Re: VMs: Writer's Motivation

[Mart Vabar <mesinik@xxxxxx>]

On Mon, 5 Apr 2004, Jim Gillogly wrote:
> Jonathan Lopez wrote:
> > 1. what would be the motives for writing an
> > untranslatable book in the 1500's? (if this was in
> > fact a hoax)
> First, it's not established that it's untranslatable, even if it
> is a hoax.  However, earning money is one possible motive.  A
> recent suggestion is that its possession could give a person
> status.
... a very questionable one. I almost would say, its possession
could give you problems...
(I confess, I do not like the possibility of early hoax. I think, if
it's a hoax, then it is as late as possible, about 100 y.o. Personally,
I would like it to be "real stuff".)

> > 2. the book was sold for 600 gold ducats which is how
> > much in todays cash?
> Jacques Guy worked on this last September, and estimated that it
> would be much more than $15,000.
... you have to remember the price oc literacy 5oo years ago. If
you was able to produce such stuff, 600 ducats could come to you
more easyly

> > 3. if Emperor Rudolf II of Bohemia was scamed in
> > buying this book what was he told it did or could do
> > for him?

if we falsify anything of strange, we could easily find some papers,
which tell - our Rudi could be the former owner of this. He just
was interested about anything.

> Marci said in his cover letter to Kircher that he'd been told Rudolf II
> believed the author to be Roger Bacon.  If this had been the case,

We have to remember, Bacon was an ideal connection especially for
Voynich's market. Also, he surely was a popular person in Rudolf's
time - i.a. as possible author for strange papers.

> > 5. using handwritting analysis (my psychology prof
> > would get upset at me suggesting this) what can this
> > tell us about the writer?
> 
In my mind, I have also built up this picture peu-a-peu ... a person,
who (just for fun) makes "boolochka" (bun, small loaf of white bread)
from a name "Boole",  such a person could fit this picture. So, do we
have any hand-written letters of Sergei "Stepniak" Kravchinsky?

> Jim Reeds had Sergio Toresella, an expert on manuscript herbals,
> investigate it -- his conclusion was that it was written in a
> humanist hand used only in Italy and only in about 1450-1500.
> 
Well, I am serious about mighty Genovan colonies in Krim (today, these are in
ruis, of course). Btw, it could be an interesting theme for researchers -
southeastern Europe (i.a. late Golden Horde) as a component of Italian
Renessaince

> > 6. had the book been carbon dated yet?
> Not to my knowledge.  It's my understanding that its potential periods
> are in a bad spot for accurate carbon dating.

if it's a later hoax, the folios have probably different ages. Some with
Latin fonts could be quite old (IMHO, from the viewpoint of font, the
"michiton oladabas" etc could be written in XVth century Tallinn (where I am
right now) or in Hansa-office of "our boys" in Novgorod.

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