May 12, 2004
FIND IT AND WE WIN THE WAR:
An enigma of a different kind for Britain's WWII code breakers (Associated Press, May 12, 2004)
The experts who cracked Nazi Germany's secret codes are tackling a 10-letter enigma that has stumped fine minds for more than 250 years - D.O.U.O.S.V.A.V.V.M.Posted by Orrin Judd at May 12, 2004 4:02 PMFormer code-breakers from Britain's World War II intelligence center at Bletchley Park set out this week to decipher a cryptic inscription on an 18th-century monument at an English country estate.
Legend says it reveals the location of the Holy Grail. Some believe it is a private message to a deceased beloved. No one knows for sure.
``The inscription is obviously a classical reference. It's either Latin or Greek and based on some historical happening,'' said mathematician Oliver Lawn, 85, a Bletchley Park veteran who is leading the quest along with his linguist wife, Sheila.
The mystery is carved on a marble monument tucked away in the gardens of Shugborough House in central England, the ancestral home of photographer Lord Lichfield.
Based on a painting by French artist Nicholas Poussin, but carved in reverse, the etching depicts three shepherds pointing at an inscription on a tomb that reads ``Et in arcadia ego'' (``And I am in Arcadia, too''). Below the image is a line of letters - O.U.O.S.V.A.V.V - and beneath that on either end, the letters D and M.
Lawn, who was recruited to Bletchley Park in 1940 while studying mathematics at Cambridge University, proclaimed himself puzzled.
``The picture's a funny one,'' he said. ``Why it's a mirror image is very strange.''
Some believe the monument holds the key to finding the Holy Grail, the cup Jesus Christ drank from at the Last Supper. The Anson family, who built the Shugborough estate in the 17th century, had a long-standing interest in the Knights Templar, a secretive medieval order who claimed to be guardians of the grail.
OJ, I did some back of the envelope calculations regarding the above encrytion, and apparently, Roger Clemens (at age 41) will win 30 games this year.
Eat you heart out Boston and New York.
It reads: "Here may be found the last words of Joseph of Arimathea. He who is valiant and pure of spirit may find the Holy Grail in the Castle of Aaaaaagggh."
Posted by: Mike Morley at May 12, 2004 5:30 PM>Based on a painting by French artist Nicholas
>Poussin, but carved in reverse, the etching
>depicts three shepherds pointing at an
>inscription on a tomb that reads ``Et in arcadia
>ego'' (``And I am in Arcadia, too''). Below the
>image is a line of letters - O.U.O.S.V.A.V.V -
>and beneath that on either end, the letters D
>and M.
If I remember right, the Poussin painting figures in another cryptographic mystery -- the encrypted inscriptions at Rennes-de-Chateau (?) and the whole Priory of Zion/Merovingian Dynasty secret society tradition currently popularized in The Da Vinci Code.
Somebody went to a lot of effort (at least four different encryption methods used one after the other) to encrypt that message, which when finally decoded turned out to be a series of code phrases ("SHEPHERDESS WITHOUT TEMPTATION I MEET YOUR DAEMON GUARDIAN AT MIDNIGHT BLUE APPLES" or something similar) which seemed to point to that particular Poussin painting.
Somebody went to a lot of effort to encrypt the message and apparently hide clues in the painting. Why?
Posted by: Ken at May 12, 2004 8:10 PMThese are the eight letters: O.U.O.S.V.A.V.V
Now, the two letters underneath are D and M, with a lot of space between them. Interestingly, eight spaces to hold the eight letters between D and M.
So, perhaps:
O.U.O.S.V.A.V.V (line one)
E.F.G.H.I.J.K.L (line two)
(With D and M being placeholders, not part of the code itself). Any suggestions?
These are the eight letters: O.U.O.S.V.A.V.V
Now, the two letters underneath are D and M, with a lot of space between them. Interestingly, eight spaces to hold the eight letters between D and M.
So, perhaps:
O.U.O.S.V.A.V.V (line one)
E.F.G.H.I.J.K.L (line two)
(With D and M being placeholders, not part of the code itself). Any suggestions?
These are the eight letters: O.U.O.S.V.A.V.V
Now, the two letters underneath are D and M, with a lot of space between them. Interestingly, eight spaces to hold the eight letters between D and M.
So, perhaps:
O.U.O.S.V.A.V.V (line one)
E.F.G.H.I.J.K.L (line two)
(With D and M being placeholders, not part of the code itself). Any suggestions?
I am currently researching into the code, and so far have gotten as far as the D M. D M could be an abbreviation of a place, a name, a phrase, or a point in time, but also has to have meaning with the rest of the monument (O.U.O.S.V.A.V.V and the picture above it).
The code be in latin, english, itailan, or french, considering the myths about the Holy Grail (it is hoped the monument points in the direction of it). Even worse, it could have all of the languages mixed into it, or even a middle eastern language.
Take the 2 O's and put 'em between D & M and ya got DOOM !!!!!
We all doomed the end is nigh :(
Posted by: qUaRk at November 28, 2004 8:46 AMLOL @ above. Maybe its ID software who has done the stone for us to remember their the game doom.
Seriously, this is kewl. Since the painting is mirroried(spelling?) maybe the letters are also that? So O.U.O.S.V.A.V.V. is really V.A.V.V.S.O.U.O. Bo Abrahamsen had a intresting theory.
Posted by: Marcus at December 2, 2004 6:45 AM