The manuscript is named after Wilfrid Voynich, the Polish bookseller who purchased it in 1912, but it’s centuries older than that. Possible former owners include Emperor Rudolf II of Bohemia. It’s been carbon dated to the 15th century. Although the text could have been written long after the book itself was created, this makes theories that it’s a recent hoax less likely. I first learned about the Voynich Manuscript from this 2004 Scientific American article (now archived). The article speculated that the manuscript may have influenced J.R.R. Tolkien’s Elvish script, but researchers now believe there’s no real evidence for this theory. Many writers are fascinated by the enduring mystery of the Voynich Manuscript and other mysterious texts. They speculated on their origins and meaning and used them as inspiration in fiction. Here are six books to check out if you’re also intrigued by the Voynich Manuscript. Of course, the manuscript has inspired many novels, short stories, movies, and video games. New nonfiction books and attempts to decipher it are published frequently. Many medievalists doubted or debunked an attempted translation from 2017. If you love cryptic codes or creatures, check out these books.
