The Life-Cycle in page f79v of the

Voynich Manuscript
Joannes Richter

Fig. 1 Nymph 1 with a crucifix Fig. 2 Nymph 2 with an ankh

Fig. 3 A pregnant (?) Nymph 3 Fig. 4 The nymph 4 being swallowed by a big
fish in the green (salt ?) water

Abstract
In the Voynich manuscript one complicated drawing (on page f79v) seems to describe a standard
life-cycle for the nymphs. In the source “Voynich information browser” this sketch is titled: "The
Mermaid and Big Fish".
Under an umbrella and seated in a sweet water basin the top nymph may receive a brown crucifix
from an invisible celestial entity. A water pipe distributes the downwards flowing water as droplets
which is raining in the face of another resting nymph, who carries a sort ankh-ring. The ankh has a
cross shape but with a teardrop-shaped loop in place of a vertical upper bar.
The downward flowing water now reaches a third pregnant (?) nymph, who holds her hand in the
water. The fourth nymph is swallowed by a big fish in the green water of a large basin.
This drawing sketches the life of the nymphs, who are coming from in the raining water from the
sky, carrying the ankh-symbol of life, the signal for fertility and pregnancy. At the end of the life the
nymphs are swallowed by the big blue-fishes, who are to be doomed as the preys for the other
animals...
Overview of the life-cycle on page f79v
In the source “Voynich information browser” the sketch on page f79v is titled: "The Mermaid and
Big Fish", which may be interpreted as the life-cycle of the nymphs. The end of the nymphs' life-
cycle seem to be found in the green water. In contrast to the last stage of the fourth nymph the birth
process and the following 2 stages take place in blue waters. The colored waters of the 4 stages may
be interpreted as the blue color for fertile sweet water and the green color for the infertile bitter sea
water. This story is one of a respectable number of other sketches. The story of page f79v seems to
represent a complete story on one page.

Fig. 5 The sketch on page f79v of the “Voynich

information browser”
Interpretation of the story (described in Voynich page f79v)
In the page f79v the EVA-text may be interpreted as 7 segments, which seem to describe several
details which refer to the colors (or sweetness or bitterness) of the waters, the symbolism of the sea-
nymphs, water levels, the flowing stages and water-channels, the cross (or crucifix), the ankh-
symbol, the swallowing big fish and the animals in an around the water.
The nymphs may be symbols for the rain, which as a source for fertility in the end is lost in the sea.
The story might be compared to Edith Piaf's song “Edith Piaf - Les Trois Cloches”, in which
the life-cycle is reduced to three words: “born – married – death”. The shortest biographies
are based on three steps: "Prinz, Kuss, Schluss!" or Hemingway's shortest story “For sale:
baby shoes, never worn”. The ultimate definition is Andersen's formula in A Man
Summarizes His Life in One Sentence1, which ends as: “she laid eggs, was killed, and
cooked, and there was an end of her“2.
The core of the life-cycle in the Voynich manuscript concentrates on the role of water, which is
carried as sweet water from the sky to the earth, lands in the subterranean caverns and ends as salt
droplets in the green sea.
The dictionary to describe this life-cycle seems to concentrate on a core-word “oka” or “qoka”,
which may be interpreted as the Latin word “aqua” for “water”. The dictionary turns out to be
overloaded with “oka”- or “qoka”-words (water-words), which are precised with extensions of a
few letters, such as “qokeey“, “qokar” or “qotol”. Water-pipes are used to describe the flowing
water. The words for water-pipes, water-nozzles, bifurcations and three-forked junction may be
defines as “water”-variants with dedicated extensions.
The extensions may be defined as for instance an “a” for “salt”, “e” for “brack” and “o” for
“sweet”. This code is very compact. Also other combinations may be encoded as precised variants
of the water. The “sea-nymphs” (water-nymph) may be named “qokai” (or “qokai!n”). The water,
the sea-nymphs and water-pipes may be more complex with 2 (qokai) or 3-4 letters (qokchey or
qokeedy). Some of the following sample word-compositions are listed in the 7 segments of page
f79v.
Several words such as “sal” (salt), the “cross”, “vita” and “pisces” are needed to complete the life-
cycle, but may be restricted to the segments, in which the description of these words is localized.
• “Aqua” (Latin: “water”) may be intrepreted in various words such as “qokeey“, “qokar” or
“qotol”. Diversous names for waters may represent sweet water, brack or salt water. The
first letter “a” of the Latin word “aqua” may have been skipped.
• The Latin word “sea-nymphs”, which may be related to “aqua”-maid or “ “qokai” (or
“qokai!n”).”.
• The Latin word “sal” (salt) may be found as “sol” in the first segment:
• The cross may be mentioned in the first segment.
• The “vita” (life) may be mentioned in the third segment.
• The “pisces” may be found in the seventh segment.

1 THE PORTUGUESE DUCK: A duck once arrived from Portugal, but there were some who said she came from
Spain, which is almost the same thing. At all events, she was called the “Portuguese,” and she laid eggs, was killed,
and cooked, and there was an end of her. → A Man Summarizes His Life in One Sentence, (Im Entenhof,
Andersen, 247)
2 The Portuguese Duck - Hans Christian Andersen
Segment 1 – the nymph with the crux
Only the first and the last segment may be dedicated to an introduction, respectively a summary.
<f79v.P.1;H> p!!!oldShedy.olkory.qotolol.otaldy.otedol.or.olorol-
<f79v.P.2;H> qoteedy.qokchey.qoty.lShey.qokai!n.!!!!!!!Shey.qor!chedy-
<f79v.P.3;H> dol.Sheol.okchy.qokai!n.cseedy.qokShedy.qoke!dy.otaram-
<f79v.P.4;H> qokeedy.qokeedy.qotai!n.sol.chedy.r!chey.qoky.lchedy-
<f79v.P.5;H> qolkeedy.qokedy.qotol.saiin.ory.qokedy.oteedy.lcheam-
<f79v.P.6;H> ychecKhey.r.ai!n.chedy.qokai!n.chedy.olShedy.dar.y!tam-
<f79v.P.7;H> qokShey.qokeedy.qol.kedy.qokeedy.qokai!n.s!ol!chedy-
<f79v.P.8;H> ychedy.qotey.okedy.tedyol.Sheedy.qokeey.qoteedy.lol-
<f79v.P.9;H> sor.ol.Sheey.qokeedy.qokechey.qol=

Segment 2

<f79v.P.10;H> p!!!chedy.lShecKhedy.qokeey.qokaiin.olky.opchedy.pchedy-
<f79v.P.11;H> olcheey.lchedy.qol!keedy.qokai!n.chcKhy.otar.ol.kam=

Segment 3
<f79v.P.12;H> p!!!Shdy.ofchdy.qokedy.qoteedy.qokedy.qol!tedy.qotedy.oky-
<f79v.P.13;H> dain.ar.olShey.dytai!n.qokai!n.checThy.okeedy.qokeedy.ror-
<f79v.P.14;H> qokeey.qokedy.okeey.qokol.Sheedy.qokeedy.r!ol.chey.qokeedy-
<f79v.P.15;H> yteedy.qokeedy.qokai!n.olkeey.cheokain.dy.teey.qokai!n-
<f79v.P.16;H> dol.Sheey.qol.olkShey.qokeedy.olkeedy.qol.okaiin.oly-
<f79v.P.17;H> qol.Sheey.chol.ol.dar.qokaiin.cheekey.qoky.otai!n.oram-
<f79v.P.18;H> qokai!n.Sheey.qokeey.teey.oteey.lSheey.qokeey.olkeedy.r!chey-
<f79v.P.19;H> ykail.Shy.qol!ar.Shey.qokedy.qokedy.qokedy.dar.olkai!n.cham-
<f79v.P.20;H> dchedy.lchey.qety.Shedy.okai!n.ykees.olkey.oty.Shey.qoly-
<f79v.P.21;H> d!Shey.qokal.Sheedy.Sheky.or!ai!n.otShdy.dain.cTher.ar!or-
<f79v.P.22;H> tShey.ykeey.r!a*kai!n.oroiiin=

Segment 4
<f79v.P.23;H> tolkey.okar.ol.okaiin.okylor.qokol.okeedy.dalary-
<f79v.P.24;H> y!cheear.o.oiin.oeedy.qotai!n.chedy.qokeey.oteey.qokchy.lol-
<f79v.P.25;H> qokeey.ol.olShdy.qotai!n.oteedy.olkai!n.otShey.sai!n.ol-
<f79v.P.26;H> ykeedy.okaiin.dykaiin.otedy.dkeey.tar.ol.otol.oiiiny-
<f79v.P.27;H> od!chey.kar.okai!n.opar.otai!n.olkey=

Segment 5
<f79v.P.28;H> p!!!chey.kSheol.qokain.ofchedy.otalShdy.olkair.otaiin.okeedy-
<f79v.P.29;H> dai!n.Shey.keedy.lko.opchedy.qotedy.otey.tal.dain.otchy.oty-
<f79v.P.30;H> qokai!n.Sheeky.okar.okey.qokey.tedy.skai!n.oteedy.qoky-
<f79v.P.31;H> yShees.aiin.o.ykeedy.qokeedy.qokar.oteedy.r!ol.tai!n-
<f79v.P.32;H> olkeey.ol.or.ocheey.ol.ol.o.keeedy.checKhy.ar!or=

Segment 6
<f79v.P.33;H> p!!!or.ar.or.yteey.teey.otar.oShey.qoky.chey.okeey.ldy.orol-
<f79v.P.34;H> ykeeey.qokeey.lShey.qoky.tchedy.or!Sheedy.otai!n.Sheor.oly-
<f79v.P.35;H> qor.cheey.kai!n.chl.ol.otol.dai!n.otai!n.ol.oteedy.qokan-
<f79v.P.36;H> y!Sheey.ol.Shey.oltShsey.SheepShey=
Segment 7 – the nymph swallowed by the big fish
The swallowing of the nymph may be interpreted with the legend of the mermaid.
<f79v.P.37;H> p!!!ol.ol.Shal.kai!n.okeey.lkeey.qokal.otchsdy.okechdy-
<f79v.P.38;H> olkeeey.qokeey.okeedy.Shedy.qokeey.okai!n.ShecKhdy.dag-
<f79v.P.39;H> qokeedy.ykeey.Sheey.or.or.aiin.yefaiin.ch!cThhy.dor.yty-
<f79v.P.40;H> qokees.aiin.okain.ol.oiin.qokoi!n.Sheky.qokeedy.qokar.ol-
<f79v.P.41;H> yShedy.qokeey.okai!n.ol!keey.daldy.chedy.r!aiin.or!ai!n-
<f79v.P.42;H> okchedy.qokai!n.Sheky.chedy.ol!aiin.y!daral=
The derivation of the story's contents from the drawing
The sketch of page f79v allows us to describe the story in the same 7-segmented structure. The
vocabulary of the text in f79v may be based on a vocabulary which in this page seems to be
founded on a singular “water”, which is used as a fundamental root to form a great number of
derived dedicated “water-words”. These words may have been defined in a dictionary, which may
have been validated only and restricted for this manuscript.

Segment 1 – Introduction of the yearly raining episodes

Each year, in the rain-showers of the month April, the water-nymph-mother conceives the crucifix
from the sky-god and enters the waterway downwards to the earth. This process repeats every year
by the water-supply which starts the fertility in the spring and ends the life-cycle in the wintertime.
The fertile rain seems to be restricted to the water-months April and May, in which the nymphs are
carrying and distributing the water-flows to the water-caves and water-pipes, from where it may
distributed to the plants and the trees. The nymphs are initiated to distribute the waters by a wooden
cross, which is handed out by the sky-god.

Fig. 3 Nymph 1 with a crucifix

Segment 2 and 3 – Conception

Resting the basin and holding the ankh-symbol of the life-cycle the water-nymph receives the
raindrops from the sky, which prepare the nymphs for the fertility of the waters.

Fig. 4 Nymph 2 with an ankh

Segment 4 and 5 – Pregnancy
As a pregnant mother the water-nymph is bearing the water in the subterranean water-pipes and
water-caves.

Fig. 3 A pregnant (?) Nymph 3

Segment 6 and 7 – The death in the swallowing mouth of the blue-fish

At the end of her life-cycle the water-nymph enters the salted sea-water, where she is swallowed by
a big blue-fish, who is chased by animals at the shores of the sea.

Fig. 4 The nymph 4 being swallowed by a big

blue-fish in the green (salt ?) water
The overview of the Biological section (nymphs' stories)
The life-cycle of the nymphs at page f79v is located near the center of the Biological section with
the “nymphs' stories”.
The page f75v illustrates a shower with 50% blue and 50% yellow water for ladies in the green
water followed by a bath with blue water. The yellow water may be mixed with the blue water,
which may result in a mixture of green water3.
There are 3 sketches with yellow water.
Voynich Page Title according to the My own description
“Voynich information
browser”
f75r A green descend to the green water in the subterranean
area.
f75v "Ten showers" A shower with 50% blue and 50% yellow water for
ladies in the green water and a bath in blue water.
f76r Text without drawings
f76v 4 or 5 sketches with blue water
f77r 2 sketches with blue and yellow water
f77v "Kidneys and bladder" 5 sketches with blue and green water
f78r A circuits with blue water flowing downwards to 2
basins with green water
f78v A basin with green water (with blue windows)
f79r A circuit with blue water flowing downwards to 1 basin
with green water
f79v "Mermaid and Big Fish" A circuit with blue water flowing downwards to 1 basin
with green water (with a “cross” and a “swallowing
fish”). This is the life-cycle.
f80r "Bathing queens" A circuit with nymphs in basins with blue water
f80v Sketches and circuits with blue and green water.
In this drawing a nymph carries a (red) ankh-symbol.
f81r Circuit with 2 large basins with green water
f81v Circuit with 1 large basins with green water
f82r Circuits with blue and green water
f82v Circuits with basins, rainbows and blue and green water
f83r Circuits with basins, rainbows and blue and yellow
water
f83v Circuits with 2 large bulbs and blue and green water
f84r "Covered pool" Circuit with 3 large basins with blue and green water
f84v Circuit with 2 large basins with blue water
Table 1 Overview of the Biological section (nymphs' stories)

3 Voynich (1): The Roots of the Voynich-Manuscript

Summary
In the Voynich manuscript one complicated drawing (on page f79v) seems to describe a standard
life-cycle for the nymphs. In the source “Voynich information browser” this sketch is titled: "The
Mermaid and Big Fish".
Under an umbrella and seated in a sweet water basin the top nymph may receive a brown crucifix
from an invisible celestial entity. A water pipe distributes the downwards flowing water as droplets
which is raining in the face of another resting nymph, who carries a sort ankh-ring. The ankh has a
cross shape but with a teardrop-shaped loop in place of a vertical upper bar.
The downward flowing water now reaches a third pregnant (?) nymph, who holds her hand in the
water. The fourth nymph is swallowed by a big fish in the green water of a large basin.
This drawing sketches the life of the nymphs, who are coming from in the raining water from the
sky, carrying the ankh-symbol of life, the signal for fertility and pregnancy. At the end of the life the
nymphs are swallowed by the big fishes, who are to be doomed as the preys for the other animals...
The core of the life-cycle in the Voynich manuscript concentrates on the role of water, which is
carried as sweet water from the sky to the earth, lands in the subterranean caverns and ends as salt
droplets in the green sea.
The dictionary to describe this life-cycle seems to concentrate on a core-word “oka” or “qoka”,
which may be interpreted as the Latin word “aqua” for “water”. The dictionary turns out to be
overloaded with “oka”- or “qoka”-words (water-words), which are precised with extensions of a
few letters, such as “qokeey“, “qokar” or “qotol”. Water-pipes are used to describe the flowing
water. The words for water-pipes, water-nozzles, bifurcations and three-forked junction may be
defines as “water”-variants with dedicated extensions.
The extensions may be defined as for instance an “a” for “salt”, “e” for “brack” and “o” for
“sweet”. This code is very compact. Also other combinations may be encoded as precised variants
of the water. The “sea-nymphs” (water-nymph) may be named “qokai” (or “qokai!n”). The water,
the sea-nymphs and water-pipes may be more complex with 2 (qokai) or 3-4 letters (qokchey or
qokeedy). Some of the following sample word-compositions are listed in the 7 segments of page
f79v.
The sketch of page f79v allows us to describe the story in the same 7-segmented structure. The
vocabulary of the text in f79v may be based on a vocabulary which in this page seems to be
founded on a singular “water”, which is used as a fundamental root to form a great number of
derived dedicated “water-words”. These words may have been defined in a dictionary, which may
have been validated only and restricted for this manuscript.
Contents
Abstract.................................................................................................................................................1
Overview of the life-cycle on page f79v..............................................................................................2
Interpretation of the story (described in Voynich page f79v)...............................................................3
Segment 1 – the nymph with the crux.............................................................................................4
Segment 2........................................................................................................................................4
Segment 3........................................................................................................................................4
Segment 4........................................................................................................................................4
Segment 5........................................................................................................................................4
Segment 6........................................................................................................................................4
Segment 7 – the nymph swallowed by the big fish.........................................................................5
The derivation of the story's contents from the drawing......................................................................6
Segment 1 – Introduction of the yearly raining episodes................................................................6
Segment 2 and 3 – Conception .......................................................................................................6
Segment 4 and 5 – Pregnancy..........................................................................................................7
Segment 6 and 7 – The death in the swallowing mouth of the blue-fish.........................................7
The overview of the Biological section (nymphs' stories)...................................................................8
Summary...............................................................................................................................................9