Cipher Mysteries

Words reaches Cipher Mysteries ears (via the Italian Wikipedia Voynich page) of a new Italian Voynich-themed novel called ”Codex” by Roberto Salvidio. The story begins when an unknown person sends a manuscript to Mary Radclyffe’s family: from then on, she’s on the run until she can decode the Voynich Manuscript. There’s plenty of esotericism and a sprinkling of Leonardo in the mix – sounds like a bit of fun.

Naturally, I then contacted Roberto Salvidio via Facebook: he told me that he is currently looking for an English translator for “Codex”: if that sounds like something you might like to be involved in, please feel free to contact him.

Intriguingly, Roberto also mentioned that he put his own cipher challenge at the end of his book. Would you like to see it? Of course you would! So, here it is (with his permission):-

12 6 7 1 ­ 8 5 27 5 8 / 6 8 7 27 ( – 7 2 8 5 7 9 / 5 9 8 6 _ 4 33  4 3 23 7 ) 7 5 34 5 ­ 13 4 5 1 ( 7 1 7 4 5 _ 12 3 6 \ 3 15 8 9 5 4  ­ 16 ) 3 9 3 5 1 _ 8 9 4 3 1 7 5 ( 2 6 ­ 3 29 7 16 2  2 ­ 9 7 5 24 9 5 27 \ 4 7 5 8 _ 5 8 9 8 4 / 13 9 7 1 ) 4 5 6 7 8 5  12 \ 2 7 9 5 2 43 1 ­ 7 6 28 5 4 5 7 9 / 3 5 6 8 9 8 3 4 _ 3 21 3  26 3 \ 4 24 3 7 9 3 27 ( 5 9 7 13 2 8 2 7 6 _ 8 13 15 7 \ 8 5 4 ­  2 8 9 3 4 / 12 _ 4 9 3 23 ) 3 7 3 9 1 ­ 9 14 8 7 9 7 2 6 1 \ 8 16  8 6 3 1

2 7 44 9 ­ 5 7 28 5 – ( 3 8 4 4 9 _ 9 5 1 3 ) 3 26 7 9 ­ 9  9 8 13 1 5 4 \ 5 38 1 5 _ 5 89 8 4 ( 7 1 9 ­ 2 61 7 2 ) 4 9 3 6 7 _  6 89 49 8 36 8 9 5 ( 9 1 4 4 1 3 ­ 1 7 3 9 ) \ 81 ( 56 7 84 3 1 /  4 77 6 1 7 19 / 3 8 65 84 _ 76 94 9 3 2 ) 6 8 94 ­ 5 87 9  ­ 2 7 / 1 7 58 28 4 / 7 3 ­ 8 13 9 ­ 1 7 9 3 / 5 7  5 7 1 4 ( 6 2 ­ 51 7 3 ) 3 15 9 3 \ 4 91 7 2 ­ 9 8 75 8 4 / 3  3 65 8 _ 6 9 44 3 7 \ 5 4 3 15 ­ 32 6 7 9 3 / 1 5 49 8 ( 5 4 19 9 8  5 ­ 19 / 6 8 9 _ 8 5 3 44 7 ) 6 8 49 5 1 ­ 6 7 18 18 ­ 7 2 88 6 ­ 4 2 7 9 6 3 ( 9 8 5 8 4 / 4 6 1 7 9 ) 8 4 7  7 23 \ 8 7 7 1 6 – / 7 13 _ 2 45 8 7 4 \ 7 6 18 ­ 4 8 7 9 16  ­ 5 8 9 4 3 1 ( _ 5 8 5 9 3 1 _ 5 8 33 6 5 8 4 4 _ 4 9 6 7 6 32 \  7 4 24 7 8 9 ­ 23 9 16 ) 8 3 7 2 _ 7 5 8 29 8 1 3 4 _ 27 \ 13 4 5  1 ( 2 7 8 66 _ 4 9 6 7 6 3 2 )

- 2 6 7 14 9 ­ 9 16 8 5 1 7 5 4 ­ 5 18 8 7 8 9 ( 7 14 9 5  5 / 4 8 66 7 5 7 9 / 4 8 2 7 1 78 _ 4 8 7 \ 4 91 7 2 ­ 66 23 7 13 9  ) 15 3 9 _ 3 28 9 8 3 ( 4 23 6 9 7 2 ( 7 21 8 7 _ 23 24 9 3 ) 8 7 6 ­ 8 9 15 8 14 ­ 3 2 8 5 7 5 4 ) 1 8 \ 2 17 6 2 ­ 1 €“ 1 9 6 / 11 7 5 8 28 4 _ 8 5 3 4 7 2 _ 12 ( 2 4 6 7 8 9 6 2 ­ 1 7 3  19 3 / 4 9 5 8 7 12 _ 4 9 3 2 6 7 6 3 _ 5 9 8 82 1 72 9 4 ( ­ 9 8  7 5 48 ) 4 7 _ 6 3 9 8 6 5 _ 66 9 5 1 8 13 \ ( 6 5 7 6 8 3 _ 6 5 9 4 9 3 6 \ 5 16 25 ­ 4 8 7 6 9 ) 7 4 23 9 6 9 4 _ 8 27 6 _ 3 18 6 3 \ ( 12  7 8 5 8 5 9 4 _ 4 3 23 7 ) 5 7 18 66 9 14 8 ­ 9 1 7 ­ 3 7  7 6 2 7 9 / 5 6 34 43 8 9 _ 66 7 7 9 4 3 6 9 7 3 _ 5 8 4 6 3 4 6 5 ( 3 15 8 9 5 4 ( 1 7 2 18 7 _ 2 3 17 8 5 4 ) 2 3 8 6 ­ 5 8 9 8 7 \ 7 8 5 9  44 27 ) 3 2 6 7 3 9 7 ­ 4 7 26 11 ­ 6 79 / 9 8 3 4 9 8 _ 9  9 3 5 1 \ 9 8 5 4 5 13 ­ 2 ­1 ( 8 9 3 4 8 _ 3 9 24 9 23 ) 9  9 7 4 19 / 5 6 9 8 6 59 _ 13 15 9 \ 3 6 4 5 2 7 9 ­ 3 2 6 7 9  ­ 5 6 3 15 ­ 9 4 8 6 9 / 5 6 8 6 8 9 _ 5 8 11 2 47 \ 9 8 5  5 4 4 5 13 \ 12 36 _ ( 7 2 5 9 4 5 ­ 28 7 5 ) 15 _ 8 27 12 8 4 _ 9 3  6 4 27 6 \ 4 7 26 9 4 ­ 1 7 6 14 7 19 / 3 6 8 5 6 _ 4 9 5 6 8 7 12  5 8 _ 4 8 9 5 55 6 3 ( 4 13 5 4 1 \ 9 5 19 3 11 _ 7 8 6 2 7 _ 6 9 7 4 2 3 9 4 ) 7 5 34 5 ­ 4 5 13 5 4 3 \ 5 8 6 _ 3 6 8 6 7 5 ( 3 1 8 9 4 3  15 \ 3 5 3 8 1 5 ) 2 3 ­ 4 1 9 5 8 89 5 4 ( 6 3 4 9 5 _ 3 2 6 7 2  3 6 \ 14 15 3 4 \ 5 8 \ 4 7 27 14 3 9 ­ 7 1 9 4 5 8 8 2 6 ) 3 2 9  6 4 9 7 6 _ 9 8 9 4 1 7 5 / 7 25 8 7 / 41 7 5 4 _ 4 5 12 8 7 8 11 \ 21 7 2 3 9 ­ 7 5 16 9 6 2 8 4 / 6 8 7 27 _ 4 2 \ 6 7 19 3 ( 5 9 8 8 6 9 5  6 _ 6 9 3 4 9 ) 6 6 11 7 2 ­ 2 7 9 16 14 \ 5 9 3 1 5 \

\ \ 5 13 5 4 3 ( 15 9 8 4 / 3 7 5 8 8 2 3 5 4 ­ 6 7 9 3 1 6 2 \ 4  44 9 5 8 7 12 ) 4 8 6 5 7 9 5 7 6 / 12 8 3 1 9 5 _ 6 3 7 6 9 4 3 \ 6 7 4 16 2 ­ 6 9 6 7 4 5 8 4 / 8 34 8 ( 3 18 8 9 3 ­ 7 8 9 9 5 8  8 4 5 5 7 / 8 27 6 88 4 _ 7 21 8 7 4 6 8 15 \ 9 13 14 1 ­ 7 13 9 7 )  9 3 6 5 4 _ 9 3 8 8 9 4 3 / 6 4 48 / 1 7 2 8 4 7 _ 3 6 3 7 2 \ 5 1 ( 5 13 4 / ) 4 23 9 4 _ ( 4 18 7 6 1 ­ 23 4 5 8 ­ 6 7 ­ 3 €“ 3 7 5 4 35 7 )

\ 7 3 6 72 3 9 4 ­ 7 12 6 3 29 6 / 6 8 ( 55 19 8 4 18 ­ 16 16 ) 9 55 31 _ 5 7 1 3 4 5 6 ( 5 27 ­ 3 5 7 11 / 28 3 12 3 _ 3 6 ) 9  3 7 27 ­ 27 3 4 9 17 ( 3 8 _ 9 2 3 9 4 2 _ 5 8 4 8 9 98 / 5 8 7 25  ) 11 8 _ 5 5 7 2 13 4 9 8 / 4 8 7 6 9 6 / 4 9 5 6 9 21 7 6

( 7 8 6 16 7 ­ 2 7 3 88 4 5 7 ) 9 3 \ 4 9 22 13 ( 7 8 5 4 27 1 _ 7  24 23 4 8 ) 16 7 8 5 ­ 3 4 \ 3 5 7 31 8 5 _ 6 8 9 _ 9 4 37 6 _ 6 5  8 9 ( 4 5 27 9 4 7 ­ 5 8 2 6 4 9 1 ) 7 8 4 5 7 _ 7 5 8 4 1 ( 1 5 2  7 66 16 8 7 ­ 6 27 19 37 ) 3 9 4 23 27 6 _ 27 5 8 14 9 _ 69 4 3 \  9 13 14 ­ 6 7 9 7 3 26 / 3 6 _ 3 18 6 13 \ 9 8 13 15 4 ( 785 _ 4 9  5 23 15 8 6 7 ) 4 8 5 6 7 5 9 8 ­ 8 76 16 25 ( 7 11 _ 5 1 8 6 7 8  _ 6 3 6 5 6 7 _ 4 23 9 ) 3 9 3 7 19 ­ 3 15 8 8 9 3 ­ 6 4 7  7 9 7 16 \ 9 8 44 5 8 13 ( 9 5 8 7 2 _ 3 9 ) 39 1 7 3 9

- 8 7 44 2 ( 5 18 9 4 5 _ 8 5 31 ) 4 8 7 5 4 / 4 5 ( 5 8 1 ­ 3 7 9  1 ­ 33 1 8 9 ­ 27 1 7 1 ) 44 5 9 3 \ 15 14 1 9 18 9  9 ­ 6 28 7 4 3 9 / 6 3 4 6 5 _ 4 7 2 1 8 5 \ 5 8 13 4 9 ­ 15 15 ( 7 14 / 44 8 7 6 9 ) 18 5 1 _ 8 9 5 6 8 ( 3 4 15 ­ 4 3 7 5 4 ) 3  4 2 5 15 3 _ 5 8 9 8 4 8 ( 16 7 8 7 2 5 3 9 ­ 9 8 5 4 5 7 5 8 / 66  88 7 2 ( 5 8 9 4 31 ­ 6 8 4 3 9 17 ) 3 4 5 8 13 7 ) 9 8 4 5 7  ­ 27 19 6 44 9 ­ 48 7 6 19 1 / 8 4 7 2 8 21 _ 12 6 3 12 3  3 \ 3 4 2 7 9 4 ( 2 7 88 6 _ 4 5 8 67 1 23 ) 8 5 7 / 7 28 _ 7 28 5 4 21 \ 6 3 7 9 6 7 2 ­ 6 17 2 3 7 9 / 11 7 6 3 8 2 ( 9 7 1 44 5 2 4  ­ 11 77 9 7 6 ) 4 5 6 7 8 7 3 5 \ 11 3 9 8 1 ­ 7 4 9 4 6 /  / 5 9 _ 3 5 13 7 18 \ 2 7 12 ­ 3 5 1 7 3 / 6 7 2 8 6 _ 8 5 4 2 3 7 \  8 5 4 19 8 ­ 8 7 4 3 9 28 6 ­ 9 88 5 14 ( 2 7 1 _ 5 7 4 2  2 \ 9 31 8 9 ­ 3 77 9 11 ) 4 9 6 7 6 3 2 _ 3 8 3 44 3 66 ( 3 14 5 \  4 9 3 24 \ 13 2 4 3 2 7 9 ­ 19 7 3 ) 4 5 8 7 24 \ 6 2 7 12 ( 8 66  _ 8 5 9 31 \ 8 5 9 44 3 1 ­ 8 4 ) 5 8 6 7 _ 4 9 ( 5 88 9 3 11

­ 7 16 4 7 6 9 / 3 6 8 55 6 _ 9 33 2 4 9 6 77 \ 88 7 12 5 9 8 4 5  ­ 88 6 8 7 9 34 / 32 88 9 8 3 _ 6 7 2 4 9 5 18 66).

Doubtless if you do crack it, he’ll put a trickier one in the English edition. Enjoy!