Theban alphabet
Encyclopedia
The Theban alphabet is a writing system
with unknown origins. It was first published in Johannes Trithemius
' Polygraphia (1518), in which it was attributed to Honorius of Thebes
. Trithemius' student Agrippa
(1486–1535) attributed it to Pietro d'Abano
(1250–1316). It is also known as the Honorian Alphabet or the Runes of Honorius after the legendary magus (Theban is not, however, a runic alphabet
), or the Witches' Alphabet due to its use in modern Wicca
and other forms of witchcraft
as one of many substitution ciphers to hide magical writings such as the contents of a Book of Shadows
from prying eyes. The Theban alphabet bears little resemblance to other alphabet
s, and has not been found in any previous publications prior to Trithemius'.
There is one-to-one correspondence between Theban and the letters in the old Latin alphabet
. The modern characters J, U and W are not represented, and in modern usage these are transliterated using the Theban characters for I, V and V V. Theban letters only exist in a single case. This suggests an origin for Theban as a cipher
calqued on Latin, along with the various alphabets described by Trithemius and Agrippa, based on either Latin
or Hebrew.
Writing system
A writing system is a symbolic system used to represent elements or statements expressible in language.-General properties:Writing systems are distinguished from other possible symbolic communication systems in that the reader must usually understand something of the associated spoken language to...
with unknown origins. It was first published in Johannes Trithemius
Johannes Trithemius
Johannes Trithemius , born Johann Heidenberg, was a German abbot, lexicographer, historian, cryptographer, polymath and occultist who had an influence on later occultism. The name by which he is more commonly known is derived from his native town of Trittenheim on the Mosel in Germany.-Life:He...
' Polygraphia (1518), in which it was attributed to Honorius of Thebes
Honorius of Thebes
Honorius of Thebes, a possibly mythical character from the Middle Ages, is said to have authored The Sworn Book of Honorius, although the first printed manuscript of this work did not appear until 1629. Considerable mystery still exists about the identity of Honorius, both Pope Honorius I and Pope...
. Trithemius' student Agrippa
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim was a German magician, occult writer, theologian, astrologer, and alchemist.-Life:Agrippa was born in Cologne in 1486...
(1486–1535) attributed it to Pietro d'Abano
Pietro d'Abano
Pietro d'Abano also known as Petrus De Apono or Aponensis was an Italian philosopher, astrologer and professor of medicine in Padua. He was born in the Italian town from which he takes his name, now Abano Terme. He gained fame by writing Conciliator Differentiarum, quæ inter Philosophos et Medicos...
(1250–1316). It is also known as the Honorian Alphabet or the Runes of Honorius after the legendary magus (Theban is not, however, a runic alphabet
Runic alphabet
The runic alphabets are a set of related alphabets using letters known as runes to write various Germanic languages before the adoption of the Latin alphabet and for specialized purposes thereafter...
), or the Witches' Alphabet due to its use in modern Wicca
Wicca
Wicca , is a modern Pagan religious movement. Developing in England in the first half of the 20th century, Wicca was popularised in the 1950s and early 1960s by a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald Gardner, who at the time called it the "witch cult" and "witchcraft," and its adherents "the Wica."...
and other forms of witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
as one of many substitution ciphers to hide magical writings such as the contents of a Book of Shadows
Book of Shadows
A Book of Shadows is a book containing religious texts and instructions for magical rituals found within the Neopagan religion of Wicca. Originating within the Gardnerian tradition of the Craft, the first Book of Shadows was created by the pioneering Wiccan Gerald Gardner sometime in the late 1940s...
from prying eyes. The Theban alphabet bears little resemblance to other alphabet
Alphabet
An alphabet is a standard set of letters—basic written symbols or graphemes—each of which represents a phoneme in a spoken language, either as it exists now or as it was in the past. There are other systems, such as logographies, in which each character represents a word, morpheme, or semantic...
s, and has not been found in any previous publications prior to Trithemius'.
There is one-to-one correspondence between Theban and the letters in the old Latin alphabet
Latin alphabet
The Latin alphabet, also called the Roman alphabet, is the most recognized alphabet used in the world today. It evolved from a western variety of the Greek alphabet called the Cumaean alphabet, which was adopted and modified by the Etruscans who ruled early Rome...
. The modern characters J, U and W are not represented, and in modern usage these are transliterated using the Theban characters for I, V and V V. Theban letters only exist in a single case. This suggests an origin for Theban as a cipher
Cipher
In cryptography, a cipher is an algorithm for performing encryption or decryption — a series of well-defined steps that can be followed as a procedure. An alternative, less common term is encipherment. In non-technical usage, a “cipher” is the same thing as a “code”; however, the concepts...
calqued on Latin, along with the various alphabets described by Trithemius and Agrippa, based on either Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
or Hebrew.
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| T | U / V / W | X | Y | Z | End of sentence |