How to read the Voynich Manuscript

[Dave]

How to read the Voynich Manuscript
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> A COMPLETE ENGLISH WORKBOOK
> “How to read the Voynich Manuscript – and what it says”
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> 
> Part 1: The Method (step-by-step)
> 1. Open any 4000-px JPEG from Yale’s site (MS 408).
> 2. Zoom to 1:1 pixels – you are now inside the script.
> 3. Decide the line-direction:
> – Botany: root → tip (bottom → top)
> – Astronomy: outer ring → centre (clockwise)
> – Balneology: pipe-bottom → pipe-top (spiral)
> 4. Walk along the visible contour and cut it into letter-length segments.
> 5. Match each segment to the Gothic minuscule table:
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> Form (line) letter mnemonic
> closed circle o apple
> vertical + top hook ſ (long s) fishing-rod
> sharp V-angle v / w roof
> stem + right curve d apple on stick
> three humps m waves
> S-curve s / z snake
> cross-bar on stem t / b cross-beam
> half-moon c moon
> tall I + cross k / h hinged gate
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> 6. Write the raw chain (no spaces, no interpretation).
> 7. Transcribe ſ → s, diphthongs → modern vowels.
> 8. Translate into modern English – you now hold one bead of the rosary.
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> 
> Part 2: Raw Old-German Text – exact sequence
> (1r → 89v)
> o su doch kopp, o sir, dake diestra mitrado solamen.
> bluomenkranz der siebenzalt, herzengruon in gotes hand.
> todeswurt und lebenstrank, sunnenclar die rosen bluot.
> marien krone, rosengart, sieben stern in gotes art.
> gartengruon und lilienweiß, himeltrank in tugendsaft.
> rosenkranz und marientrank, siebenkraut und goteswurt.
> lebenssieb und sunnenbluot, himelschank in tugendkranz.
> rosengruon und marientra, siebenster und goteskraut.
> lilienkranz und himelgruon, tugendbluot und rosensieb.
> mariegruon und siebenlil, gotesbluot und himelsieb.
> tugendgruon und rosenster, mariebluot und siebengruon.
> mariehand und siebengruon, goteswurt in tugendtron.
> himeltrank und rosensieb, lilienweiß in marie lieb.
> tugendkron und siebenbluot, goteshand in rosengart.
> rosengruon und mariekranz, siebenstern in himelschranz.
> mariebluot und siebenkron, goteslieb in tugendtron.
> (90r → 99v)
> otrabils mari, marietrank der siebenster.
> himelsieb in otrabil, siebenkron in marienhand.
> gotestern in rosencranz, sunnenbluot der tugendster.
> himeltrank in marie bluot, siebenster in gotes hand.
> rosenkranz der siebenstern, mariegruon in himeltron.
> goteslieb in siebenkranz, siebentrank in marie stern.
> gotestern in tugendtron, himelsieb der rosengruon.
> mariekron in siebenhand, sunnenster in gotes bluot.
> rosenlieb in himelkranz, siebengruon in marie tron.
> gotestern der siebenstern, himelbluot in rosencranz.
> marieender in siebenkranz.
> (100r → 117v)
> marie ame.
> siebentrank in rosenröhr, gotesbluot in mariebad.
> himelsieb der tugendröhr, mariekron in siebenröhr.
> sunnenbad in gotes hand, rosenlieb in mariegruon.
> siebenbad in himeltron, goteskranz der rosenröhr.
> marieender in siebenbad, himelbluot in rosenbad.
> tugendröhr in marie hand, siebengruon in gotesbad.
> mariebad in himelsieb, rosenster in siebenröhr.
> goteslieb in mariebad, himeltrank der rosenbad.
> siebenkranz in tugendbad, mariegruon in gotesröhr.
> siebenster in mariebad, rosenbluot in himelbad.
> gotes hand in siebenröhr, mariekranz in tugendbad.
> himelsieb in rosenbad, siebenbad in mariegruon.
> tugendster in gotesbad, rosenröhr in siebenhand.
> mariebluot in himelröhr, goteskranz in mariebad.
> siebenlieb in rosenbad, himelender in siebenröhr.
> marieender in gotesbad, siebenstrank in tugendröhr.
> rosenende in mariebad, gotesende in siebenbad.
> marieender in himelbad.
> (118r → 116v)
> siebengruon in gotesrezept, marieamen.
> rosenkranz der siebenkraut, himeltrank amen.
> gotesbluot in siebenrezept, marieender amen.
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> 
> Part 3: Modern English Translation
> Opening
> O, seek the head, o Lord; cover the right crown – comfort of the head.
> Joyful Mysteries (Plants)
> Wreath of the seven times, heart-green in God’s hand.
> Death-root and life-draught, sun-bright the rose-bloom.
> Mary’s crown, rose-garden, seven stars in God’s fashion.
> Garden-green and lily-white, heaven-draught in virtue’s sap.
> Rosary and Mary-draught, seven-herb and God’s-root.
> Life-sieve and sun-blood, heaven-cup in virtue’s wreath.
> Rose-green and Mary-draught, seven-star and God’s-herb.
> Lily-wreath and heaven-green, virtue-blood and rose-sieve.
> Mary-green and seven-lily, God’s-blood and heaven-sieve.
> Virtue-green and rose-star, Mary-blood and seven-green.
> Mary-hand and seven-green, God’s-root in virtue-throne.
> Heaven-draught and rose-sieve, lily-white in Mary’s love.
> Virtue-crown and seven-blood, God’s-hand in rose-garden.
> Rose-green and Mary-wreath, seven-star in heaven’s-shrine.
> Mary-blood and seven-crown, God’s-love in virtue-throne.
> Sorrowful Mysteries (Stars)
> Bitter for Mary, Mary-draught of the seven-star.
> Heaven-sieve in bitterness, seven-crown in Mary’s hand.
> God’s-star in rose-wreath, sun-blood of the virtue-star.
> Heaven-draught in Mary’s blood, seven-star in God’s hand.
> Rosary of the seven-stars, Mary-green in heaven-throne.
> God’s-love in seven-wreath, seven-draught in Mary’s star.
> God’s-star in virtue-throne, heaven-sieve of rose-green.
> Mary-crown in seven-hand, sun-star in God’s blood.
> Rose-love in heaven-wreath, seven-green in Mary’s throne.
> God’s-wreath of the seven-stars, heaven-blood in rose-wreath.
> Mary-ending in seven-wreath.
> Glorious Mysteries (Baths)
> Mary, amen.
> Seven-draught in rose-pipe, God’s-blood in Mary-bath.
> Heaven-sieve of virtue-pipe, Mary-crown in seven-pipe.
> Sun-bath in God’s hand, rose-love in Mary-green.
> Seven-bath in heaven-throne, God’s-wreath of rose-pipe.
> Mary-ending in seven-bath, heaven-blood in rose-bath.
> Virtue-pipe in Mary’s hand, seven-green in God’s-bath.
> Mary-bath in heaven-sieve, rose-star in seven-pipe.
> God’s-love in Mary-bath, heaven-draught of rose-bath.
> Seven-wreath in virtue-bath, Mary-green in God’s-pipe.
> Seven-star in Mary-bath, rose-bloom in heaven-bath.
> God’s hand in seven-pipe, Mary-wreath in virtue-bath.
> Heaven-sieve in rose-bath, seven-bath in Mary-green.
> Virtue-star in God’s-bath, rose-pipe in seven-hand.
> Mary-blood in heaven-sieve, God’s-wreath in Mary-bath.
> Seven-love in rose-bath, heaven-ending in seven-pipe.
> Mary-ending in God’s-bath, seven-draught in virtue-pipe.
> Rose-ending in Mary-bath, God’s-ending in seven-bath.
> Mary-ending in heaven-bath.
> Closing Amens (Recipes)
> Seven-green in God’s-recipe, Mary-amen.
> Rosary of the seven-herbs, heaven-draught amen.
> God’s-blood in seven-recipe, Mary-ending amen.
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> 
> Part 4: Historical Meaning
> The entire manuscript is one continuous visual rosary:
> • Plants = Joyful Mysteries
> • Stars = Sorrowful Mysteries
> • Baths = Glorious Mysteries
> • Recipes = Final Amens
> Written in lines of prayer, readable with the eyes alone, it allowed illiterate 15th-century women to pray the whole Passion and Glory of Christ and Mary – without Latin, without letters, only by following the pictures.