, sticks, or, for example, brush or even a finger - we can put a low priority (just discard until nothing is impossible).

- Main Inks - acorn, typical very wide time period. Nevertheless, there is a small note - found in inks are not usual for this compound  traces of copper and zinc. What does this mean for us? And the fact that the author always carried the bronze inkwell with a tight cover. At that upon peeling off, closing microparticles of inkwell material falls into the black. Availability of a bronze inkwell - it is even a small, but interesting trail that we take into account. Oh, in a case if  we had in the hands the mentioned inkwell - that it would be a grate luck!


- Ink, which was used for Gothic Latin inscriptions - are very different from basic (important Very important!), But it also does not narrow the search period


- In blue-green colors used in the already mentioned lapis lazuli, azurite and cuprite ... Oh! Here's an interesting clue. For the dating does not helps, but it is the first sign to identify the manuscript geography. Rich Azure mine in that time were in south-eastern France!

And finally, the crown of our investigations of inks - red paints!

The report says that the red dyes are composed of the usual composition of the Middle Ages, but have traces of lead, but not in pure form but as a relatively rare mineral which feature is that it is characterized mainly for Vesuvius eruptions!

Vesuvius, my friends! Those, author localization even more narrowed - Italy, Spain and France.

And that is not all. The key phrase for dating - Vesuvius eruptions.

Those, it is reasonable to assume that if Vesuvius eruptions contributed to the composition of the inks, as the impact on the composition of the atmosphere gas and dust in the region, it can perform the  similar effect on the isotopic composition of the air that breathing animals whose skins were taken for the manufacture of parchment. If so -  it is shifting the dating in our direction!

Referring to the data of international volcano research community, I found a list of known and confirmed eruptions of Vesuvius in the period interested to us, and I found that there were quite a lot and with varying intensity.

Thus, I decided to take as a starting point 1400 (after all, Arizona did a grate job) and based on the capabilities of the radiocarbon method took and added 100 years (as a minimum) on each side. Those, my dating has established an average period 1300  - 1500, that has opens a very interesting possibilities in the search for the author of the manuscript.

We'll come back to the date analysis later on   - because there are not only physical and chemical analysis, but also indirect signs in the manuscript...

The first steps have been taken, with the dating we are corrected, with the localization too.


Let's go further…


TO BE CONTINUED…  LOOK FOR UPDATES.