Cod.Pal.Germ.597 Cisioianus or alchymey teuczsch

The Codex Palatinus Germanicus from the year 1426 is an excellent example of a partial cipher and from an interesting period. The used language is “bastarda”, bairisch. (reference 2)

We would now probably use the term German dialect, Bairische Dialekte.

The  codex is named Cisioianus or “alchymey teuczsch” based on the first lines originating from Ostbayern (East Bayern) in the text f2r:

Ci si o ia nus e pi er har ven di cat ot fe….

 

It preserves the alchemical activities of four Bavarians,
Niklas Jankowitz, Michael von Prapach, Michael Wülfling, and 
Friedrich.  (source: Paper, Tara Nummedal). Notice that many sources mention only three alchemical authors (three hands).

These guys clearly wanted to protect their notes on alchemy and medicines.

They use not only substitution, but also is it sometimes difficult because of the Bairische spelling.  Look for example at the words: golt, haisse / haiss(heizen), czwo (zwei), czeit (zeit), czwainczigst tag (Zwanzigster Tag).

It was not very difficult to construct the cipher alphabet with all the information at hand and quickly I’ve made a paper version:

But not everything is so simple.

This is folio 93r with the unfinished text:

Translate attempt: wir haben versucht das in dem Zeichen von die
(junkfrau) Fräulein gut …?

Note:
possibly what I deciphered as u could be an u-umlaut, but it does not matter for the text.

Sources and refs.

  1. Org digital doc:  http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/cpg597
  2. The description of the codex:  http://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/miller2014/0297/image
  3. Notes on the codex: see Wattenbach, 1886 and Prof. A. Meister’s “Die anfange der modernen…etc”
  4. Nick Pellings blog:  http://ciphermysteries.com/2009/05/15/cod-pal-germ-597s-cipher
  5. Klaus Schmeh: http://scienceblogs.de/klausis-krypto-kolumne/klaus-schmehs-list-of-encrypted-books/
  6. Paper, Tara Nummedal, alchemy and authority in the holy roman empire. Tara Nummedal is assistant professor of history at Brown University. https://universalflowuniversity.com/Books/Spiritual%20Philosophy/Alchemy/Alchemy%20and%20Authority%20in%20the%20Holy%20Roman%20Empire.pdf
  7. Blog: http://geschichte-in-kurz.blogspot.com/2016/10/die-alchymey-teuczsch-zwischen.html
  8. Bairisch Worterbuch: https://de.wikisource.org/wiki/W%C3%B6rterb%C3%BCcher#Bairisch

books:

Gerhard Eis, Alchymey teuczsch, in: ders., Medizinische Fachprosa des späten Mittelalters und der frühen Neuzeit, Amsterdam 1982, S. 307–315, zuerst erschienen in: Ostbairische Grenzmarken, Passauer Jahrbuch für Geschichte, Kunst und Volkskunde 1 (1957), S. 11–16

Rudolf, Rainer: Art. Alchymey teuczsch, in: VL2 (1978), Sp. 209.

Telle, Joachim: Art. Alchymey teuczsch, in: LexMa 1 (1980), Sp. 343.

Wattenbach, Wilhelm: Alchymey teuczsch, in: Anzeiger für Kunde der deutschen Vorzeit 16 (1869), Sp. 264-268.

Bartsch, Nr. 287; Wilhelm Wattenbach, Alchymey teuczsch, in: AnzfKdVz NF 16 (1869), Sp. 264–268

Bernhard Bischoff, Übersicht über die nichtdiplomatischen Geheimschriften des Mittelalters, in: Mitteilungen des Instituts für österreichische Geschichtsforschung 62 (1954), S. 13, Nr. 70, 71; S. 25, Nr. 70, 71

 

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