Mapping the Voynich Manuscript to music
Using a Java Media Framework MIDI application that processes the Voynich text, each character is mapped to a note on the MIDI scale in a two octave range: Note = 48 + i mod 24
Each word is played as one or more chords of these notes, using the Grand Piano instrument.
If a gallows character (“h” or “k”) appears in the word, then the notes preceding the gallows character are played as a chord, followed shortly by the notes after the gallows character, but shifted by either 1 octave (“h”) or two octaves (“k”). If the character “9” appears as the last in the word, then the delay before playing the next word is reduced.
Using this method, here is what the common Voynich word “8am” sounds like: 8am
The word “okoe”: okoe
The word “4ohc89”: 4ohc89
And the complete Folio f1r (a long pause is taken after each paragraph on the folio): Folio f1r
And Folio f3r
I tried to do the same with a folio that has repetitive features on it, but my .pdf copy of the manuscript is too low resolution to do it.
If it is coded music, then repetitive glyphs could simply be different instruments playing the same song.
But I can’t prove or disprove this one way or another. I hope you could point me in the right direction.
this thing is hard to be called “music”
Music is in the ear of the listener 🙂 But I agree, it’s not very listenable.
Did some similar work, but optimized the mapping so that harmony gets maximzed. See at http://www.voynich-music.de, sounds then much better.
Cheers, Peter
Very nice, Peter. I’d rather listen to your mappings than mine 🙂