The Most Mysterious Books Ever Written

These books defy explanation—coded, lost, or otherworldly. Let’s explore the strangest texts in history.

1

The Voynich Manuscript

Written in an unknown script with bizarre plant drawings, no one has cracked its code since 1404

2

Codex Seraphinianus

An encyclopedia of an alien world, written in a made-up language by artist Luigi Serafini in 1981

3

The Book of Soyga

A magical text owned by John Dee, advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. Its tables remain unsolved

4

Rohonc Codex

Discovered in Hungary, this book is written in an unknown script and language, with religious imagery

5

The Smithfield Decretals

A legal manuscript filled with bizarre, unrelated illustrations—knights fighting snails,

6

Popol Vuh

The sacred Mayan book of creation, once lost and rediscovered in the 18th century

7

The Red Book by Carl Jung

A mystical, dreamlike journal of Jung’s visions and inner journey, hidden for decades