Diane O'Donovan
Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2020 11:31 pm
I'm Diane O'Donovan and I am firmly convinced that the Voynich manuscript should be treated as any other manuscript is treated. That is, not by creating a story about it and then hunting ways to persuade others to believe the story is true, but by looking at the materials, the binding, the style of writing, the range of pigments and so on.. and then finding where these things belong against the backdrop of all the studies done on such matters.
My own area of specialisation is comparative iconography and from that basis (among others) I find myself unable to accept the older assumptions of western Christian European origin and authorship, though I personally do not dispute date of manufacture as Rich and others do. I also accept that the style of binding most closely approximates that of Latin (western Christian) and Armenian custom during the same period: c.1404-1438.
It is my habit to begin by asking questions, not posing answers as theories, and to form an opinion after, rather than before, investigating a particular item or historical question. So you may call me a conservative, but I'm not a traditionalist in the Wilfrid-Friedman-d'Imperio line. I strongly disagree with the 'central European/German' theory - and this failure to conform has caused offence to some in the past.
My blog is voynichrevisionist.com
My own area of specialisation is comparative iconography and from that basis (among others) I find myself unable to accept the older assumptions of western Christian European origin and authorship, though I personally do not dispute date of manufacture as Rich and others do. I also accept that the style of binding most closely approximates that of Latin (western Christian) and Armenian custom during the same period: c.1404-1438.
It is my habit to begin by asking questions, not posing answers as theories, and to form an opinion after, rather than before, investigating a particular item or historical question. So you may call me a conservative, but I'm not a traditionalist in the Wilfrid-Friedman-d'Imperio line. I strongly disagree with the 'central European/German' theory - and this failure to conform has caused offence to some in the past.
My blog is voynichrevisionist.com