Six Sections. Six Mysteries.
The Voynich Manuscript is divided into distinct sections, each stranger than the last. All images are public domain — Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Yale University.
Biological
The Bathing Women
Nude female figures in interconnected pools and tubes. No theory has satisfactorily explained this section.
Astronomical
The Celestial Wheels
Circular diagrams packed with stars, symbols and text. Some may depict constellations — but which ones?
Botanical
The Unknown Plants
Over 100 plant illustrations — detailed, anatomically structured, yet matching no known species on Earth.
Cosmological
The Great Map
A large fold-out page with concentric circles, landmasses, and figures. The most structurally complex page in the manuscript.
Zodiac
The Star Women
Circular zodiac diagrams with female figures holding stars. The month names — written in a different hand — are the only readable text in the manuscript.
Pharmaceutical
The Vessels
Rows of containers, jars, and tubes alongside plant parts and text. Possibly a formulary or recipe section — but of what?