Welcome to a Kryptos fan site. You won’t find exhaustive compilations of Kryptos related news or factoids (although I’ve got links to those!) but you will find the rambling efforts of someone trying to find their way to the solution of K4 and beyond to the solution of Kryptos as a whole. Thanks for stopping by!
You’ve got several options to get started:
- The blog chronicling my efforts to solve the mysteries of Kryptos, specifically the fourth part of the Copperplate ciphertext.
- My personal speculations and solution attempts.
- Other interested parties online content.
- Kryptos and Kryptos-related Contests
- You can even follow my efforts to file Kryptos FOIA requests
- Or you could follow every link in the sitemap. I’m not twisting your arm or anything…
Clarification (2011):
Over the course of the past couple years I have to a greater or lesser extent advanced some of my knowledge of cryptology. At this point I haven’t done an exhaustive effort to correct any previous misconceptions. My hope is that anyone reading my efforts will find it understandable that I knew next to nothing about ciphers when I started and have slowly accumulated knowledge. Sometimes, both then and now, I will get things wrong.
Hi Kryptosfan
Ive been thinking about new ways to tackle the problem too and trying to decipher how K3 is instructing us towards solving the last of the text.
Could “Remove passage debris that encumbered the lower doorway” indicate that the Vignere and the upper portion of the Cyphertext are no longer significant ie: debris to be removed, and that the remaining text is the “lower doorway” to figuring the Kryptos sculpture in its entirety?
Perhaps then an operation needs to take place on the remaining Cyphertext as instructed “Make a breach in top left corner, widen hole, insert candle”…
Finally what do you make of “Peered in”? Perhaps its to be read as paired in, or paired with the lower Cyphertext somehow?
Z
I’m torn. The Howard Carter journal synopsis is modified, yes, but there are two possible reasons. One, to fit the sculpture dimensions. Two, to indicate the actions that Sanborn took at the CIA courtyard, i.e. we have to be there to appreciate something he did. Three, to give us clues on solving K4.
My gut says that the bulk of the “solved” parts of Kryptos relates to some final solution that Jim Sanborn used to express some philosophical point. Then he and Ed Scheidt sprinkled some clues here and there to help the solving of each section.
As far as the flow of the plaintext or the “feel” of how it was worded/phrased, it seems there is a fairly good consensus that it is for some purpose. Whether it is itself a clue or a byproduct of some larger/later riddle, I don’t know.
I’m 100% against the candle insertion method. If you read John Wilson’s own website (http://www.austininc.com/SciRealm/KryptosPart4.html) he includes a note about Jim Sanborn sending him an email on 01/21/05 saying, “Dear John, this is not the way, Jim”. This is because the idea has become so prevalent that it came up in the WIRED News interview. When Jim Sanborn says it’s not the way then I wouldn’t pursue it.
Peered in = Paired in… Nice! It kind of fits a little with “Layer Two” doesn’t it?
K1
decryption method Vignere KRYPTOS PALIMPSEST
EMUFPHZLRFAXYUSDJKZLDKRNSHGNFIVJ
YQTQUXQBQVYUVLLTREVJYQTMKYRDMFD RACKEUAUHUK (k4 reverse)
BETWEENSUBTLESHADINGANDTHEABSENC
EOFLIGHTLIESTHENUANCEOFIQLUSION FISQKIPMATE (QLU FISSION)
K2 (All of it, insert the S, remove WJLLAETG)
ENcryption method Vignere KRYPTOS ABSCISSA
DNQFMPNZGLFLPMRJQYALMGNUVPDXVKP
DQUMEBEDMHDAFMJGZNUPLGEs OBKRUOXO (k4 start)
NBKMZDROVSMWDZCVPLGWZQRROMJTPAE
JPDXLIMMXWZGMZWUOYDCWQMh ELIARFOG
maybe of some use to you in your search else ignore it.
T P FKAHK
Oooh! Why didn’t I see this comment earlier? In light of the Morse eeeee’s, you might be on to something.
Could removed mean “moved again?”
Hi kryptos fan!
I became interested in Kryptos after I read the article in WIRED magazine. Good luck cracking K4!!
Regards,
~~Alex Rosslyn
Hi,
I haven’t taken proper time to hunt for the information, so any response will be one I am grateful for. My general question is:
Is there an inventory of items and their published (confirmed) solutions?
For example, I don’t know if the morse code has been interpreted into plaintext. I have ideas, we all do, but I’d like to contribute by bringing myself up to speed on what is -definitely- known good and how it was found. Is there a best document for this? (“I have a feeling that we’re going about this the hard way.”)
I haven’t slept and I’m looking for low-hanging fruit. Much Obliged,
Josh
Ooh, good question… I’ve sort of acquired bits and pieces across several websites… This will sound cheesy but start at the Wikipedia entry. It gives a nice general overview and then you can take a gander at the articles and links. You’re right, it would be nice to have a very linear description of how things were solved and when. Unfortunately, the first three sections of Kryptos were solved by brute force and the fourth part has never been solved. We know the keyword for K1 is palimpsest and for K2 is abscissa but this is only because it’s possible to retrieve them after a successful brute force solution has been found. Originally K3 was speculated to be a route transposition and keyed-columnar but I’ve lately heard that it’s more likely to be a double rotational transposition. The Morse code has been “translated”but there’s some debate over it. If I had to pick a source to trust on the Morse code it would probably be Gary Phillips on his Realm of Twelve site but that’s mostly because I know he put some time and effort into it.
A word of caution, searching online for Kryptos information you’ll find 3 types: #1 actual factual history and someone’s personal efforts to solve it, #2 thoughtless copy and paste from site to site of plagarized articles, #3 some crazies and their weird theories. I’ll let you decide if I fit all three or not…
You’re not alone in thinking we’re going about this the hard way.
Howdy folks,,
one question FOR ALL>
Not the kfore solution,
BUT WHAT WOULD THE SOLUTION TO {THE STORY}
of/behind KRYPTOS be valued at? or whats STORY WORTH?
Knowing THE STORY, you see HOW the puzzle comes together,
and yes, you get answers/hints WHICH SMART FOLKS SUCH AS
YOURSELVES can utilize to solve kfore. I just stumbled
across the story of the puzzle after downloading the PUBLIC
intel off REALM OF TWELVE and ELONKAS nettached sites.
so, I PROPOSE THE QUERWHY, WHAT’S THE STORY WORTH??
thank you my NEW friends oh yeah, i BORROWED this
computer while on vacation with my boss, i am
an underemployed farmhand, so we are NOW off to
the horse races. i’ll check back whenever i can
borrow a putr again, as my 386 has DIED.
It’s INTEL chip is petrifide, ossifide and
Bonifidely ANTIQUATED! what ya thank, Mr Sanborn
remember, to verify all Q U AN T I queries with MR Ed,
even IF he is NOT a talking horse! oh well
the boss bellows and i gotta go wipe down our entries
in the races. thanks again
MSMAGNOLIA
You fell into our trap nicely by pretending to be crazy. One should be careful when drawing attention to themselves, particularly regarding something involving the CIA. Your lies have gone unbelieved but be sure that we’ll be watching.
howdy FAN,
again, I got the lost symbol, took me 5 mintues
to find the lost symbol,,then less th an 30 mintues to
find netdress to send info to….
you can SEE all the ffolks lisssssted i sent to…
to doc ument my nsanItee
but i got it…THE LOST SYMBOL…and email doubledae also,
I STILL KNOW THE SOLUTION/STORY OF KRYPTOS…
I CAN SHOW YOU THE DOC’S ON THIS….
THANKS AND GOOD/GREAT QUENTING MY FRIEND,
at least i hope my friend,,
and realmoftwelve is helpful site….
TOO HELPFUL>>>>>i think maybeso……
verryy intersting, as our friend who just passed away
used to sae on 60′s beatniq show..
and on celebreity squares show…
MSMAGNOLIA 12oomn mississippi time
(on a borowed site as i tranSIT back to NO PO MS I SEE!!
coming up before me…on the istate
I’m at a loss for words.
thanks my friend,
sorry to Bother you.
i TRULy know the ANSWER to the Story
of Kryptos..
i am a PITIFUL NO-VICE at this stuff.
as Elonka has on ?facebook? a dr/gardner
(or farm-hand) may STUMBLE On the anser?
thank you , i hope MY FRIEND to be one day.
thanks
A QUERY FOR MR SANBORN/MRSCHEIDT…?
only cars park here? do no vans or pickups park here?
THANKS
Now *I’m* at a loss for words. Ms. Magnolia, years ago I used to believe I stumbled upon a partial solution to Kryptos. I would write cryptically so that others who also “knew” the solution would be able to identify my correctness. It would have been more beneficial to me to speak plainly, especially after those who “knew” refused to acknowledge my efforts. Instead, I continued to hold to my ideas and miss out on some great opportunities to explore puzzles in a more open, community-oriented fashion.
I wish you the best, but I don’t relate to anything you say except that it reminds me a little of myself years ago. Good luck. Tell the story — I promise that if you are correct, and your ideas are original, that you will get sole credit for them. Worst-cast, the consensus is that you are incorrect, not unlike many of our attempts — but that you have engaged in two-way conversation that may in turn give yourself insight into the puzzle in a way that can’t be done in vague monologue. I’m asking you to explain yourself openly, and be willing to accept any responses from a community well versed in proper technique.
Gary, I noticed the broken coded areas spell out on another level QUEEN and the morse code refers to RQ which would be Royal Queen.Perhaps you need this like the ABSCISSA PALIMPSEST.I also noted the VSC in many layers aerially. This may be included with queen to work with. I listened to the James Sanborn recoding you had which he went into his fascination with Indians and many enlightened cultures all being brought together. Also the petrified wood came from AZ. There is a location there highly significant to native Americans lost to them at Circlestone in the Superstition Mountains which the Discovery Channel on the Lost Symbol had the Warren Getler author of Rebel Gold (Shadow of the Sentinel) which points to Circlestone as being where billions in treasure was hidden for a time when greed was gone and shepherding for education for the change all that remained..no temptation for greed.
It would be interesting to know if that compass points to either Circlestone in AZ or Tucson, AZ. Circlestone is known that compasses do NOT work due to the lodestones there. Aerially it makes the Lost Symbol and has that X enclosed for the grand equilateral cross.The Hopi are looking and remember this area to return to.It’s in their lore. Here’s an article on it connecting ancient cultures and perhaps the capstone to the pyramid to be completed.
http://www.celticnz.co.nz/Circlestone/Circlestone1.htm
The location in the Warren Getler book is at 33 28′ 35″North latitude in the 33 Section. Before the Greenwich Meridian change when Washington, Dc was zero degrees Meridian this makes this location being in the 33 degree Meridian location before the change. Also they used to signal like with morse code or smoke signals from Circlestone to other areas. When James Sanborn kept going into he was into archeology, Indian ancient culture and this location is both where Jesse James hid treasure outside of the bankers’ systems for a time not come yet and the Hopi, Cherokee and other tribes have misplaced this location, it seems fitting to see if this is part of kryptos. Try Circlestone as a substitution cipher also.
I really enjoyed your blog, Thanks.
Without mysteries, life would be very dull indeed. What would be left to strive for if everything were known?
CANUSEEANYTHING?
Yes, but that depends on what you do with it¡
150064498
Out of one comes many!
Time is as irrelevant to GOD as a point on a circumference; therefore, why argue who created GOD? GOD just IS!
I still can’t tell if you’re talking about Kryptos or just posting stream of consciousness…