The encrypted altar inscriptions of Moustier, Belgium, have been puzzling codebreakers for 170 years.
Click here for the complete top 50 list
Moustier is a district of the small town of Frasnes-lez-Anvaing in Eastern Belgium. Even most locals don’t know that this place is the home of a spectacular crypto mystery: the encrypted altar inscriptions in the St. Martin’s Church. Of course, these cryptograms are mentioned in my famous Cryptologic Travel Guide.
The Moustier altar inscriptions became known to crypto history enthusiasts a few years ago, when the NSA declassified 136 editions of its internal newsletter Cryptolog. When British cipher mysteries expert and blogger Nick Pelling searched through these editions he discovered an article about this mystery he had never heard of. His blog post about the Moustier altar inscriptions made many (including me) aware of this story.
When I visited Moustier in spring 2015, I didn’t find any mention of these unusual inscriptions on the town’s website or in the church’s entry hall. No signpost was leading to it.
Moustier is not a tourist place. I spent about an hour in St. Martin’s Church taking photographs and videos without meeting any other person.
The interior of the church doesn’t look very spectacular.
The inscriptions are located on the two side altars. The left one is named St. Mary’s Altar, the right one St. Martin’s Altar. The following picture shows the former:
And here’s the first of two encrypted inscriptions:
Here’s a closer shot:
The following transcription was made by Nick Pelling:
L F E G K R V Q
Y P Z H N R L B D
M F ^ N V D [
N ^ P V J H M ^
L F N ^ [ B K P
—–
N C L X B P D W
R N [ C H Z R P
M D X R ^ P L N
H F ^ L D N X W
E N L V N D ^ P N
The following picture shows St. Martin’s Altar:
The inscription of this altar is encrypted, too.
Both inscriptions stem from the 19th century.
Here is Nick’s transcription:
J N L K B F P R
V M G H W H[
Q L S B N F HP
M G [ K H V R
^ L R N F S X V
—–
P F V B L P M R
R A [ G K T D
B N D F J V R W
L U B F P N I D
C [ T R ^ Q M
Both inscriptions have never been deciphered. Here is a frequency analysis made by a blog reader. Can a reader find out more about this crypto mystery?
Follow @KlausSchmeh
Further reading: The Top 50 unsolved encrypted messages: 37. The Shugborough inscription
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13501820
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/763282653806483/
Kommentare (5)