Episode 20: Medieval Hoax or Alien Language? The Voynich Mystery

It has baffled the world’s greatest minds for 600 years. Is it a lost language, a medieval hoax, or something darker?In Episode 20 of Unexplained History, host Tom McKenzie opens the pages of the Voynich Manuscript—a centuries-old codex written in an unknown script that has never been deciphered.From the best codebreakers of World War II (the Friedmans) to modern Artificial Intelligence, every attempt to crack this puzzle has failed. The book is filled with bizarre illustrations of non-existent plants, astrological charts, and naked figures, but its meaning remains a total mystery.Join us as we attempt to decode the enigma:

• The Discovery: The journey of the manuscript from the 15th century to the hands of rare book dealer Wilfrid Voynich.
• The Science: What carbon dating and linguistic analysis tell us about the text's strange origins.
• The Theories: We weigh the evidence for a complex fraud versus theories of alchemy, occult knowledge, or even extraterrestrial contact.

Why can't we read it? And what secrets is it protecting?Tune in for a riveting investigation into the text that refuses to be read.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unexplained-history--6429156/support.

🎧 Unexplained History explores the myths, mysteries, and misunderstood moments that shaped our world. Hosted by Tom Mackenzie and Don Masterson. New episodes every week.
Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen — and uncover the stories history tried to forget.

More at The Unexplained Company

This episode includes AI-generated content.