A 16th-century letter has revealed new clues about the mysterious Rohonc Codex, a centuries-old manuscript whose unusual writing system puzzled scholars for generations. Dated June 28, 1571, the document offers evidence about the manuscript’s origins, its possible author, and its age. The discovery also challenges longstanding theories that the codex was a 19th-century forgery.
The findings come from research led by Benedek Láng, who examined the historical letter and four previously overlooked manuscript pages preserved in the Hungarian National Archives.
A 1571 letter sheds light on the Rohonc Codex
The Rohonc Codex contains 224 leaves and more than 80 illustrations, many depicting biblical scenes. Its unfamiliar symbols run from right to left. Like the mysterious Voynich manuscript, the Rohonc Codex attracted attention because of its unusual writing. It entered the Hungarian Academy of Sciences’ collection in 1838 through the Batthyány family library.
The new evidence emerged from a letter written by estate steward Farkas Porhócs to Hungarian nobleman Boldizsár Batthyány. Researcher Béla Hanák identified the document during archival research. Two attached sheets contain four pages written in the codex’s distinctive script.
The letter describes an unnamed scribe who feared ridicule and possible mistreatment. He agreed to meet Batthyány if the nobleman visited Torony, a settlement in western Hungary, and a preacher guaranteed his safety. Porhócs confirmed that the enclosed writing had been produced in Torony.
Newly discovered pages challenge earlier dating
Researchers found similarities in the paper, ink, and symbols of the newly discovered pages and the original codex. However, differences in page dimensions and handwriting indicate that the sheets were separate documents rather than missing sections of the manuscript. The discovery establishes that the writing system existed by 1571, challenging earlier interpretations that placed the codex’s composition in the 1590s.
Comparisons of biblical passages suggest substantial portions of the manuscript may already have been completed by then. All four newly identified passages come from the Gospel of Luke. Researchers interpreted them using methods developed by Hungarian scholars Gábor Tokai and Levente Zoltán Király. Their work adds to a history of efforts to understand unfamiliar writing systems, including the successful decipherment of the ancient Greek script Linear B.
Who created the mysterious manuscript?
The letter identifies the unnamed author as a “deák,” a term describing an educated scribe or secretary. Researchers believe he may have come from Hungary or elsewhere in Central Europe, although his identity remains unknown. The codex’s religious content closely follows Catholic teachings. Religious differences might explain the scribe’s concerns within Batthyány’s largely Protestant circle, but this remains uncertain. The findings also suggest the manuscript may have entered the Batthyány library around 1571.
An early example of an invented writing system
The discovery places the Rohonc Codex among unusually early European experiments with artificial writing systems. Its origins offer another perspective on the history and development of written languages. The evidence remained overlooked partly because archivist Béla Iványi had misidentified the attached writing as Glagolitic, an early Slavic script. Although the letter establishes that the script existed by 1571, researchers still cannot determine why it was created or whether it represents a fully developed artificial language.
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