Description

Quire 14 contains one sheet (bifolio) of a non-standard size. It is the only sheet that has a horizontal foldout crease. Beside this it also has two vertical creases, so the bifolio is divided into 6 panels: 3 above the horizontal crease and 3 below. Each panel has approximately the same size as a normal 'page'.

The sheet has been bound into the MS at the vertical folding crease in the lower half of the sheet, leaving one panel to the left of the binding and two to the right. The part left of the binding is f85 and the part to the right is f86. Both original folio numbers are present.

When the sheet is folded out, a single, complicated drawing is visible, which covers six panels and is usually referred to as the Rosettes page. This single drawing covers the verso side of f85 and the recto side of f86, so this single-bifolio quire will be described in three parts:

• f85 recto, with two pages
• f85 verso + f86 recto, with one single drawing
• f86 verso, with four pages

The crease separating f86r3 from f86r5 has been severely damaged, but was patched during the restoration of the Voynich MS in 2009.

The gathering mark is on f86v3.

Schematic folio layout:

This comprises the left-hand one third of the outside of this single-sheet quire. It consists of two single pages. The folio nr. is on f85r1.

>>Link to 2014 scan (Beinecke digital library)

>>Link to 2004 scan (Jason Davies Voyager)

General description

This is a text-only page.
Folio nr. (85) in upper right corner.

Illustration(s)

This page has no illustrations.

Text

This page has 35 text items (loci), as follows:
35 lines of standard text in paragraphs, one of which is centred and one right-justified.

The text is in 8 paragraphs. The lines are rather wavy. The fourth paragraph ends with a right-justified line. The last paragraph ends with a centred line.

Currier language: B
RZ language: B (page) / B (bifolio)
LFD hand: 2

Browse interlinear transliteration of f85r1

Tentative identifications

Other information

>>Link to 2014 scan (Beinecke digital library), showing pages 85r2, 86v4 and 86v6 from left to right.

>>Link to 2004 scan (Jason Davies Voyager), showing pages 85r2, 86v4 and 86v6 from left to right.

General description

This is a so-called cosmological page. For general information about cosmological pages see here.

Illustration(s)

This page has a large circular design with four large plumes sticking out into each corner of the page. In the centre is a Sun surrounded by spiralling blue lines. Outside this are two dividing barriers, the outer one with six bulges.

Outside these, but still in the middle of the page, are four torso's of people, all in blue dress. The one at the top sticks his empty hand out. The one to the left holds a flower or an oar of wheat. The one on the right holds a flask. The one at the bottom leans on a cane and holds a chain.

These figures are separated by dividers that connect the inner circle with the large plumes on the outside. They divide the large area between the two circles into four segments.

Text

This page has 24 text items (loci), as follows:
22 lines of text in 'floating' paragraphs;
2 items of circular writing.

There is a long circular text on the outside ring, and a short circular text around the Sun in the centre.

In each of the four segments there is one paragraph of 'floating' text, above the head of each person. The writing is in four different directions: standard left-to-right in the top segment, top to bottom in the right segment, etc. This is similar to f86v3.

Currier language: B
RZ language: B (page) / B (bifolio)
LFD hand: 2

Browse interlinear transliteration of f85r2

Tentative identifications

The four figures have been compared to figures of the four ages of man, but this does not match particularly well.

The figure holding a flask could very well be a doctor holding a urine flask, a common illustration in medieval medical manuscripts.

Other information

Double foldout folio spanning fol.85v and 86r.

>>Link to 2014 scan (Beinecke digital library).

>>Link to 2014 scan (Jason Davies Voyager)

>>Link to 2004 scan (Jason Davies Voyager)

General description

This is a so-called cosmological page. For general information about cosmological pages see here.

Illustration(s)

This very large illustration has a large circular drawing in the centre which is surrounded by 8 slightly smaller circular drawings. All are connected with each other using what looks like pathways (between the outer 8 circles) or partial tubes and plumes (connecting the outer circles with the central one). There are four additional items, much smaller, in the four corners: a Sun top left and bottom right, a T-O map in the upper right corner and a figure with small circles and lines in the lower-left corner.

The nine circles are arranged in a 3 x 3 pattern, and each has its own design with its own elements. Some look similar to some of the other so-called cosmological diagrams in the manuscript. Notoriously, the upper right circle and some of the connecting pathways, have drawings of small buildings, including a castle with ghibelline crenellations, for which see also here.

Text

This page has 160 text items (loci), as follows:
11 lines of text in 'floating' paragraphs;
12 items of circular writing;
137 stand-alone words (labels).

Each of the nine large circles has circular writing on its outer perimeter. Their starting points are usually indicated. One circle has two such starting points. The small circle in the lower left corner has two short pieces of circular writing, one above and one below, and the latter is the only case in the MS where this writing is anti-clockwise. The last circular writing is inside the top right larger circle. This is not exactly circular, but follows a spiral.

The floating text and labels are scattered all over the page.

The general direction of writing goes through a full circle. It is left-to-right on the left hand part of the page, gradually turning to top-down near the top of the page, right-to-left on the right hand side and bottom-to-top in the lower half.

This would suggest that the writing was added by someone writing with his right hand, and having the page to his right.

Currier language: B
RZ language: B- (page) / B (bifolio)
LFD hand: 4

Browse interlinear transliteration of f85v and f86r.
(Note: in accordance with the interlinear transliteration file, the transcribed text is referred to page f85v2.)

Tentative identifications

Many people have, independently from each other, suggested that this page represents a map.

The castle in the upper-right circle and a few other structures clearly have ghibelline / swallow-tail crenellations, an architectural style associated with Northern Italy at the time of the MS creation.

Brumbaugh considered that the small circle in the lower left corner represents a clock, but this is not followed by anyone as far as I am aware. Some connection with f67v2 seems not unlikely.

Other information

This comprises the right-hand two thirds of the outside of this single-sheet quire. It consists of four single pages.

>>Link to 2014 scan (Beinecke digital library), showing pages 85r2, 86v4 and 86v6 from left to right.

>>Link to 2004 scan (Jason Davies Voyager), showing pages 85r2, 86v4 and 86v6 from left to right.

General description

This is a so-called cosmological page. For general information about cosmological pages see here.

Illustration(s)

The centre of this page has a moon with a face. Outside this is a wider ring made up of 'bubbles' and small 'pods'. A small number of these pods have been painted blue. Hidden between these are four heads of persons holding items, in a style similar to the adjacent f85r2. They are not holding the same items.

Text

This page has 9 text items (loci), as follows:
5 lines of standard text in paragraphs, of which one is centred;
4 items of circular writing.

The four lines of circular writing are all outside the drawn ring of bubbles and pods.

The normal text is below the figure, in a single paragraph, and ends with one centred line.

Currier language: B
RZ language: B (page) / B (bifolio)
LFD hand: 2

Browse interlinear transliteration of f86v4

Tentative identifications

Other information

>>Link to 2014 scan (Beinecke digital library), showing pages 85r2, 86v4 and 86v6 from left to right.

>>Link to 2004 scan (Jason Davies Voyager), showing pages 85r2, 86v4 and 86v6 from left to right.

General description

This is a text-only page.

Illustration(s)

Apart from some unidentfiable fragment in the bottom margin, this page has no illustrations.

Text

This page has 45 text items (loci), as follows:
45 lines of standard text in paragraphs.

The text is neatly written and consists of four or five paragraphs. The doubtful case is whether the last 8 lines should be considered a separate paragraph or not.

Currier language: B
RZ language: C+ (page) / B (bifolio)
LFD hand: 2

Browse interlinear transliteration of f86v6

Tentative identifications

Other information

>>Link to 2014 scan (Beinecke digital library), showing pages 86v5 and 86v3 from left to right.

>>Link to 2004 scan (Jason Davies Voyager), showing pages 86v5 and 86v3 from left to right.

General description

Text-only page.
Folio nr. (86) in upper right corner.

Illustration(s)

This page has no illustrations.

Text

This page has 39 text items (loci), as follows:
39 lines of standard text in paragraphs, of which one is right-justified.

The text is in five paragraphs. The very last line is right-justified.

Currier language: B
RZ language: C (page) / B (bifolio)
LFD hand: 2

Browse interlinear transliteration of f86v5

Tentative identifications

Other information

>>Link to 2014 scan (Beinecke digital library), showing pages 86v5 and 86v3 from left to right.

>>Link to 2004 scan (Jason Davies Voyager), showing pages 86v5 and 86v3 from left to right.

General description

Cosmological page.
Quire nr. 14 with a superscript nine (abbreviation for -us) in lower right corner.

Illustration(s)

This page has four large sprouting elements coming out of each corner. The two at the bottom are a bit larger and appear to have some elements of flowers. The two coming down from the top, and the bottom left one appear to eject seeds, while the bottom right one appears to have three oars of wheat.

The two on the left have a human figure near their top. Both appear to be waving with one hand. The two on the right have a bird. The bird near the top one is a remarkably accurate representation of a flying bird. The bird near the bottom one is less successful and seems to sit on its nest.

There is an incomplete T-O map in the centre, which almost appears not to belong there.

Text

This page has 36 text items (loci), as follows:
8 lines of standard text in paragraphs;
28 lines of text in 'floating' paragraphs.

The 'normal' paragraph text is just above the centre of the page and consists of two paragraphs.

The 'floating' text is written in or near the margins of the page, one paragraph in each of the four cases. These are written in four different directions, always aligned with the page border: left-to-right near the top, top-to-bottom near the right etc. This is similar to f85r2.

Currier language: B
RZ language: B (page) / B (bifolio)
LFD hand: 2

Browse interlinear transliteration of f86v3

Tentative identifications

Other information