Re: Voynich manuscript a hoax?

From: John A. Malley (102667.2235_at_compuserve.com)
Date: 12/31/03 

Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2003 00:39:29 -0800

Paul Rubin wrote:

> Nature article linked from Slashdot:
>
> http://www.nature.com/nsu/031215/031215-5.html
>
> It describes a Cryptologia article (in press) claiming that the VM may
> be a hoax produced with a 16th century encryption device called a
> Cardan Grille.
>
> Anyone know more about this?
>

A quick check of "Decrypted Secrets: Methods and Maxims of Cryptology"
by F.L. Bauer reveals Geronimo Cardano (not "Cardan") pioneered the
grille method and discussed it in a book titled "De Subtilitate" printed
in 1550 (AD or CE if readers want to get picky. :-) ) Cardano "insisted
on copying out the message three times to remove any regularities in the
size or spacing of the letters" (pg. 22 of cited book, 3rd edition) -
maybe that is a tie in to the triple letters/symbols mentioned in the
article.

Just checked the second edition of Kahn's "The Codebreakers", too- pages
143 - 145 cover Girolamo Cardano and his grille in some detail. BTW,
Cardano is also the inventor of the first (but imperfect) autokey cipher.

HTH,

JOhn A. Malley
102667.2235@compuserve.com