The Rohonc Codex

Using AI to extend and test the Király and Tokai dictionary

Atlas

Where the book came out of, drawn. The kingdom in the year it counts to, the tongues and faiths around its town, where its stories were written and when, and what became of it from the paper to now. Anything marked can be tapped.

Hungary in 1593, the year the codex counts to A kingdom in three parts, and the town the book is named for in its Habsburg west. Borders approximate. HABSBURG LANDS Royal Hungary, Croatia, Austria OTTOMAN HUNGARY Buda a pashalik since 1541 TRANSYLVANIA a principality under Ottoman suzerainty VENICE Vienna the Habsburg court Pozsony seat of Royal Hungary Graz Gyor Buda Ottoman since 1541 Esztergom Eger falls 1596 Kanizsa falls 1600 Szeged Temesvar Belgrade Gyulafehervar the prince's seat Kassa Zagreb Sisak battle, June 1593 Venice the paper, 1530s ROHONC Batthyany estate the codex's home until 1838 Danube Tisza Drava Balaton Adriatic Sea 1593 The codex's last leaves count 1,560 years from the Ascension: 1593. That summer the Long Turkish War began (1593-1606). Rohonc lay about a hundred kilometres from the frontier at Kanizsa. N Habsburg Lands Ottoman Hungary Transylvania Venice Coastlines, rivers, lakes: Natural Earth (public domain). Borders and areas approximate, drawn by hand.
The kingdom in three parts in the year the codex counts to, with Rohonc in its Habsburg west.
The tongues and faiths around Rohonc, c. 1600 Seven languages, six confessions, three scripts, and one book in a script of its own. Areas indicative, not surveyed. GERMAN HUNGARIAN SLOVAK CROATIAN SLOVENE SERBIAN ROMANIAN Vienna Habsburg court Graz Zagreb Sopron Pozsony Debrecen the Calvinist centre Kolozsvar Torda four faiths received, 1568 Belgrade Brasso Saxon town Buda the pasha's seat Pecs Temesvar Varasd 1587 PRESSES WITHIN REACH Manlius's travelling press, from 1582: Varasd 1587, Monyorokerek, Nemetlovo 1592 (a dozen kilometres from Rohonc), Sarvar 1602, Keresztur, where he died c. 1604. ROHONC Adriatic Sea THE CODEX'S OWN SCRIPT Several hundred signs, mostly one sign to a word, written right to left. ChristMaryJerusalemcrossLord signs after Kiraly and Tokai's font; glosses theirs A CATHOLIC BOOK IN A PROTESTANT COUNTRY Around 1600 some 85-90% of the kingdom's people were Protestant, over half Calvinist. The codex is a Catholic reader: missal, Legend, Vulgate. Catholic Lutheran Calvinist Unitarian Orthodox Islam Scripts in use: Latin letters for all seven tongues; Cyrillic for Serbian, Romanian and Church Slavonic; Arabic letters for Ottoman Turkish; and the codex's own signs, in one book. Coastlines, rivers, lakes: Natural Earth (public domain). Borders and areas approximate, drawn by hand.
Seven languages, six confessions and three scripts around one town, and a book in a script of its own.
Where the stories came from Where the books the codex is compiled from were written, and where this edition's witnesses come from. Jerusalem Gospels, Acts, c. 70-100 Life of Adam and Eve, 1st c. Rome Josephus, c. 75 Reversio crucis, 7th-8th c. Missal, Martyrology, 1570 Antioch Protevangelium, 2nd c. Carthage Tertullian, c. 210 Alexandria Apocalypse of Elijah, 3rd c. Hippo Augustine, c. 400 Montier-en-Der Adso, c. 950 Mount Athos Barlaam and Ioasaph, c. 1000 Bulgaria Michael and Satanael, 11th-12th c. the Slavonic world Slavonic Enoch, MSS 14th-18th c. Genoa Golden Legend, c. 1260 the Wartburg Wartburgkrieg, 13th c. Florence Florence, 1439 Debrecen Debreceni codex, 1519 Lovold Erdy codex, 1526-27 Marosvasarhely Teleki codex, 1525-31 Wittenberg Carion, 1532 Trent Trent, 1562 London Caxton, 1483 York the play cycles, 15th c. Douai and Rheims Douay Bible, 1582-1610 Lyon Suarez, 1620 Agreda Agreda, 1670 Szeged Kalmany, 1893 Bucharest Romanian carols, 19th-20th c. Lund Borgehammar, 2009 ROHONC Mediterranean Sea Atlantic what the compiler had, written before 1593 what this edition read it against both Coastlines: Natural Earth (public domain). Where a text was written is given to the city or region the standard accounts name.
The books the codex is compiled from, where they were written, flowing to Rohonc; and where this edition's witnesses come from.
When the stories were written Sixteen centuries of texts, and the year the codex gathered them. The scale opens out after 1250, where most of them fall. SCRIPTURE, FATHERS THE LEGENDS GROW LEGENDARIES, CODICES, PRINT SCALE CHANGES AD 1 250 500 750 1000 1250 1300 1400 1500 1600 Josephus c. 75 Life of Adam and Eve 1st c. Tertullian c. 210 Augustine c. 400 Adso c. 950 Michael and Satanael 11th-12th c. Wartburgkrieg 13th c. Florence 1439 Caxton 1483 Erdy codex 1526-27 Carion 1532 Missal, Martyrology 1570 Gospels, Acts c. 70-100 Protevangelium 2nd c. Apocalypse of Elijah 3rd c. Reversio crucis 7th-8th c. Barlaam and Ioasaph c. 1000 Golden Legend c. 1260 Slavonic Enoch MSS 14th-18th c. the play cycles 15th c. Debreceni codex 1519 Teleki codex 1525-31 Trent 1562 THE CODEX 1593 Douay Bible 1582-1610 what the compiler had what this edition read it against the codex, 1593
Sixteen centuries of texts, ending at the year the codex gathered them.
The codex, from the paper to the present Five centuries above, the last sixty years below. Above each line, the book; below it, the people who tried to read it. 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 THE BOOK THE READERS The paper is made 1530s The codex counts to 1593 1593 A catalogue entry, perhaps 1743 To the Academy 1838 Rohonc becomes Rechnitz 1921 Toldy looks first c. 1840 Called a forgery 1866 Jirecek and Julg give up 1884-85 Nemati counts 792 signs 1889 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 An open transcription 2014 This edition 2026 Gyurk: right to left, and numbers 1970 Locsmandi: not gibberish 1990s Nyiri: Sumerian 1996 Enachiuc: Dacian 2002 Singh: Brahmi 2004 Lang: a cipher, not a hoax 2010-11 Tokai and Kiraly begin 2010-11 Kiraly and Tokai read it 2018 Kiraly on its theology 2023 1962-2030, ENLARGED the book itself attempts to read it the turns the story hangs on
The book above the line and the people who tried to read it below, with the last sixty years enlarged.
Where every date and place on these plates was read

Coastlines, rivers and lakes are Natural Earth, public domain. The borders of 1593 and the language areas are drawn by hand from the standard accounts and are approximate; every plate that uses them says so. Wikipedia pages were read on 23 September 2026; the book's own sources are cited to the book and to the provenance file.

  • 1530s · The paper is made. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonc_Codex: 'Study of the paper on which the codex is written shows that it is most probably a Venetian paper made in the 1530s.' Read 2026-09-23.
  • 1593 · The codex counts to 1593. The book, introduction and the endnote on 223v; Kiraly and Tokai 2018; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Turkish_War (1593-1606).
  • 1743 · A catalogue entry, perhaps. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonc_Codex and hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonci_kodex, both read 2026-09-23; both say the identification is uncertain.
  • 1838 · To the Academy. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonc_Codex (1838); hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonc: '30 000 kotetes konyvtarat 1839-ben Batthyany Gusztav a Magyar Tudomanyos Akademianak ajandekozta.'
  • c. 1840 · Toldy looks first. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonc_Codex; hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonci_kodex.
  • 1866 · Called a forgery. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonc_Codex, citing Szabo 1866.
  • 1884-85 · Jirecek and Julg give up. hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonci_kodex.
  • 1889 · Nemati counts 792 signs. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonc_Codex: 'Nemati (1889) having counted 792'.
  • 1921 · Rohonc becomes Rechnitz. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rechnitz: 'Since 1921, the village has been a part of the Austrian state of Burgenland.'
  • 1970 · Gyurk: right to left, and numbers. Otto Gyurk, 'Megfejtheto-e a Rohonci-kodex?', Elet es Tudomany 25 (1970), 1923-1928, cited in the book's Acknowledgment; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonc_Codex.
  • 1990s · Locsmandi: not gibberish. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonc_Codex.
  • 1996 · Nyiri: Sumerian. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonc_Codex.
  • 2002 · Enachiuc: Dacian. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonc_Codex.
  • 2004 · Singh: Brahmi. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonc_Codex.
  • 2010-11 · Lang: a cipher, not a hoax. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonc_Codex; the book's Acknowledgment (Penn State Press, 2021).
  • 2010-11 · Tokai and Kiraly begin. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonc_Codex.
  • 2014 · An open transcription. DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 1: revision 2.5, 2014-09-18, recovered from the Internet Archive.
  • 2018 · Kiraly and Tokai read it. Kiraly and Tokai, Cryptologia 42:4 (2018), 285-315; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonc_Codex.
  • 2023 · Kiraly on its theology. DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 2: A Rohonci kodex teologiai karaktere, in Hagyomany, Identitas, Tortenelem 2022 (publ. 2023).
  • 2026 · This edition. RESUME.md; the book's introduction.
  • The Gospels and Acts, c. 70-100. The book, introduction; the corpus appendix (Douay-Rheims, Gutenberg 8300).
  • Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, c. 75. The corpus appendix (Whiston's translation, Gutenberg 2850).
  • The Life of Adam and Eve, 1st c.. The corpus appendix (Charles 1913, vol. 2).
  • The Protevangelium of James, 2nd c.. The corpus appendix (Wake); DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6.
  • Tertullian, Adversus Praxean, c. 210. DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6.
  • The Apocalypse of Elijah, 3rd c.. DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6.
  • Augustine, Quaestiones Evangeliorum, c. 400. DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6.
  • The Reversio sanctae crucis, 7th-8th c.. Borgehammar, Millennium 6 (2009); DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6.
  • Adso, On the Antichrist, c. 950. DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6.
  • Barlaam and Ioasaph, c. 1000. The corpus appendix (Woodward and Mattingly, Gutenberg 749).
  • Michael and Satanael, 11th-12th c.. DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6.
  • The Slavonic Book of Enoch, MSS 14th-18th c.. DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6 (Hagen 2012 for the Coptic).
  • Voragine, the Golden Legend, c. 1260. The corpus appendix.
  • The Wartburgkrieg, 13th c.. DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6.
  • The Council of Florence, 1439. DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6.
  • The Debreceni codex, 1519. Lovas, 'Adam a kereszt alatt' (ELTE); DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6.
  • The Erdy codex, 1526-27. Lovas (ELTE); DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6.
  • The Teleki codex, 1525-31. Lovas (ELTE); DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6.
  • Carion's Chronicle, 1532. DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6.
  • The Council of Trent, 1562. DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6.
  • The Roman Missal and Martyrology, 1570. The corpus appendix; DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6.
  • Caxton's Golden Legend, 1483. The corpus appendix.
  • The York, Chester, Towneley and N-Town plays, 15th c.. The corpus appendix.
  • The Douay-Rheims Bible, 1582-1610. The corpus appendix (Gutenberg 8300).
  • Suarez, De Angelis, 1620. DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6.
  • Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God, 1670. DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6.
  • Kalmany's folk tellings, 1893. DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6.
  • The Romanian carols of Judas, 19th-20th c.. DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6.
  • Borgehammar's Reversio, 2009. DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6.
  • Lovas on the Hungarian codices, ELTE. DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6.
  • Habsburg Lands. The frontier of 1593 drawn by hand from the fortress lines: Kanizsa (Ottoman 1600), Gyor (Ottoman 1594-98), Komarom, Esztergom (Ottoman 1543-95), Fulek and Nograd (Ottoman to 1593), Eger (Ottoman 1596), Tokaj and Kassa (Royal). Approximate. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Turkish_War; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Hungary
  • Ottoman Hungary. Same construction; the Ottoman side of the same fortress line. Approximate.
  • Transylvania. The principality with the Partium (Bihar, Szatmar, Maramaros) as it stood before the 1594-95 alliance with the Habsburgs. Approximate. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principality_of_Transylvania_(1570%E2%80%931711)
  • Venice. Venetian Istria and Dalmatia, the coast only. Approximate.
  • The language areas. Indicative, not surveyed: the broad distribution of the vernaculars of the Kingdom of Hungary and its neighbours around 1600, drawn by hand. German also in the towns of Upper Hungary and among the Transylvanian Saxons; Croat refugee villages in the west from the 1530s (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burgenland_Croats: 'These areas were occupied by the Turks during the Turkish wars (1533-1584)'; hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonc: 1532, 'horvatokat telepitettek ide'); Romanian written in Cyrillic 1500s-1860s (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanian_Cyrillic_alphabet, Neacsu's letter 1521).
  • The confessions. Edict of Torda, 28 January 1568: Catholic, Lutheran, Calvinist and Unitarian received; the Orthodox tolerated but not received (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edict_of_Torda). The other confessional placings are the standard account: Lutheran among the Germans and the western and Saxon towns, Calvinist at Debrecen, Ottoman garrisons and mosques in the occupied towns (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestantism_in_Hungary; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Hungary).
  • The presses. hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manlius_Janos, read 2026-09-23: Laibach 1575-81; from 1582 on the western Hungarian estates; Varasd 1587; Nemetlovo 1592 (Kozarvari); Sarvar 1602 (Magyari); died c. 1604-05 at Nemetkeresztur.
  • The signs. Kiraly and Tokai's dictionary, exact-gloss entries; outlines from their font via ktsigns.py, credited on the plate.

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