PUZZLE: The Vigenère code
- On the piece of paper, there are two rows of 12-12 letters. However, they should be regarded as a single raw of 24 characters:
- QMHXLLVXDHHHBRVBSQLKBM
- The keyword is DEUTERIUM
(also on the back of the Deed of Foundation).
- Use paper and pencil to solve the cipher. Write the 24 characters on a piece of paper in a continuous row. Write DEUTERIUM directly below it as many times as needed to fill up the 24 spaces. Don’t leave empty spaces and make sure to position the letters exactly below the letters of the code.
- Now use the Tabula Recta to decode the message. Follow the description.
- Hint:
- It might be easier to make a screenshot and print out the Tabula Recta; as it is an existing cipher method, you can find and download it from the net too.
- How to start: to get the letter corresponding to Q (in the first position), look at the row that begins with D (the corresponding letter in the keyword line), and locate the letter Q in that line. Now check the topmost letter of the column where Q belongs to. It is N – write this below the D. Proceed to the next pair of letters, until all done.
Read the decoded text (here with spaces added): NINEHUNDRED NINETY EIGHT = 998