In my previous post I explained why my research into the Voynich language inevitably leads to the possibility it is musical in nature.
But it is certainly not my intention to try to render it into music.
Instead, I can suggest a piece of music that – by my account – resembles the manuscript text in certain thematic respects.
My hypothesis is that the text is generated from two keywords or verbum potentiae: QOKEEDY and CHOLDAIIN. There are two interwoven streams of text.
One of them – from QOKEEDY – is constant and regular. It is like the cantus firmus in medieval sung counterpoint. The other – from CHOLDAIIN – weaves around this base line.
I am reminded of a piece of music by the modern Romanian composer Gheorghe Zamfir - ''Doina Sus Pe Culmea Dealului”. You can hear it at this link.
Briefly, the composer takes two cognate instruments – the organ and the panpipe. The organ is a very big panpipe and the panpipe is a very small organ. The music arises out of the interplay of the two instruments.
The Voynich text – if it were music – would be something like that, I wager.
But it is not music. Rather, it is musical. It is not, in any case, instrumental music, but is, rather, vocal – it is song.
That, at least, must be considered a strong possibility, following from the line of research I have pursued in these pages. I have pursued the language of the nymphs, but the language of the nymphs is likely to be song.
Nevertheless, I recommend this piece of instrumental music by Gheorghe Zamfir. When I think of the structures and behavior of the Voynich text, and try to imagine them in musical form, this piece of music by Zamfir, more than any other, comes to mind as being evocative in the right way.
My hypothesis is that the text is generated from two keywords or verbum potentiae: QOKEEDY and CHOLDAIIN. There are two interwoven streams of text.
One of them – from QOKEEDY – is constant and regular. It is like the cantus firmus in medieval sung counterpoint. The other – from CHOLDAIIN – weaves around this base line.
I am reminded of a piece of music by the modern Romanian composer Gheorghe Zamfir - ''Doina Sus Pe Culmea Dealului”. You can hear it at this link.
Briefly, the composer takes two cognate instruments – the organ and the panpipe. The organ is a very big panpipe and the panpipe is a very small organ. The music arises out of the interplay of the two instruments.
The Voynich text – if it were music – would be something like that, I wager.
But it is not music. Rather, it is musical. It is not, in any case, instrumental music, but is, rather, vocal – it is song.
That, at least, must be considered a strong possibility, following from the line of research I have pursued in these pages. I have pursued the language of the nymphs, but the language of the nymphs is likely to be song.
Nevertheless, I recommend this piece of instrumental music by Gheorghe Zamfir. When I think of the structures and behavior of the Voynich text, and try to imagine them in musical form, this piece of music by Zamfir, more than any other, comes to mind as being evocative in the right way.
R. B.
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