Wednesday, August 16, 2017

The Voynich Manuscript


Recently, I found an interesting site on the mysterious Voynich manuscript, which I have blogged on before. (Via PrWeb.) It is the theory of one scholar that the medieval manuscript, written in an unknown language or code, was the work of the surviving Cathars, who he believes had managed to escape to South America (like the Nazis). The drawings of the plants and animals certainly resemble those which can still be found in South America. Why many of the inhabitants are shown as naked white women with blond curly hair is a yet unsolved question. Also, the Cathars despised the traditional Christian cross and would never have drawn one. It is, however, a fascinating theory. The castle depicted does possibly resemble Montségur, the castle in the South of France where the Cathars made their last stand. According to the Voynich Manuscript site:
 Note those frontal defenses known as M-shaped merlons. Such merlons have been found on castles in northern Italy. I checked them out myself: only two of them predate the fall of Montségur in 1244, but at one point or another those castles were destroyed and rebuilt or construction was expanded later on. In brief, so far, I have found no proof that any Italian M-shaped merlon predates the fall of Montségur.
The Cathars lived in both southern France and northern Italy. Catharism in France came to an abrupt end in the 13th century but continued to live on in northern Italy until the early 14th century. I suspect that the Italian Cathars introduced the M-shaped merlons into Italy in remembrance of those who died at Montségur. (Read more.)
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