It is very likely that Emperor Rudolph acquired the manuscript from the English astrologer John Dee (1527-1608). The codex belonged to Emperor Rudolph II of Germany (Holy Roman Emperor, 1576-1612), who purchased it for 600 gold ducats and believed that it was the work of Roger Bacon. Like its contents, the history of ownership of the Voynich manuscript is contested and filled with some gaps. Read a detailed chemical analysis of the Voynich Manuscript (8 p., pdf) History of the Collection
Described as a magical or scientific text, nearly every page contains botanical, figurative, and scientific drawings of a provincial but lively character, drawn in ink with vibrant washes in various shades of green, brown, yellow, blue, and red.īased on the subject matter of the drawings, the contents of the manuscript fall into six sections: 1) botanicals containing drawings of 113 unidentified plant species 2) astronomical and astrological drawings including astral charts with radiating circles, suns and moons, Zodiac symbols such as fish (Pisces), a bull (Taurus), and an archer (Sagittarius), nude females emerging from pipes or chimneys, and courtly figures 3) a biological section containing a myriad of drawings of miniature female nudes, most with swelled abdomens, immersed or wading in fluids and oddly interacting with interconnecting tubes and capsules 4) an elaborate array of nine cosmological medallions, many drawn across several folded folios and depicting possible geographical forms 5) pharmaceutical drawings of over 100 different species of medicinal herbs and roots portrayed with jars or vessels in red, blue, or green, and 6) continuous pages of text, possibly recipes, with star-like flowers marking each entry in the margins.įor a complete physical description and foliation, including missing leaves, see the Voynich catalog record.
Voynich, who acquired it in 1912-are still being debated as vigorously as its puzzling drawings and undeciphered text. Written in Central Europe at the end of the 15th or during the 16th century, the origin, language, and date of the Voynich Manuscript-named after the Polish-American antiquarian bookseller, Wilfrid M.
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