For a good while now, I’ve been writing up a whistle-stop guide to the codicology of the Voynich Manuscript. I’ve tried to include the kind of colour pictures that were too expensive to put in my book, and to strip the arguments back to suit the medium of the web.
For me, the most important thing is that this deals not with possible theories (which, frankly, I’m not that interested in), but with actual evidence – solid stuff that we should be building upon, not knocking down.
Longer-term, I plan to write up some other similar guides (Voynich Palaeography, Voynich Art History, etc) to try to improve the level of debate there too: but please don’t hold your breath, these things take time.
Also: please feel free to send in comments (on-blog or off-blog), I’d be delighted to receive your suggestions for clarifying, improving and extending this.
Hi Nick, just trying a post to the blog on my last day at the Slave Pits. Read your comments about Google, interesting, I don’t have an opinion yet. Perhaps when I have time in Italy. Andy
Hello Nick,
My ‘Voynich’ time has pretty much finished – pity: never did get to set out the whole ms in its chronological strata. Or treat its extrordinary (for its time) systematic lithological notation. Ah well.
I leave now finding that, yet again, my own views have been anticipated and, as so very often, here.
So let me quote ‘what he said’:
“For me, the most important thing is that this deals not with possible theories (which, frankly, I’m not that interested in), but with actual evidence – solid stuff that we should be building upon, not knocking down.” – N.P.
In my case “this” is another blog (yes, another one) but not particularly meant for Voynicheros: more for manuscript people.
Nick, since the manuscript’s physical specs. are your specialty, it’s certain I’ll be linking here a bit, as due credit etc..
If you should ever feel inclined, a guest post sent my way would be most gladly received.
Cheers.
Nick,
Good news. On Stephen Bax’ site, Rene has just told the reading public that we can learn a lot by considering a manuscript’s codicology. He even lists some of the items which you researched and published in ‘Curse…’ though without mentioning any prior study of the Vms codicology in particular.
With this sort of publicity, the topic may take off at last.
Fingers crossed.