“The Rohonc Codex (pronounced [ˈrohont͡s] in Hungarian) is a set of writings in an unknown writing system.” I take that description from the start of the linked Wikipedia article, which goes on to provide a thorough discussion of the history and features of the codex and attempts to translate it (pretty fruitless, since no one knows what language, if any, it’s written in). I ran across this gem of obscure mystery in Shii’s Best of Wikipedia page, where you will find many other interesting things in his Almanac of Wonders.
It’s a cookbook!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIufLRpJYnI
Nick Pelling’s Cipher Mysteries site has a recent item about the Rohonc Codex:
http://www.ciphermysteries.com/2010/08/23/benedek-langs-rohonc-article-in-cryptologia
I wonder why it isn’t as famous as the Voynich Manuscript?
I’m going to guess that it’s a work of irreverent political history.
It just screams “practical joke”.
@Laura — Nick Pelling at the above link has the same question.
This is a wonderful time for me to say that I really hate Microsoft in all its works and all its ways. Go away, Microsoft Office 2007!
[Note for future readers: a gentleman by the name of Microsoft Office 2007 was leaving identical genial-but-irrelevant comments in a number of threads, including this one.]