The "Dorabella" Cipher

[cappuccina]

Most of you know Edward Elgar as a composer. However, he also left behind a famous cipher, written in 1897, to Miss Dora Penny, almost 20 years his junior.

She asked for help from others in deciphering it, but was not able to, and the contents of the note remains a mystery today...

There is also a contest currently sponsored by the Elgar society, to decipher the note in time for Elgar's birthday, which is June 8.

Being a musician, I believe that musical notation also may have something to do with this, and there have been musical pieces written based on the cipher:

Info. on Dorabella Cipher and Sir Edward Elgar:

http://www.elgar.org/5cipher.htm

http://www.elgar.org/welcome.htm

http://www.draggon.com/search/?p=61&q=ward

http://unsolvedproblems.org/UP/Dorabella.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorabella_Cipher

http://www.ericsams.org/sams_elgar2_eng.htm

[Mike Covell]

I have read a few suggestions to what the cypher is supposed to mean, from playful scribbles, to Elgar admitting he had an illigitamate child!

All very intresting and with £1500 prize fund, I am sure we will see more!

[plang]

my brain hurts.

[Mike Covell]

my brain hurts.

Tell me about it, here is my theory,

He was drunk when writing it, did it for a laugh, many years later we still don't get it!!

[cappuccina]

...I like that one, Mike...I think you should...

...appply for and collect the reward...!

Plang, my brain hurts, too!

[Tom_Wescott]

This is really interesting. They should have produced the notes that compared the symbols against the alphabet. Those could be useful.

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Mike Covell]

I am sure there is a website with them on Tom, I will take another look at some point. The link will be posted (if i can find it)