Voynich — Start Researching Genealogy

5 April 2025 by Sherri Mastrangelo

While taking a look at the blue flower / herb on 32v, I learned from other researchers that the same flower can be matched internally to one on the top right of folio 102r2 (See: voynich.ninja/thread-4067) so I decided to compare the text on both pages to look for any repeating characters that might signify a name. I found two words of interest, as well as an interesting pattern that might be evidence of an added “c” as a null character in a cipher on some pages.

There are two paragraphs on 32v and one image, with three paragraphs on 102r2. The image below depicts my comparison. There are a handful of words that are the same, with two that are more unique than others, at least in my opinion. These two words are illustrated with the red and black arrows below. Perhaps these words are related to the name of the plant / herb that is the same on both. It should also be noted that these words appear in different order on each page, though on both they are in the same sentence.

The above image shows how the words highlighted in white become the green on the right side with the added ‘c’ character. Yellow are the same on both, with special attention to two of the more unique words.

With only a handful of words the same between pages, it seems to me a similar cipher is used on both while also changing the meaning of only a few characters, and perhaps adding a few nulls - like the ‘c’ character. I won’t be sharing more about possible translation in this post, but I do have my own theories.

Here are the seven words I’ve identified below - are these the same words with a null “c” added on the right? Or two different words?

Above: at least seven of the words from 32v have a “matching” version on 102r2, if you add a "c” character

None of the words from 102 with “extra c’s” appear on 32v - however, there are at least two of the words from 32v on 102 (evidenced in white highlighted words on the right side of the first image).

Which scribe wrote 32v verse 102r? According to Dr. Lisa Fagin Davis and her bifolio chart, Scribe 1 is responsible for both 32 and 102.

So what questions am I left with?

There’s actually not that many decorated gallows or bridges. In addition to the one above on 102r2, they can also be found on 14v and 105r. There are also ones on 78r and 78v that may count as well. Note also that 102r2 is a bridge, and the decorated character in the example below is almost a bridge…

Do the surrounding ‘star pages’ have as many words with extra c’s?

What about 14v? 78r and 78v?

by Sherri Mastrangelo, 7 March 2025 (edited 8 March).

Perhaps this is a new insight, or perhaps it is not. The vast wealth of research on the Voynich Manuscript is difficult to parse completely, as is the manuscript itself, though I am attempting both!

I’m starting my first thought somewhat in the middle, in the Zodiac section, from Beinecke Folio 70v through 73v, of the twelve circles representing various zodiac signs and months (with two repeated, and two missing), and I propose a meaning behind this section that is either agricultural or medicinal.

The first circle shows two fish, a sign of Pisces (70v1), and in medieval astrology Pisces is affiliated with the month of February. Yet here someone has labeled (what appears to be) ‘March’. The signs and months continue, slightly off kilter, but in order. Aries / March yet labeled April, Taurus / April labeled as May, Gemini / May labeled June, and so on, through the scales of Libra / September shown as the month of October. Aries appears twice, as does Taurus. Missing are Capricorn / December and Aquarius / January.

These labeled names are not incorrect, but they are simplified, to show purpose, as was done in similar texts of the time that were written as agriculture or medicinal guides. For example, in part of 72v we see the image of the scales in the center of the circle, labeled with (what appears to be) ‘October’. The scales are associated with the sign of Libra, which occurs about September 23 through October 22 - so largely in the month of October. If you are writing a guide related to the best times for planting or harvesting, or to perform a ritual, experiment, or health practice, you would generalize the time - it wouldn’t be an exact date.

We can also see this depicted in medieval ‘Labours of the Months’ artwork, such as the The Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry (est. between 1412 - 1416), and in many other versions of the Books of Hours from the early 15th century. I’ve seen blog posts about comparisons between the zodiac symbols of these works and the Voynich, but not on the parallels of labors within the months.

In these works, April was typically associated with planting. Perhaps this is why April and May were included twice - the most important, or work heavy, time of year. I feel this also helps to tie the botanical section with the zodiac a bit more as well.