Objective(s):
The Voynich Codex is a bizarre manuscript that has defied decipherment. The symposium/workshop will review the historical, botanical, zoological, and iconographic evidence related to the Voynich Codex.

The symposium will review the bizarre Voynich Codex, discovered in 1912 in Italy by the Polish book dealer Wilfrid Voynich (1965-1930), which has eluded decipherment despite repeated attempts by world renowned cryptologists. The profusely illustrated manuscript is mostly a herbal but also contains numerous illustrations of hundreds of nude nymphs cavorting in pools connected by strange vascular systems; various magic circles consisting of astronomical images as well as a zodiac with many new world animals as signs; and various pages of text that appear to be medical prescriptions. The style of the plant illustrations is similar to the 1552 Codex Cruz-Badianus written by indigenous Indians trained in the College of Santa Cruz established for Aztec nobility. Of the 309 plants or plant parts illustrated, 59 representing 55 species (17% of the total), have been identified as indigenous to MesoAmerica. Of 16 animal species identified, 14 are indigenous and 2 are species introduced by the Spanish (cattle and sheep). One mineral crystal identified (boleite) is only found in any quality and quantity in MesoAmerica. The text written in an unknown alphabet or syllabary in an unknown language, has been partially deciphered based on labels connected to many of the plants. A map based on kabbalah imagery identified the New City of Jerusalem (Puebla de los Angeles) founded by Fray Toribio de Benavente Motolinía, one of the 12 priests who accompanied Cortes to Nueva España. The main text, however, defies decipherment and seems to be in an extinct language related to Nahuatl from central Mexico since there are many Classical Nahuatl cognates. We surmise the author of the Voynich manuscript might be one of the sons of Aztec nobility trained in colleges by the Franciscan friars and the manuscript is dated based on internal evidence to 1565.

The symposium/workshop will review the historical, botanical, zoological, and iconographic evidence related to the Voynich Codex. We believe the complete translation will demonstrate that this Aztec manuscript is one of the most valuable historic texts of the 16th century since it was not filtered through Spanish or Inquisition censors.