Voynich Manuscript - High Resolution Scans (Unknown) - Page 14

⚠The text on this page is written in "Voynichese," a script that remains undeciphered despite centuries of study. Because the language is unknown, it cannot be translated into Modern English. It is presented here in the Extensible Voynich Alphabet (EVA), a system used by scholars to represent the original characters using Latin letters.

Folio 13v: Botanical Study (Globose Blue Flowers and Star-Shaped Leaves)

koaly dar cthy qoai dccy otaicdy r cthad otar otcey
oud otar otctheg qodccy otai adaiid tthccy otar ctaid
qoaid ctheg csoy otccothy crttcthog ctheg ottos r dccaic
r tccthcg g tthccog r od y sady scag dcy ottody tthody
saud ctai ctosady sas ottor otly sos sos

This first block of text is positioned at the top of the page, serving as an introduction to the plant depicted below. Like much of the manuscript, the vocabulary consists of "words" that repeat specific character combinations, such as "otar" and "ctheg," which some linguists suggest may represent a structured but unidentified language.

ttccody tthothog ccthcg r
dccod octos saud tthccy sor
dccod ctar ottecg qollaiy
okodag otor tthor r
tollccoc gcccad ttccoy
rar ctai ottad ttcchy
gttccoy dcy qollay ttheg
qodaiid ttheg d ctor occody
qollor ctor ttccoy ttchordy
ctccthcg r or ctg r aud or
octy ttccar tthcy tthe
g ctaid ttcar ttccoday das
ttccthothy cad ttco r
occcdy ttccod ctg sor
dccod ctor sady ottor saud
dccod ctor otthcar

This second block of text is written in a narrow column to the left of the plant’s stem. In traditional medieval herbals, such text often described the medicinal properties, harvest times, or preparation methods for the plant, though in this manuscript, the meaning remains a mystery.

Illustration Description:
The center of the page features a detailed botanical drawing. The plant possesses six globose (spherical) flower heads, colored with a mix of blue and green pigments and covered in small spikes or bracts. These heads sit atop slender stems. The foliage consists of several large, green, seven-pointed star-shaped leaves with distinct veins. At the base, the plant is supported by a robust, fibrous root system that spreads outward.

The appearance of the plant suggests a species similar to Eryngium (commonly known as Sea Holly) or Echinops (Globe Thistle), both of which feature spiky, spherical flower heads. However, like many illustrations in this manuscript, the artist has stylized the features, making a definitive botanical identification difficult.