Canonical cipher 3: Z13 vol.2. Runic and Zodiac inferences

 

An entropy-based solution of the Z13 based on a cascade consideration of ciphers vol.2: Runic and Zodiac inferences

On May 5, 2024 I presented the first draft of a proposal for a solution of the Z13 based on a systemic, entropy-based method. On April 23, 2025, I made available the follow up on the solution, which included a more comprehensive explanation of the “8-ball” variant, whilst offering (1) a key, heavily based on the Z340 key plus a logical function as a singular expression for the substitution of the 8-ball with J L N for the ciphertext, followed up a transposition of the symbols for the plaintext, and (2) a teletype method for the rationalization of data in the plaintext.

I. Introduction

With this follow up, vol.2 text, my aim is to expand on the resilience of this method offering further inferences based on cultural and systemic sources that I believe the killer inserted deliberately in his cipher. With data from other communications, my aim is to offer a “cohesive” methodology in the killer’s work, in the sense that the cascade of ciphers is but a “sub-system” in a bigger, all-inclusive chain of sub-systems which forms a whole systemic communication from the side of the killer.

 The well-known cipher length is 13 (see Figure 1):

Figure 1. Cipher length

As already commented, the alphabet length is 8. Seven out of the eight unique symbols appear in Z340. The cipher alphabet is shown in Table I, grouped in three tiers based on entropy (frequency of appearance).

Table I. Frequencies and Entropy of the Z13 Cipher Alphabet

There are five Latin symbols and three glyphs, the much-discussed 8-ball, the Zodiac Cross and the “anchor like” symbol, which also resembles the perpendicular sign. It is this symbol which I identify with the respective symbol from both Z408 and Z340, whereas Dr Garlick deviates from this consideration. The five Latin symbols are grouped into “NAM” and “EK” based on entropy. For the tier-2, I have used the sequencing as it appears on the last part of the cipher. For the “EK” I follow the left-to-right order again based on appearance throughout the cipher.

It is interesting to note that the H/8 symbol characterizes the very length of the cipher alphabet: for 8==H. The three occurrences of the “8-ball” align with 3xH and/or 3x8: a reference to the three sections of Z408.

II. The Runic System

In my piece “Canonical murder 3_Lake Berryessa vol_1_Byknife on the door of Bryan Hartnell” I expounded on the “SEPT” outlier. The genealogical particularity of the word, as overlapped in a “dual reference index” with the Septuagint reference, in order to provide the Old Testament warning to men against adultery, in the context of “3x8” is, in my opinion and understanding, sourced directly from the division of the 24 Elder Futhark runes into 3 groups of clans (ætt), as show in the following Table II [1]:

Table II. Elder Futhark 24-rune system [1]

The Elder Futhark system consists of 24 runes in three groups of 8 runes each. This is a direct alignment with the 3x8 grouping of the 24 rows of the Z408, as segmented by the killer and sent to the three newspapers on July 31, 1969 [2].

In [3], rune scholar Edred Thorsson discusses the etymology of the very word rune:

Rune as a word is only found in the Germanic and Celtic languages. Its etymology is somewhat uncertain. There are, however, two possible etymologies: (1) from Proto-Indo-European *reu- (to roar and to whisper) , which would connect it with the vocal performance of magical incantations, and (2) from Proto-Indo-European *gwor-w-on-, which would connect it to the Greek and Old Indic gods Ouranos and Varuna , respectively, giving the meaning of "magical binding." This is also an attribute of Odhinn. The word may have had the essential meaning of "mystery" from the beginning.

The outlier of Ouranos and Varuna points to a conditional overlap of the “Zodiac circle” concept. This brings us into the studies of Georges Edmond Raoul Dumézil [4].

Thorsson provides a comprehensive table of linguistic interpretation of the rune: a mystery-secret is the prevalent nomenclature (Table III). This aligns with the usage of glyphs from the killer’s part as a “riddle” towards law enforcement. It is noted that especially in the Old English, the interpretation may even that be of a “secret council”, a reference that has emerged in a cold murder case which may relate to the four murder attacks of the Z canon.

Table III. Etymology of rune in proto-Germanic, old Norse and old English-Saxon [3]

In the basis of the runic system, the plaintext phrases “MAN” and “EK” can be approached. More specifically, in the same linguistic context of defining the “rune”, we can approach a similar method for the definition of “man” and “ek”. Etymology sources are shown in Tables IV [5] and V [6] respectively.

Table IV. Etymology of “ek” [5]

Table V. Etymology of “man” [6]

 

It is very interesting to note that in proto-Norse, the E-rune (shaped as “M”) and the < (“k”) provide the phonetic value of “ek” (I). Thorsson [3] notes the E-rune as “the horse” (“ehwaz”):

The E-rune is the living vehicle of the runester's journeys in self-transformation [..]. That this symbolism is deep rooted is demonstrated by the Old Norse formula marr er manns fylgja (the "horse is a man's fetch"). The "horse/man symbiosis" as a metaphor for true human existence (or that of the athling or Erulian) is shown by the bind rune  (e + m (+ k) , I am) . Perhaps most central to the mystery of ehwaz is the steed of 6dhinn, Sleipnir (an offspring of Loki).

The “horse concept” is something to be revisited in future reference. It is of high interest that the M-rune (“mannaz” – man) refers to the individual self, and combined with “ek” fulfills the bind-rune “I am”. Thorsson expands on this [3]:

The M-rune is the harmonious combination of the "mind" and "memory." In the M-rune Huginn and Muninn speak freely to one another and inform the whole-self of the god Odhinn (see chapter 12). [..] In Jungian terms it is the individuated self.

Indeed, in Chapter 12, figure 12.1 [3], Thorsson provides the link of “ek” and “man” (M-rune). For further insight and context into Figure 1, the reader is encouraged to obtain Edred Thorsson’s book via official publishing house channels. The sample reference of his work was meant to strengthen the following considerations:

1. 24 and 3x8 segmentation is an integral attribute of Z408 and re-appears in Z13
2. This reflects the 24 runic system of the Elder Futhark and its grouping into three aetts
3. Aett/sept is a key word in the Hartnell car door message/riddle
4. “EK” and “NAM” (accessed from right-ot-left as “MAN”) are organized as such based on entropy, a key theme in cryptography in general, information theory in particular and the killer’s ciphers more specifically
5. “EK” and “MAN” are key themes in the runic system of the Edler Futhark and psychological profiling of an Odian point of view
6. Ideological facets of this outlook, as will be discussed in a following section, align with my hypothesis of the killer’s cultural and existential profile
7. The arrangement of “NAM” into “MAN” occurs by adopting a right-to-left access sequence for the grouped triad of symbols, as shown in the teletype system I offered in vol.1.
8. This right-to-left reading process identifies with the Negau helmet inscription. This is a robust argument for the “North Etruscan” thesis discussing the geographical (if not historical) epicenter of the “birth of the runes”. 

 

III. The North Etruscan thesis

From Wikipedia [7] concerning the origins of the runic system (regardless and independent of the philosophical or even literal assessment of the system as “ahistorical” by Thorsson [3]):

The three best-known runic alphabets are the Elder Futhark (c. AD 150–800), the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc (400–1100), and the Younger Futhark (800–1100). The Younger Futhark is divided further into the long-branch runes (also called Danish, although they were also used in Norway, Sweden, and Frisia); short-branch, or Rök, runes (also called Swedish–Norwegian, although they were also used in Denmark); and the stavlösa, or Hälsinge, runes (staveless runes). The Younger Futhark developed further into the medieval runes (1100–1500), and the Dalecarlian runes (c. 1500–1800).

The exact development of the early runic alphabet remains unclear but the script ultimately stems from the Phoenician alphabet. Early runes may have developed from the Raetic, Venetic, Etruscan, or Old Latin as candidates. At the time, all of these scripts had the same angular letter shapes suited for epigraphy, which would become characteristic of the runes and related scripts in the region.

Also from [8]:

The Etruscan civilization (/ɪˈtrʌskən/ ih-TRUS-kən) was an ancient civilization created by the Etruscans, a people who inhabited Etruria in ancient Italy, with a common language and culture, and formed a federation of city-states.^[2] After adjacent lands had been conquered its territory covered, at its greatest extent, roughly what is now Tuscany, western Umbria and northern Lazio,^[3][4] as well as what are now the Po Valley, Emilia-Romagna, south-eastern Lombardy, southern Veneto and western Campania.^[5][6]

It is therefore evident that a number of scholars, including Thorrson [3] and Thomas Lloyd Markey [9] identify the North Etruscan thesis as a reasonable and valid “geographical gate” for the transfer of a Latin and east-based alphabet and legacy to the tribes that used the elder Futhark as their language construct and later on developed subsequent sets like the Anglo-Frisian, the Younger Futhark etc (see Figure 2).

If this is the “historical” journey through space and time that can work as a functioning thesis for the “birth of the runes” as a pragmatic tool of language construct (aside from the claims of any “magical use”, real or exaggerated), can a similar journey be traced for the zodiac circle?

Figure 2. Geoprofiling of Etruscan presence in Central and Northern Italy [8]

 

IV. The “journey” of the zodiac circle reaching the lands of the runes

The zodiac circle, as we know it today, has its roots in ancient Mesopotamia, where early astronomers and priests first mapped the stars into recognizable patterns. Around the 5th century BCE, Babylonian astrologers divided the sky into twelve equal segments, each associated with a constellation that the sun appeared to pass through over the course of a year. This division was deeply tied to their lunar calendar and agricultural cycles, as the movement of celestial bodies was believed to influence earthly events (see Figure 3). The Babylonians named these constellations after animals, gods, and mythological figures, laying the foundation for the zodiac’s symbolic language. Their systematic observations marked one of the earliest attempts to create a cosmic framework linking human fate to the heavens [10].

Figure 3. The Zodiac circle beginning with Aries (Mars) [11]

The Greeks later adopted and refined the Babylonian zodiac, infusing it with their own mythology and philosophical thought. By the 4th century BCE, Hellenistic scholars like Eudoxus and Ptolemy formalized the twelve-sign system, aligning it with their geocentric model of the universe. The Greeks renamed many of the constellations—Aries the Ram, Leo the Lion, Scorpio the Scorpion—and assigned them archetypal meanings tied to their pantheon. Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos, written in the 2nd century CE, became a cornerstone of astrological tradition, detailing how planetary movements through the zodiac influenced human affairs. This fusion of Babylonian astronomy and Greek philosophy transformed the zodiac into both a scientific tool and a metaphysical guide.

The spread of the zodiac circle into Egypt and the Roman Empire further enriched its cultural significance. The Romans Latinized the names of the signs, many of which remain in use today (e.g., Taurus, Gemini, Cancer). Astrology became deeply embedded in Roman society, used by emperors for political legitimacy and by commoners for personal guidance. The zodiac’s imagery even adorned temples, coins, and mosaics, reflecting its role as a bridge between cosmic order and imperial power.

 

V. Sacred Geometry, the Zodiac Circle and Jean Dupuis

Θεων Ο Σμυρναιος (Theon of Smyrna) was a mathematician [12], disciple of Plato but also scholar of the Pythagoreans. The "sacred geometry" of the Pythagoreans, aside from being a personal interest of mine, has been part of both harmonic series analysis and also the so called "sacred geometry" linked to Chaldean numeric. I first came upon such an attribute when faced with a decoding attempt of the Pines Card and met "C12" == 3. The triad as "one and unified" met both in eastern philosophy as well as the Christian tradition of the holy triad. The work of Theon was popularized, among others, after a double Greek-French edition/translation conducted by Jean Dupuis [13].

In the third part, the ΖΩΔΙΑΚΟΣ ΚΥΚΛΟΣ is presented. Zodiacus Circle can be abbreviated both to Zodi-ac-us (Zodius/Zodiac). In [13] it is emphasized:

Dupuis retains the chapter divisions while putting the titles in footnotes, and in addition divides the work into three major parts (he calls them μέρη or βιβλία) containing respectively the introduction and section on numerics, the section on music, and the section on astronomy.

This aspect of the “Sacred geometry” of the astronomy (astrology) needs further study, as to whether it was adopted by the killer and included in the outliers provided directly or indirectly. But before one discusses the “celestial” aspects of the runic and zodiac convergence, one must demonstrate if the killer accepts the “earthly” connection: the historical and geographical gateway through Central and Northern Italy, namely the regions referenced earlier in the North Etruscan thesis.

I will try to make the case for the last point in the next part of the texts, vol.3, discussing the steganography. And in vol.4 commenting further on the runic and zodiac “alphabets” as instruments for the “gateway to stars”, offering a hypothesis on the how the killer may have incorporated such an outlook in his misanthropic, murderous scheme.

SDS

May 15, 2025

References

1.         https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elder_Futhark

2.         https://zodiackiller.com/Letters.html

3.         Edred Thorsson, Runelore: a handbook of esoteric runology, Weiser Books, 1987.

4.         Georges Dumézil - Wikipedia

5.         https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/ek

6.         https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_(word)

7.         https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runes#Runic_alphabets

8.         https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etruscan_civilization

9.         Markey, TL (2001). "A Tale of the Two Helmets: Negau A and B". Journal of Indo-European Studies 29: 69–172

10.     https://www.britannica.com/topic/zodiac

11.     https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-circle-of-the-zodiac-signs-vector-illustration-81795179.html

12.     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theon_of_Smyrna

13.    https://archive.nyu.edu/bitstream/2451/59793/2/Jones%202016%20Translating%20Gk%20astron%20Translating%20Writings%20of%20Early%20Scholars.pdf