The Voynich Manuscript as a MesoAmerican Herbal
Jules Janick and Arthur O. Tucker
Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
Emeritus Professor and Co-Director Claude E. Phillips Herbarium, Delaware State University, Dover,
Delaware, USA
The Manuscript
Most famous and bizarre manuscript in the world Undecipherable alphabet and language
Herbal: 129 folios (130 Plants)
Eryngium heterophyllum
Psacalium Ipomoea arborescens
Helianthus annuus
Pharma: 18 folios, 173 plants
Balneological: 21 folios
Cosmological, Zodiac: 12 folios
Pisces Leo
Cosmological (Magic Circles)
Sun Moon
Recipes? Poems? (24 folios)
Provenance1607–1622. Signature of Jakub de Tepenec (d. 1622),
Chemist for Rudolf II1639. Owned by George Baresch, alchemist,
(letter to Jesuit Athanasius Kircher)1665. Jans Marek Marci, Rector of Prague University
claims that Rudolf II purchased ms for 600 ducats1912. Wilfrid Voynich (1865–1930)
purchases ms from Villa Mondragone, a Jesuit college
1961. Sold to Hans Kraus1960. Acquired by Yale University.2011. Vellum carbon dated to early 15th
century, but probably a palimpsest
Cryptographic analyses unsuccessful
Linguistic analysis suggests real language not a
hoax
Languages suggested include Arabic, Chinese,
classical Nahuatl, gibberish, Hebrew Italian,
Medieval Latin, Old Dutch, Old English, Old
Spanish, polyglot Sanskirt, PreWelsh or Scottish
Many books, films, works of fiction, musical
chamber work
World wide web presence
Evidence that Voynich is MesoAmerican
• All plants are MesoAmerican; no Old World plants identified
• All animals either indigenous or Spanish introductions
• Boleite (mineral) identified, quality & quantity unique to MesoAmerica
• Language symbols similar to those of New Spain Codices
• Mexican cities identified
• Aztec symbolism (ritual bathing, cosmology)
Folio 1v of Voynich Codex vs. folio 9r of the Codex Cruz-Badianus: Ipomoea arborescens vs. I. murucoides
Folio 9v of the Voynich Codex: Viola bicolor, not V. tricolor
Folio 23v of the Voynich Codex: Passiflora subgenus Decaloba (P. morifolia?)
Folio 93r of the Voynich Codex: Helianthus annuus
#757b chimalacatl from the Florentine Codex of Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, 1545–1590
Decipherment of Ancient Languages
• Based on proper names coupled with surviving related languages
• Thomas Young (1773–1829) and Jean-Francois Champollian (1790–1832) decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics based on names of pharaohs coupled with study of Coptic (Rosetta Stone)
• Eugene Burnouf (1836) deciphers Sumerian cuneiform alphabet by names of kings and links to ancient Persian
• Michel Ventris (1922–1956) and John Chadwick (1920–1998) deciphers Linear B with identification of Crete cities with links to ancient Greek
• Heinrich Berlin (1915–1988) deciphered Mayan logograms with identification of cities and dynasties coupled with Mayan dialects
• Arthur Tucker (2013) deciphers Voynich alphabet based on plant pictures and names in Nahuatl
Folio 100r #8 of Voynich Codex: Opuntia sp., cf. O. ficus-indica
nāshtli
nochtli (Nahuatl)=fruit or plant of the prickly pear cactus
Folio 100r #4 of Voynich Codex: Agave sp., cf. A. atrovirens (or A. tequilana)
māguoey
maguey (Spanish from mid-16th century Taino)
Alphabet Decipherment
Nochtli, prickly pear cactus Maguey, agave
Voynich Alphabet Decipherment
Animals
Texas horned lizard Dermophis Mexican tree frog
Alligator gar Desert big horn ewe Desert big horn ram Andalusian Red cow
Retinta bull Mexican dwarf crayfish Ocelot Jaguarundi
Alligator gar
Desert big horn sheep
Earless lizard Iguana Paca Coatimundi?
Jellyfish Armadillo Crested caracara
MineralFolio 102r #20 of Voynich Codex: boleite
(2–20 mm on side, KPb26Ag9Cu24Cl62(OH)48)
ātlaān
atlan (Nahuatl)=in or under water (probably referring to the blue color) from Boleos Mine, Baja California Sur, México
Kabbala
Map
Tecamachalco
TlaxcalaVera Cruz
Huejozingo
Puebla de Los Angeles
Toribio of Benavente Motolinía (1482–1568)
College of Santa Cruz
Folio 86v Sphere #2=Huejotzingo
Popocatépetl“smoking
mountain ridge”
Folio 86v Sphere 2 of the Voynich Ms.: Monastery of San Miguel Megun ca. 1543, Huejotzingo [where
willows grow], Puebla, México
huoxeātlocâpi
huoxeatl (Nahuatl)= willow +capi= Spanish for Latin American capital city
Popocatépetl
Folio 86v Sphere #4=Tlaxcala
La Malinche
Folio 86v Sphere #6=Tecamachalco/Tepeaca
Asuncion De Nuestra Senorawith illustrations of the Apocalypse of John on amatl paper by native ladino mestizo painter Juan Gerson, 1562
Pico de orizaba (citlaltepetl)
Folio 86v Sphere #8=Vera Cruz/ Zempoala light house/convento
(“water seller,” putative nickname of Vera Cruz)
ātlmchonon
“Temple of The Chimneys” at Zempoala “place of the 20 waters”
Laguna Catemaco
Folio 86v Sphere A=AngelopolisPuebla de Los Angeles, Celestial City of Jerusalem
founded by Motolinia 15306 qubba around central complex in Sphere A
Crusader map of Jerusalem(12th century)5 qubba inside, 7 outside
Balneological
Ancient Netzahualcoyotl baths in Chapultepec Park, Mexico City
Baths at Texcotzingo, ancient palace of Netzahualcoyotl near Texcoco
Cosmology Symbols
Folio 68r-3 Folio 85v-2 Folio 68r-2 Folio 69v-1
Florentine Codex Florentine Codex Florentine Codex Badianus Codex
ConclusionsThe Voynich Codex is predominantly
a New Word Herbal
Date is probably between 1530 and 1570; best guess ca. 1565
Author/Artist was a trilingual ladino mestizo trained in the Colegio de Santa Cruz in Tlatelolco, a College established by Franciscan friars for sons of Aztec nobility
Text probably an extinct dialect of Nahuatl
Complete translation will make this one of the most valuable historical New World manuscripts since it is by a native and not filtered by the Spanish
