Voynich Manuscript Pictures
Note: Descriptions were taken from the eva interlinear file version 1.6e6 which can be downloaded from here .Possible plant identifications are taken from Dana Scott's extensive work on the subject.
| Folio | Description |
|---|---|
| f01v | Title: "Petersen's belladonna" Subject: herbal Colors: green,tan (Reeds) Comments: The plant looks basically normal, except for the very peculiar root. Petersen identifies the plant as "Solanum Solatrium, Belladonna" specifically the "flower". He says: "see L.Fuchs p.398". There is no "Solanum solatrium"; rather, "solatrium" is an ancient (Dioscoridean) name for some or all of these species: Atropa Belladona (deadly nightshade) Hyoscyamus niger (henbane) Solanum nigrum (black nightshade) Solanum dulcamara (bittersweet) All four plants are poisonous in varying degrees. The active principles can be absorbed by smoking or through the skin as well as by ingestion. They were used as potent psychoactive drugs, causing paralysis of involuntary muscles, dizziness, sleep, hallucinations, violent behavior, etc., and have been often associated with witchcraft. |
| f02v | Title: "Water lily" Subject: herbal Colors: green (Reeds) Comments: The plant looks quite natural and well-drawn. Presumably, the flower stem was in front of the leaf in the original drawing; but the dark overpaint covered it. The original outline of the leaf may have been obscured, too. |
| f03v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: b,green,red (Reeds) Comments: The plant looks quite strange. The telescoping root is hard to explain. The leaf shape is unusual but not impossible. The bloated flower chalices are very strange; they may have been drawn from pressed and dried specimens. |
| f04v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: brown,green,blue (Reeds) Comments: Plant appearance: very, very odd, badly drawn. It seems to have two types of leaves. The lower ones are too small, badly spaced and badly proportioned, and in unnatural positions. The upper ones look like pompoms. The root has a strange, ungainly shape (but that may be the work of the Dark Painter). The stems have uneven and unnatural thickness. This drawing is almost certainly an expanded version of plant f101r1. The Bluebell of Scotland. A very beautiful flower, Campanula rotundifolia. (D. Scott) |
| f05v | Title: "Tennis racket plant" Subject: herbal Colors: red,green,b (Reeds) Comments: The characteristics of Agrimonia eupatoria compare well to the plant drawing a f05v, except for the mysterious loop in the VMS drawing that looks somewhat like the eye of a needle. Maybe it is a purposeful illusion or change in the shape of the plant, but I doubt that it is a mistake in the drawing. Both the flowers and the leaves look very good. The root base and stem loop are a bit of a concern. Maybe this is an unidentified subspecies, but it looks pretty close to the drawing. (D. Scott). |
| f06v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: green,b (Reeds) Comments: Possibly Wooly thistle, Cirsium eriophorum? (D.Scott) |
| f07v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: red,green (Reeds) One plant, spanning from the bottom edge to 3/4 of the way to the top. Comments: Possibly a variety of Polygonum or Persicaria with its conspicuous doton the leaves. The inflorescent flower buds appear correct and there isa sheath called an ocreas in Polygonum which may be what can be seen atthe base of the plant shoot in the VMS drawing for f07v. What seemsdifficult to locate, however, are species with hairy leaves. (D. Scott) |
| f08v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: red,green,b (Reeds) Comments: One plant, spanning top to bottom, slightly offset to the left. The mark in the SE corner is almost surely the quire number, "1st" in abbreviated Latin. |
| f09v | Title: "Viola tricolor" Subject: herbal Colors: blue,green (Reeds) Comments: Petersen identifies this plant, with high confidence, as "Viola trinitalis". I coudn't find such species, but "herba trinitatis" is the herbalists' name for Viola tricolor (heartsease,wild pansy) [1,2,3]. Viola tricolor was used internally to treat epilepsy, asthma and bronchitis (whole plant), as an emetic and purgative (seeds) and as a heart tonic (flowers). Externally it was used to treat skin diseases [2]. The flowers are reported to be edible. |
| f10v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: b (Reeds) Comments: One plant, flush against the bottom edge and the right margin, reaching 2/3 of the way to the top. |
| f11r | Title: "Spiny carrots" Subject: herbal Colors: b,green (Reeds) Comments: Three plants with entwined leaves and carrot-like roots, which take up the bottom 3/4 of the page. The plants look like carrot plants, but the "carrots" are covered with spines or barbs, pointing up(!) and two of the leaves seem to be shared by two plants(!!). Possibly a variety of parsley (D.Scott). |
| f11v | Title: ??? Panels: f11v Subject: herbal Colors: blue,brown (Reeds) |
| f13v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: blue,green (Reeds) |
| f14v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: blue (Reeds) |
| f15v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: green,tan (Reeds) |
| f16r | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: red,green,tan (Reeds) Comments: One plant, spanning from bottom edge to top margin, flush against the right margin. Three paragraphs (with 2.9, 4.2, and 3.7 lines) at the top, left-justified. The first two lines of paragraph 1 are right-justified and interrupted by the plant's flower. |
| f16v,f17r | Title: ??? Panels: f16v Subject: herbal Colors: red,blue (Reeds) Comments: One plant, occupying the right half of the page, spanning from top to bottom edges. Two paragraphs (with 6.0 and 6.8 lines) at the top, left-justified and following the plant's outline on the right. There is a mark at the SE corner, not fully visible in the image. The mark at the SE corner is almost surely the quire number, "2nd" in abbreviated Latin. Title: "Roots with eyes" |
| f17v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: red,green (Reeds) Comments: Possibly 'Polygonum convolvulus' (Wild Buckwheat)? (D.Scott) |
| f18v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: red (Reeds) |
| f19v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: blue,brown (Reeds) Comments: Has two paragraphs; the second one is followed by a title. Perhaps the first one is too. |
| f20v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: blue (Reeds) |
| f21v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: red,blue (Reeds) |
| f22v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: blue,green,brown (Reeds) |
| f23v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: blue,chartreuse,brown (Reeds) |
| f24v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: blue,green,brown (Reeds) Description: There is a mark at SE corner, in thich strokes, resembling a "39". The mark at the SE corner is almost certainly the quire number, "3rd" in abbreviated latin. |
| f26v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: blue,green (Reeds) |
| f27v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: blue,red,brown (Reeds) Comments: I believe that the plant in folio f27v is a drawing of Tagetes patula,French Marigold. The marigold flower comes in many different shapes andsizes; however, there are sufficient correlations to the French Marigoldflower to warrant merit here. (D. Scott) |
| f28v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: green,tan (Reeds) Comments: I am quite confident that the VMS plant drawing (with radiant sunflower) in f28v represents Dahlia (probably D. imperialis). Thisparticular Dahlia flower shape is referred to as Semi-Cactus Dahlia. Insome locations Dahlia is referred to as Georgina. Dahlia was named afterthe Swedish Botanist Andreas Dahl (1751-1789), a student under Linnaeus.(D.Scott) |
| f29v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: green,blue (Reeds) |
| f30v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: tan (Reeds) Comments: Possibly Filipendula ulmaria? (Meadowsweet) (D.Scott) |
| f31v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: brown (Reeds) Comments: Fernleaf Yarrow (Achillea filipendulina) appears to be a very nice matchfor f31v. The flowers are clustered into a corymb inflorescence at the top of theplant. The two flowers/fruit on the left side of the drawing present apotential problem and need closer scrutiny. Though I am not yet certain,they may be enlarged (zoomed) views of flowers from the corymb. If thisproves not to be the case, then the Yarrow identification of the plantmay be invalid. (D. Scott) |
| f32v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: blue,green (Reeds) Comments: There is a thick marking at the SE corner, resembling a "4" with superscript "g". The mark at the SE corner is almost certainly the quire number ("4th") in abbreviated Latin. |
| f33v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: green,tan,blue (Reeds) |
| f33v,f34r | Title: ??? Panels: f33v Subject: herbal Colors: green,tan,blue (Reeds) Title: ??? Panels: f34r Subject: herbal Colors: green,blue,red-brown (Reeds) Comments: The flower comparison to Astrantia major (Masterwort) looks quite good here; however, the leaves may not be correct. (D. Scott) |
| f34v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: green,brown (Reeds) Comments: Possibly 'Tree of Life'? (D.Scott) |
| f35v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: green,red (Reeds) |
| f36v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: green,tan (Reeds) |
| f37v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: b,red,green (Reeds) Comments: Here are two plant species (fedtschenkoi and englerii) from the sameGenus (Kalanchoe) that appear to be good candidates for the plant inf37v. These plants are from Madagascar, not South America. Knowing whenthey were first discovered would be of interest. These botanical suggestions of courseneed further examination and analysis, but they do look like strongpossibilities. (D. Scott) |
| f38v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: b,tan,green (Reeds) |
| f39v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: green,b (Reeds) |
| f40v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: red (Reeds) Comments: There is a mark at the SE corner, resembling a "7" (uncrossed, with upturned serif on the top stroke) with a superscript "cg". The mark at the SE corner is almost surely a quire number, a digit with a Latin abbreviation. Epiphyllum oxypetalum has an exotic flower that blooms at night. Whilethis is not an exact match to the flower seen in f40v, there are enoughsimilarities to warrant further investigation into related succulents. (D. Scott) |
| f41v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: red,green,b (Reeds) |
| f42v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: tan,green (Reeds) |
| f43r | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: tan,red,blue (Reeds) |
| f43v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: b,green,tan (Reeds) |
| f44r | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: b,green,red (Reeds) |
| f44v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: red,green,tan (Reeds) |
| f45v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: b,green,tan (Reeds) |
| f46v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: green,blue,red,tan (Reeds) Comments: The younger, not yet fully blossomed, flowers of Tanacetum parthenium(also known as Chrysanthmum parthenium) and Tanacetum vulgare matchnicely to f46v. The shape of the leaves is less convincing, but perhapsnot impossible. (D.Scott) |
| f47r | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: red,green,red (Reeds) Comments: It turns out that the botanical drawing in f47r appears to be somewhateasy to identify. There seems to be very little doubt about the identityof this plant. It is most likely Alchemilla vulgaris (Rosaceae), alsoknown as Lady's mantle (after Our Lady the Virgin Mary), lion's foot,bear's foot, leontopodium, Pied-de-Lion, and Frauenmantle. (D. Scott) |
| f47v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: b,red (Reeds) Comments: Arnica montana appears to be a very good match for f47v in the VMS. Myonly concern is that the flowers in the VMS show fewer petals than thepictures that I have found. (D. Scott). |
| f48v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: blue,green,tan (Reeds) Comments: There is a marking at the SE corner, resembling a "6" with a superscript "cg". The mark at the SE corner is almost certainly the quire number,"6th" in abbreviated Latin. There seems to be a faint image to the left of the leftmost flower. It is neither an imprint from f47v nor a bleedthrough from f48v. |
| f49r | Title: "Snake roots" Subject: herbal Colors: blue,red,green,yellow (Reeds) Comments: A large plant, flush against the right and bottom edges, and reaching almost to the top margin. Tunneling through the tubers are two animals that could be snakes or earthworms: legless, with long, sinuous bodies ending with a rounded tail. Their head resembles that of a sea horse, and both have a row of dots along the back. |
| f49v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: blue,green (Reeds) Description: One plant, flush against the right edge of the page, spanning it vertically from edge to edge. The top 3/4 of the page are occupied by three paragraphs of text (with 13.0, 3.5, 8.5 lines), flush against the top and left margins. To the left of each text line there is a single symbol, 26 in total, most of them being Voynich letters. Further to the left of this column of symbols, on lines 2 thru 6 only, there are ordinary numerals "1" thru "5". |
| f50v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: blue,green (Reeds) Comments: 'Telopea speciosissima', also known as Waratah in Australia, is awonderful match for the f50v botanical drawing in the VMS. (D.Scott) |
| f51v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: blue,green,yellow (Reeds) |
| f52r | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: blue,brown,green (Reeds) |
| f52v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: green,tan (Reeds) |
| f54v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: blue,red,green (Reeds) Comments: 'Solanum dulcamara (Bittersweet Nightshade)? (D.Scott) |
| f55v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: green,blue,tan (Reeds) Comments: Veltheimia bracteata (Forest Lily) from South Africa is a very goodmatch for the botanical drawing in f55v. It is also known as Cape Lily. (D. Scott) |
| f56r | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: yellow,blue,green (Reeds) |
| f56v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: red(blotch),blue,green (Reeds) Comments: There is a mark in the SE corner, resembling a capital lambda with superscript "mj" The mark in the SE corner is almost surely the quire number, "7th": the "lambda" is a "7", and the "j" in the superscript is actualy an EVA "y" with macron, a scribal abbreviation for "-us". |
| f57v | Title: "The 4 times 17 sequence" Panels: f57v Subject: cosmological Colors: tan (Reeds) |
| f58r | Title: ??? Subject: stars Colors: yellow(stars) (Reeds) Comments: There are three stars in the left margin, with 6, 7, and 7 points, respectively. Each star is positioned just above the corresponding paragraph. The last two stars have a small circular core. |
| f58v | Title: ??? Subject: stars Comments:Text only |
| f65v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: blue,green (Reeds) Comments: One plant with many roots, branches and flowers, stretching to all four edges of the page. |
| f66r | Title: "Three-column table" Subject: unknown (text only) Comments: The text is laid out in 3 columns. For each line: The left-most column contains either a single Voynich ``word'' or is blank. The middle column contains a single single ``character'' or a ligature. The right column contains a line of what appears to be normal Voynich text. In the top right hand corner there is a number "66" in ordinary numerals. |
| f66v | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: blue,yellow,brown (Reeds) Comments: One plant occupies the bottom 2/3 of the page. There is a mark in the SE corner, resembling "8" with superscript "ug". The mark in the SE corner is almost surely the quire number, "8th" in abbreviated Latin. |
| f67r | Title: Circular diagram/sun in center Panels: f67r1 Subject: astronomical Colors: blue,red,yellow (Reeds) Comments: The page is dominated by a circular diagram, surmounted by a single paragraph of text (4 lines). In the SE corner there is a mark resembling a "9" with "ng" superscript. The central face probably represents the moon. The mark in the SE corner is almost certainly the quire number, "9th" in abbreviated Latin. |
| f68r | Title: "Sun over Moon" Panels: f68r1 Subject: astronomical Colors: yellow(most_stars),blue(some_stars) (Reeds) Comments: The two medallions presumably represent the Sun and Moon. |
| f69r | Title: ??? Subject: cosmological Colors: green-blue(pipes),yellow(stars) (Reeds) Comments: The page contains a circular diagram, under a single paragraph (unit "P") with 3.9 lines. |
| f70v,71r | Title: "Aries dark" Panels: f70v1 Subject: zodiac Colors: green(touches),yellow(touches) (Reeds) Title: "Aries light" Panels: f71r Subject: zodiac |
| f70v2 | Title: "Pisces" Subject: zodiac Colors: green,blue,red(sparingly,mouths),yellow(stars) (Reeds) |
| f71v | Title: "Taurus light" Panels: f71v Subject: zodiac Colors: red(lots),green(some) (Reeds) Comments: Three concentric rings of text, bounded by faint mechanically drawn circles. A wider gap in the outer ring at 10:30 may be the starting place. In the centre is a horned animal feeding from a manger. Below the bull is the word ``May'' in the Roman alphabet. |
| f72r1 | Title: "Taurus dark" Panels: f72r1 Subject: zodiac Colors: dark-red,green(little),yellow(stars) (Reeds) Comments: Three concentric rings of text, bounded by faint mechanically drawn circles. There is no obvious starting place. In the centre is a horned animal feeding from a manger. Below the bull is the word ``May'' in the Roman alphabet. |
| f72r2 | Title: "Gemini" Panels: f72r2 Subject: zodiac Colors: green,blue(dress_on_center) (Reeds) Comments: Three concentric rings of text, bounded by faint mechanically drawn circles. A short radial stroke at 10:30 in the inner ring may be the starting place. |
| f72r3 | Title: "Cancer" Panels: f72r3, f72r4 Subject: zodiac Colors: ??? (Reeds) Comments: The two lobsters are probably a symbol for Cancer. Cancer is July 7 to August 11 (?). Note the switch from two bands of nymphs + overflow (as in f72r2) to three bands of figures. The decorated square suggests the text rings are to be read starting at 09:00 or so. |
| f72v1 | Title: "Libra" Panels: f72v1 Subject: zodiac Colors: yellow(stars) (Reeds) Comments: The scale is the standard symbol for the sign of Libra. The stroke at 08:30, if original, suggests that the text should be read starting from there. The way f72v3 overlaps f72v2 indicates that they were drawn in that order. The drawing of the balance is very accurate in all details, in spite of the relatively crude perspective and technique. It looks as if the author was very familiar with the instrument. I suspect that the model may be more appropriate for a druggist than for a grocer. |
| f72v2 | Title: "Virgo" Panels: f72v2 Subject: zodiac Colors: ??? (Reeds) Comments: The gaps at 09:30 suggest the text should be read starting from there. The way f72v3 overlaps f72v2 indicates that they were drawn in that order. |
| f72v3 | Title: "Leo" Panels: f72v4, f72v3 Subject: zodiac Colors: ??? (Reeds) Comments: Three concentric rings of text, deimited by six faint mechanically drawn circles. The outer and inner rings have wider word gaps at 08:45. (The middle ring crosses a fold at that point). The animal at the center is probably a lion, the astrological symbol for Leo. |
| f73r | Title: "Scorpio" Panels: f73r Subject: zodiac Colors: green(center),yellow(stars),red(lips,some_mouths) (Reeds) Comments: Six faint, mostly concentric, mechanically drawn circles delimit three rings of text. There seem to be no distinguished break in the text. |
| f73v | Title: "Sagittarius" Panels: f73v Subject: zodiac Colors: ??? (Reeds) Comments: Six faint, mostly concentric, mechanically drawn circles delimit three rings of text. At 09:30 there is a wider gap in the middle ring and a radial stroke (a modern scribble on the copy?) cutting across the outer ring. |
| f74v,f75r | Title: ??? (74 is missing) Panels: f75r Subject: biological Colors: green,blue(some_pipes) (Reeds) |
| f75r | Title: ??? (color) Panels: f75r Subject: biological Colors: green,blue(some_pipes) (Reeds) |
| f75v | Title: "Ten showers" Panels: f75v Subject: biological Colors: green,blue(in_awnings,tubes) (Reeds) |
| f76r | Title: ??? Panels: f76r Subject: unknown (text only) Colors: ??? (Reeds) Comments: A bunch of paragraphs, with a column of letters along the left margin. |
| f76v | Title: ??? Panels: f76v Subject: biological Colors: blue,red(rouge_spots) (Reeds) |
| f77r | Title: ??? Panels: f77r Subject: biological Colors: blue,green,red (Reeds) |
| f78r | Title: ??? Panels: f78r Subject: biological Colors: b,red,green (Reeds) |
| f79v | Title: "Mermaid and Big Fish" Panels: f79v Subject: biological Colors: b,green (Reeds) |
| f80v | Title: ??? Panels: f80v Subject: biological Colors: blue,red(one_blotch) (Reeds) |
| f80r | Title: "Bathing queens" Panels: f80r Subject: biological Colors: blue,red,yellow (Reeds) |
| f81r | Title: ??? Panels: f81r Subject: biological Colors: green,blue(some),red (Reeds) |
| f82r | Title: ??? Panels: f82r Subject: biological Colors: blue,green,red(touch) (Reeds) Comments: The page contains two blocks of text, surrounded and separated by three figures. |
| f82v | Title: ??? Panels: f82v Subject: biological Colors: red,blue,green (Reeds) |
| f83v,f84r | Title: ??? vPanels: f83v Subject: biological Colors: red,green,blue (Reeds) Title: "Covered pool" Panels: f84r Subject: biological Colors: green,blue,red (Reeds) |
| f86v | Title: "T-O Map and Panels: f86v3 Subject: cosmological Colors: ??? (Reeds) Comments: Gathering mark 14. Text and drawing take up most of the page, right up to the edges, except for some white space left in the middle. Four tapering, densely decorated "biological" structures grow from the four corners of the page towards the center. Between these structures there are four paragraphs of normal-looking text. right next to the respective edge, to be read clockwise. In the rectangular area bounded by them, there are two more paragraphs, interrupted by part of the Northwest structure. At the very center of the page, below the two extra paragraphs, there is a mechanically drawn "T-O map"---a circle cut into three sectors by a diameter (from 09:30 to 03:30) and a perpendicular radius (at 00:30). |
| f87r | Title: ??? Panels: f87r Subject: herbal Colors: tan,green,blue (Reeds) |
| f87v | Title: ??? Panels: f87v Subject: herbal Colors: red,blue (Reeds) Comments: The plant on the right in f87v appears to be a species of Senecio. It isdifficult to determine if there is a bulb in the root system of thef87v/right drawing in the VMS. The leaves appear correct for Senecio,but Senecio leaves can be deceptive, with different shapes appearing onthe same plant. The left plant inf87v may be a species of Kleinia which is a new genus of plants splitoff from Senecio. If the two plants are indeed related, then it wouldseem to suggest that the author of the VMS was very well educated an hada keen insight into the scientific nature of plants. It is important tonote that Senecio (e.g., S. vernalis) may be highly toxic if consumed. (D. Scott) |
| f88r | Title: ??? Panels: f88r Subject: pharmaceutical Colors: red,green,brown (Reeds) Comments: 3 rows of veggies that seem to be named, with paragraphs under each... See Reeds, 14 Dec 91 |
| f93r | Title: "Sunflower" Panels: f93r Subject: herbal Colors: green,tan (Reeds) |
| f94r | Title: ??? Panels: f94r Subject: herbal Colors: green,tan (Reeds) Comments: Botrychium lunaria is a reasonable match for this plant with its trophophore lamina leaf-like opposing appendages. (D.Scott) |
| f95r | Title: ??? Subject: herbal Colors: blue,green (Reeds) Comments: This is an interesting though somewhat complicated plant to try andclassify. I suspect that this is a variety of Berberis. (D. Scott) |
| f96r | Title: ??? Panels: f96r Subject: herbal Colors: green,tan (Reeds) |
| f99r | Title: ??? Panels: f99r Subject: pharmaceutical Colors: red,tan,green (Reeds) |
| f100r | Title: ??? Panels: f100r Subject: pharmaceutical Colors: red,green,b (Reeds) |
| f101v | Title: ??? Panels: f101v2+f101v1 Subject: pharmaceutical Colors: red,b,tan,red[panel_v2],???[panel_v1] (Reeds) |
| f106r | Title: ??? Panels: f106r Subject: unknown (text only) Colors: red(stars),yellow(stars) (Reeds) |
| f116v | Title: "Last page" Panels: f116v Colors: ??? (Reeds) Comments: This page is blank except for four lines of text at the top (numbered "0" to "3") and some drawings at the top left corner. |
