A substantial update have been made in "Spanish Ciphers during the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella". My understanding of Bergenroth needed corrections in view of the original ciphertexts in the Spanish archives now available online. (It should be noted that Bergenroth describes combined use of cipher and nomenclature as using "two different keys"; there is reason to justify such a treatment.) Although the most important changes are done, the overhaul is still ongoing and further updates may be reported here.
I found a cipher used by the Great Captain around 1496 is the same as one cipher used between Kind Ferdinand and his ambassador in Naples described in Parisi (2004). I mentioned this in a new section "A Cipher of the Great Captain (ca. 1496)."
ReplyDeleteFurther, some sections have been reorderd.
References to the 12 ciphers desribed in Galende Diaz (1994) have been added in a new section "Some Ciphers Preserved in the Archives". The second one (no.2) appears to be the same as the cipher used between King Ferdinand and the Great Captain in August 1502 and identified by Speziali (1955).
I updated Estrada's cipher.
ReplyDeleteI made various edits.
ReplyDeleteElements of letter codes have a limited range. For example, if the first letter of code elements always fall in the range of v-z or b-c, the cipher used may be what I call Ferdinand/Isabella's Cipher (ca.1502). I added references to such ranges.
It is obvious but it did help me identifying the cipher used in an undeciphered letter from Queen Isabella to Ambassador Estrada (PARES (Simancas, PTR,LEG,53,DOC.69)) is this cipher. On the first few lines, one can read words such as "passado", "causa alguna para ellos", "justificacion", "los medios", "ha enbiado", "la mayor parte a la de Rosellon y a la otra frontera de Fuenterabia para nos ..." I hope someone completes the reading.
I mentioned five undeciphered letters in BnF Espagnol 318. Two use known ciphers. Three use ciphers I could not identify.
ReplyDeleteI reorganized the sections by using Bergenroth's papers in the British National Archives.
ReplyDelete