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, on the proposed reading 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 On Király and Tokai's reading, a last leaf counts 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 at the date proposed by Király and Tokai, with Rohonc in its Habsburg west.
The tongues and faiths around Rohonc, c. 1600 Seven mapped vernaculars, six confessions, three regional 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; code units mostly stand for words; right to left. ChristapostlelifecrossLord signs traced from the manuscript; glosses Király and Tokai's 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 represented here: Latin letters across the seven mapped vernaculars; 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 mapped vernaculars, six confessions and three regional scripts around one town, and a book in a script of its own.
Where the stories came from Securely locatable books used by the codex and this edition; disputed origins are left unpinned. Rome Josephus, c. 75 Roman Missal, 1570 Martyrology, 1584 Carthage Tertullian, c. 210 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 Obuda Debreceni codex, 1519 Lovold Erdy codex, 1526-27 Marosvasarhely Teleki codex, 1525-31 Wittenberg Carion, 1532 Trent Trent, 1562 London Caxton, 1483 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). Pins mark documented or commonly proposed places of composition; works without a defensible single place are not plotted.
The securely locatable books used by the codex and this edition, flowing to Rohonc.
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 proposed reading gives 1593. The book, introduction and the endnote on 223v; Király 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 passes into Austria. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rechnitz: the German name was in use centuries before 1921; the Hungarian name was made official in 1898; the town joined Austrian Burgenland in 1921.
  • 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 · Láng: a cipher, not a hoax. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonc_Codex; the book's Acknowledgment (Penn State Press, 2021).
  • 2010-11 · Tokai and Király 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 · Király and Tokai read it. Király and Tokai, Cryptologia 42:4 (2018), 285-315; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohonc_Codex.
  • 2023 · Király on its theology. DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 2: A Rohonci kodex teologiai karaktere, in Hagyomany, Identitas, Tortenelem 2022 (publ. 2023).
  • 2026 · This edition. The book's introduction; TESTS.md.
  • 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-3rd c.. The corpus appendix (Charles 1913, vol. 2); scholarship summarized by the NASSCAL e-Clavis, 'Life of Adam and Eve.'
  • The Protevangelium of James, late 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-4th c.. DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6; David Frankfurter, Elijah in Upper Egypt (1993).
  • 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. National Szechenyi Library, nyelvemlekek.oszk.hu/adatlap/debreceni_kodex; 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, 1570. The corpus appendix; DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6; Vatican Library, Missale Romanum ex decreto sacrosancti Concilii Tridentini restitutum (1570).
  • The Roman Martyrology, 1584. DATA_PROVENANCE.md section 6; Vatican, Martyrologium Romanum: the first editio typica was approved on 14 January 1584.
  • Caxton's Golden Legend, 1483. The corpus appendix.
  • The York, Chester, Towneley and N-Town plays, 15th c.. The corpus appendix; British Library collection guides for the York, Chester, Towneley and N-Town manuscripts.
  • 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.
  • The last western emperor deposed, 476. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_the_Western_Roman_Empire: 'In 476, the Germanic barbarian king Odoacer deposed the last emperor of the Western Roman Empire'.
  • The Hungarian conquest, 862-907. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_conquest_of_the_Carpathian_Basin: 'a long move-in between 862-895'; Brezalauspurc, 4 July 907.
  • Stephen, first king of Hungary, 1000 or 1001. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_I_of_Hungary: 'the first king of Hungary from 1000 or 1001 until his death in 1038'.
  • The Crusades, 1095-1291. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusades: 'between 1095 and 1291'.
  • The Mongols in Hungary, 1241-1242. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Mongol_invasion_of_Hungary.
  • The Black Death, 1346-1353. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death: 'occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353'.
  • Gutenberg's press, around 1440. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printing_press: 'invented by the German goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg around 1440'.
  • Constantinople falls, 29 May 1453. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_Constantinople: 'captured by the Ottoman Empire on 29 May 1453'.
  • Columbus crosses the Atlantic, 1492. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyages_of_Christopher_Columbus: 'Between 1492 and 1504'.
  • Luther's Ninety-five Theses, 1517. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninety-five_Theses: 'written in 1517 by Martin Luther'.
  • Mohács, 29 August 1526. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mohács: 'took place on 29 August 1526 near Mohács'.
  • Buda falls to the Ottomans, 1541. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Buda_(1541): 'leading to about 150 years of Ottoman rule in parts of Hungary'.
  • Ottoman Hungary, 1541-1699. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Hungary: 'between the occupation of Buda in 1541 and the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699'.
  • The Long Turkish War, 1593-1606. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Turkish_War: 'It was waged from 1593 to 1606'.
  • The Thirty Years' War, 1618-1648. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirty_Years'_War: 'fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648'.
  • Vienna relieved, 12 September 1683. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vienna: 'on 12 September 1683 after the city had been besieged by the Ottoman Empire for two months'.
  • Treaty of Karlowitz, 26 January 1699. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Karlowitz: 'signed in Karlowitz ... on 26 January 1699'.
  • Revolution in Hungary, 1848-1849. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_Revolution_of_1848.
  • Austria-Hungary, 1867. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austro-Hungarian_Compromise_of_1867.
  • The First World War, 1914-1918. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I: '(28 July 1914 - 11 November 1918)'.
  • Treaty of Trianon, 4 June 1920. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Trianon: 'signed in the Grand Trianon at Versailles on 4 June 1920'.
  • The Second World War, 1939-1945. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II: '(1 September 1939 - 2 September 1945)'; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungary_in_World_War_II.
  • The Hungarian Revolution, October-November 1956. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_Revolution_of_1956: 'crushed by Soviet tanks and troops on 7 November 1956'.
  • The fall of communism, 1989. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolutions_of_1989.
  • Hungary joins the EU, 1 May 2004. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_enlargement_of_the_European_Union: 'took place on 1 May 2004'; Hungary is among the ten countries listed.
  • Antiquity. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_antiquity: 'between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD'.
  • The Middle Ages. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Ages: 'lasted approximately from the 5th to late 15th centuries'.
  • The early modern period. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_modern_period: 'c. 1500 - c. 1800'.
  • The modern period. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_modern_period: began 1789 and, by one convention, ended in 1945 with the end of the Second World War.
  • Our own time. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_modern_period: contemporary history from 1945.
  • 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. Király and Tokai's dictionary, exact-gloss entries; the signs traced from the manuscript's ink (ktdeep.py).

Licence · How to cite · Sources and data · Repository · Contact