Chapter 1
The dusty trunk of Villa Mondragone
Chapter 2
Plants that do not exist
Chapter 3
The rules of Voynichese
Chapter 4
Princes, alchemists, and forgers
Chapter 5
The battle of the brains
YOUR GOAL
Master of The manuscript that refuses to be read
Ch 4 · Princes, alchemists, and forgers
007skaty Princes, Alchemists, and Forgers
He threw his gold away on a book he couldn't read, A trick by clever fakers who knew how to mislead.
007skaty A 1665 letter from Johannes Marcus Marci to Athanasius Kircher proposed Roger Bacon wrote it, but the parchment
007skaty A frustrated alchemist studies an open book filled with strange, unreadable script.
BETA
007skaty Decode the mysterious symbols to figure out the hidden message in Charles's unreadable book.
Fun Fact
Royal ransom: Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II paid 600 gold ducats for the book, which was enough to buy a grand estate.
Glossary
alchemist (noun)
A person who practices alchemy, a medieval science aimed at transmuting base metals into gold. Prague alchemist Georg Baresch was the first confirmed owner of the undeciphered medieval codex.
A person who practices alchemy, a medieval science aimed at transmuting base metals into gold. Prague alchemist Georg Baresch was the first confirmed owner of the undeciphered medieval codex.
Quiz
Which Holy Roman Emperor is believed to have purchased the Voynich Manuscript for 600 gold ducats?
Quiz
Who was the 17th-century Prague alchemist who first tried to get the Voynich Manuscript deciphered?
Quiz
Which 13th-century English friar was long rumored to be the author of the Voynich Manuscript?
Quiz
To which famous Jesuit scholar in Rome did owners send the Voynich Manuscript in the 17th century?
Quiz
Based on the style of the drawings, where do experts believe the Voynich Manuscript was created?
Quiz
What did protein testing in 2014 reveal about the pages of the Voynich Manuscript?