In 1912, Polish bibliophile Wilfrid Voynich acquired a manuscript from the early 15th century.
The book, known as the Voynich Manuscript, spans approximately 240 pages and is filled with mysterious handwritten text in an undecipherable language. It also features a range of unusual illustrations, including depictions of people, fantastical plants, symbols, and other enigmatic images. Despite extensive study, scholars remain baffled by its contents and meaning.
Who was Voynich, and how did he come into possession of the mysterious manuscript? Born on November 12, 1865, in Telšiai—now part of Lithuania—Voynich pursued higher education at the universities of Warsaw, St. Petersburg, and Moscow, where he ultimately earned his degree in chemistry.
In 1885, Russian authorities detained him for attempting to liberate individuals involved in a revolutionary group. He was subsequently imprisoned in a Siberian labor camp but managed to escape in 1890. By the end of that year, he had relocated to London.
He remained an active supporter of anti-czarist groups until the death of a fellow revolutionary in 1895. Following this event, he redirected his efforts toward the sale of rare and antique books. By 1898, he had established his first bookstore in London’s Soho Square.
In 1904, he married and obtained British citizenship. By 1912, a religious group from Ghislieri College in Italy conducted a book auction from their library. During this event, Voynich acquired multiple volumes, among which was the manuscript.
Two years later, he launched a second bookstore in New York. Despite his efforts over the years, he was unable to decipher the manuscript before his death in 1930. After he passed away, the manuscript was transferred to his wife. Upon her death in 1960, it was bequeathed to her close friend, Anne Nill.
In the subsequent year, Nill transferred ownership of the book to Hans P. Kraus, a renowned antique book dealer. In 1969, Kraus donated the book to Yale University, where it has been preserved at the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library ever since.
Since its rediscovery in 1912, numerous scholars have endeavored to decode the manuscript, yet none have succeeded. This dense manuscript includes several pages that unfold into intricate diagrams.
The text was composed in a mysterious language known today as “Voynichese.” Its pages feature a mix of illustrations, including depictions of people bathing, mythical creatures such as dragons, and a range of astrological symbols alongside imaginative plant life.
Over time, many theories have emerged regarding the true meaning of the Voynich Manuscript. Some experts propose that it could be a manual on women’s health, while others argue that Voynich himself might have crafted it as an elaborate hoax. Additionally, there are speculations that the manuscript could originate from a completely different realm.
Physicist Andreas Schinner conducted a thorough analysis of the manuscript, striving to uncover its hidden meanings. After extensive examination, he concluded that the text appeared to be a mere jumble of letters with no inherent significance, reinforcing the theory that it was designed as a hoax.
Some research suggests that the text was composed in a previously unknown language. Others propose that it resembles a variant of Latin, Hebrew, or Turkish.
In 2020, Yale University made the complete manuscript available through its digital library, providing global access. This open availability is hoped to contribute to unraveling the mysteries of the Voynich Manuscript.
As of 2023, the latest update on the Voynich Manuscript reveals that researcher Stefan Guzy successfully traced its ownership history.
Upon reviewing historical records of all book transactions, he discovered a letter from Johannes Marcus Marci, a 17th-century royal physician, who had obtained the manuscript from the alchemist Georg Baresch.
Prior to this, the manuscript was owned by Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, who acquired it from physician Carl Widemann. The purchase, made between 1576 and 1612, cost the emperor 600 gold coins.