HistoryExtra Podcast: History's Most Mysterious Manuscripts
Date: January 28, 2026
Host: Emily Griffet
Guest: Gary J. Shaw, journalist and author of Cryptic
Episode Overview
In this episode, Emily Griffet chats with Gary J. Shaw, whose book Cryptic explores some of history’s most perplexing manuscripts. They unravel the allure of obscure texts—ranging from lost languages to deliberate hoaxes—and examine what motivates individuals to create, conceal, or forge these enigmatic works. From medieval nuns to Renaissance pranksters, the discussion traces manuscript mysteries across centuries, illuminating both their cultural significance and the peculiar characters behind them.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Why Do Historical Mysteries Grasp Us?
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Lost Knowledge as an Obsession:
“We kind of just can't cope with the idea of losing something... history has the same sort of impact on the mind, that there's something that's out there that we really should know, but we don't know anymore. And frankly, we want to know what that is.”
—Gary J. Shaw [03:37] -
The Manuscript as a Cultural Trope:
Manuscripts symbolize hidden power in both ancient texts and modern media, feeding into our fascination with secrets and danger.
“If you see a manuscript like this in a TV show, you know, it's going to be dangerous. It's going to be full of evil magic... all the way down to TV shows today.”
—Gary J. Shaw [04:26]
2. The Performative Nature of Secrecy
- Though some manuscripts utilize ciphers and codes, Shaw emphasizes that these were often more about broadcasting knowledge than genuinely hiding it.
“It's using the idea of a mysterious manuscript, all the secrets and ciphers around all of that, to actually bring attention to itself.”
—Gary J. Shaw [05:18]
3. Case Studies in Mystery
a. Hildegard of Bingen: The Divine Unknown Language
- Medieval nun and visionary who created an unknown language and alphabet. Only a few examples remain; debates persist over whether it was for secrecy, ornamentation, or a claim to divine authority.
“She created what she called her unknown language and unknown letters... why she did this is still a mystery.”
—Gary J. Shaw [07:12]
b. Johannes Trithemius: Hiding in Spells
- Renaissance abbot who invented secret writing systems (steganography), leading to both awe and suspicion. His use of “magical” phrasing caused some to believe he conjured demons.
“People thought he was dabbling in dark magic, necromancy and all of this. And to be fair, he was on the side.”
—Gary J. Shaw [10:02]
c. John Dee and the Angelic Language
-
Elizabethan polymath sought “angelic” revelations via a scryer, resulting in complex, supposedly divine languages and alphabets.
“He starts receiving, through the scryer, the language of the angels... the language that was used to name all things at the beginning of time.”
—Gary J. Shaw [11:57] -
Dee’s skepticism sometimes shone through:
“Every time these things didn't really make a lot of sense to him, he would ask more questions... questioning the angels.”
—Gary J. Shaw [14:40]
d. Thomas Harriot: Universal Alphabet
- Mathematician aimed to create a universal script for accurate translation with Algonquin people, but his notation was later mistaken for a secret code.
“It was more of a functional thing. It wasn't produced to be mysterious, but at various points it's been interpreted that way.”
—Gary J. Shaw [18:34]
e. The Turpiana Tower Parchment: Hoax for Hope
- A fake discovery in 16th-century Granada aimed to prove early Christian presence among Arabic speakers—ultimately exposed as a hoax by anachronisms but intended to protect a persecuted community.
“It tries to look like it's first century, but it's trying too hard in a way... only someone who was involved in the hoax could have decoded and translated this.”
—Gary J. Shaw [21:56–27:19]
f. Giovanni Fontana: Playful Genius and Cipherer
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Venetian inventor blended science, spectacle, and ciphers, creating the “Book of the Instruments of War” filled with fantastic contraptions and secret writing.
“He liked to dress up his creations in creative manners... you can imagine him again in Padava, rocketing down a hill in [his] creation of his own.”
—Gary J. Shaw [27:51] -
Use of ciphers was equal parts showmanship and intentional obscurity.
“It's a bit of a game that you can play with the reader.”
—Gary J. Shaw [27:51]
g. Johannes Hecius: Cipher for Community
- Dutch-Italian doctor, embroiled in scandal, later joined a quasi-secret scientific academy and encoded travel and scientific notes as a symbol of group identity and protection.
“On the one hand does seem to be that he just didn't want people who might intercept his notebooks learning his secrets. On the other hand, it shows membership of a community.”
—Gary J. Shaw [33:22]
h. Michael Meyer: The Obsessive Alchemist
- Sought hidden alchemical knowledge in ancient myths, embedding his findings in complex manuscripts and ciphers—motivated by both secrecy and a desire to prove membership in esoteric circles.
“He was very much a big part of this explosion of alchemy at this time and trying to fit into this community.”
—Gary J. Shaw [38:18]
4. The Voynich Manuscript: The Ultimate Enigma
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Physical Description:
“It's quite small. It's about the size of a paperback, really, 240 vellum pages. The first section is dedicated to plants... then you find that's actually an unreadable script, a completely unique written script that nobody can read and is still unreadable today.”
—Gary J. Shaw [40:08] -
Possible Explanations:
Cipher, artificial language, or hoax. Shaw leans toward hoax due to historical context:
“If someone forced me to make a choice... I personally feel it would have to fall into the hoax category... it was produced to intrigue someone, maybe a rich physician... you can imagine someone picking it up, going, okay, ciphers, that's interesting... But I can't read it, but it looks familiar enough. I bet if I spend enough time on this, I'll be able to crack it.”
—Gary J. Shaw [41:54]
5. Other Favorites and Hoaxes
- Manuscripts produced as outright frauds to dupe wealthy patrons. Example:
“There is a manuscript called the Libro del Tesoro... made to look like a manuscript from much earlier time... everything about it screams 13th century... but... it actually screams 15th century, that it was made then.”
—Gary J. Shaw [46:26]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On why mysteries captivate us:
“Anything mysterious just grips you... it grabs you and makes you want to look at it deeper.”
—Gary J. Shaw [03:37] -
On the practical side of secret alphabets:
“It wasn't produced to be mysterious, but... [Harriot's script] has been considered mysterious since.”
—Emily Griffet [21:34] -
On the enduring appeal of the Voynich manuscript:
“I love the Voynich Mystery. I would love it to be, you know, some ingenious cipher from the past... but unfortunately, I think the evidence points towards this hoax idea, and I hope I'm wrong.”
—Gary J. Shaw [45:55]
Timestamps for Major Segments
- [02:47] Episode and guest introduction
- [03:25] Why are we attracted to historical mysteries?
- [06:46] Hildegard of Bingen’s secret language
- [09:42] Johannes Trithemius and coded ‘magic’
- [11:43] John Dee and the angelic language
- [14:35] What did the celestial script look like?
- [18:12] Thomas Harriot’s “universal alphabet”
- [21:56] The Turpiana Tower parchment hoax
- [27:19] Giovanni Fontana’s inventive, playful ciphers
- [33:00] Johannes Hecius and coded scientific communication
- [38:06] Michael Meyer and the secretive world of alchemy
- [39:46] The Voynich manuscript—description and theories
- [46:11] Shaw’s personal favorite manuscript mysteries
Tone & Style
The tone of the conversation is inquisitive, lively, and multi-layered—balancing scholarly curiosity with anecdotes highlighting the eccentricities and ambitions of those behind mysterious manuscripts.
Concluding Takeaway
Mystery, performance, power, and sometimes outright mischief converge in the history of cryptic manuscripts. Whether the product of intellectual ambition, community solidarity, or sheer trickery, these enigmatic texts remain portals to the minds and fears of past centuries—and continue to challenge both scholars and the public alike.