What is the Voynich manuscript?
Q: What is the Voynich manuscript?
A: The Voynich manuscript is a manuscript made up of about 240 vellum pages, probably written in the early 15th century in northern Italy.
Q: Who is the manuscript named after?
A: The manuscript is named after Wilfrid Michael Voynich who bought it in the early 20th century.
Q: Where is the manuscript located now?
A: The manuscript is in the library of Yale University.
Q: What is unknown about the manuscript's author and language?
A: Although many authors have been thought to have written this manuscript, the author remains unknown. The text is written in an unknown language, in an unknown writing system.
Q: What is the text of the manuscript like?
A: The text is probably some ciphertext; many people working in cryptography have tried to break its code, both amateur and professional cryptographers. It looks like there are no errors in the text. There are no corrections to it.
Q: What have people noticed about the illustrations?
A: Although less attention has been given to the illustrations, they seem to show plants, anatomic or astronomic links.
Q: What has recent research suggested about the manuscript's origins?
A: In 2009, University of Arizona researchers performed radiocarbon dating on the manuscript's vellum, which they say (with 95% confidence) was made between 1404 and 1438. In addition, the McCrone Research Institute in Chicago found that much of the ink was added not long afterwards, confirming that the manuscript is an authentic medieval document.
