Re: VMs: Colored paints, touch-ups, and the michiton text

[Jorge Stolfi <stolfi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

  > [stolfi:] The zodiac names, e.g. on f71r, f72r are written in a
  > different ink and thicker pen than the surrounding text. So that
  > practically closes an old open question.

  > [Dennis:] Meaning that someone else wrote them, as we'd always
  > thought?

Yes. To be precise, the central figures, the Voynichese text, and most
of the women figures in the circular diagrams seem to be all in the
same hand, pen, and ink; whereas the *month names*, and some
touch-ups, seem to be different.

  > [stolfi:] The drawings on f116v are certainly by the same hand
  > that drew the zodiac pages, and the "michiton" text seems to be in
  > the same ink, pen, and hand as the drawings. Ergo, the "michton"
  > text is very likely original.

  > [Dennis:] Perhaps I misunderstand?  I thought the zodiac labels
  > were by someone else.
  
Sorry, I meant that the drawings (lady and goat) on f116v are similar
to the *drawings* of the zodiac section (or any other section with same
themes).  

  > I would be very much surprised indeed if the VMs
  > author(s) wrote the "michiton" text!!  I never took the
  > "key" seriously, and doubt anyone here did.  I always
  > thought it was someone else's scribbling, trying to
  > understand Voynichese, and "michiton" etc. is distorted
  > Voynichese.  

Well, I never found that explanation convincing. Why would that guy
write *distorted* Roman letters? Why would he copy the "oror sheey"
undistorted? Why would he write onto f116v rather than on a piece of
scrap paper? Where did he copy the text from? Note that if the book was
already bound, while writing f116v he would not normally see any other
page, unless he unfolded a fold-out with the book closed, or had f1r
flipped over -- possible, but somewhat unlikely. Several people have
scanned the VMS looking for his presumed source text, but haven't
found it.

All the best,

--stolfi
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