Search for a tool
Dorabella Cipher

Tool to decipher / encrypt like the Dorabella cipher, name given to a message coded by Edward Elgar, whose original plain message is not certain.

Results

Dorabella Cipher -

Tag(s) : Symbol Substitution

Share
Share
dCode and more

dCode is free and its tools are a valuable help in games, maths, geocaching, puzzles and problems to solve every day!
A suggestion ? a feedback ? a bug ? an idea ? Write to dCode!


Please, check our dCode Discord community for help requests!
NB: for encrypted messages, test our automatic cipher identifier!


Feedback and suggestions are welcome so that dCode offers the best 'Dorabella Cipher' tool for free! Thank you!

Dorabella Cipher

Dorabella Decoder

Dorabella Encoder

 

cf

Answers to Questions (FAQ)

What is the Dorabella cipher? (Definition)

Dorabella's cipher is the name given to a message sent by composer Edward Elgar dated July 14, 1897, in a letter to Dora Penny. The message takes the form of 86 characters (with 24 distinct characters) written on 3 lines: <dfn>dorabella</dfn>.png

The 24 characters and their distribution (based on frequency analysis) are compatible with encryption by mono-alphabetical substitution. Edward Elgar never disclosed the original message but would have described his alphabet and substitution table as follows:

LetterSymbolLetterSymbolLetterSymbol
Achar(65)Bchar(66)Cchar(67)
Dchar(68)Echar(69)Fchar(70)
Gchar(71)Hchar(72)I/Jchar(73)
Kchar(75)Lchar(76)Mchar(77)
Nchar(78)Ochar(79)Pchar(80)
Qchar(81)Rchar(82)Schar(83)
Tchar(84)U/Vchar(85)Wchar(87)
Xchar(88)Ychar(89)Zchar(90)
dCode.fr

The translation of the message would therefore be BPECAHTCKYFRQDRIRRHPPRDXYXGFS
TRTHTCKLCERREHGQTRFRHUSQDXKKXFS
ESHUSEDUWGSERHUQSDCPGSHCDXC

Other alphabets have been proposed but this message has never been clearly decrypted even if several people have tried various translations, none has convinced the community.

The presence of a dot near the end of the first line is sometimes considered to be an 87th character (and therefore 25 distinct)

How to encrypt using Dorabella cipher?

Based on the alphabet proposed by Edward Elgar, it is possible to encrypt a message with this alphabet of 24 symbols whose letters I,J and U,V are grouped together to be coded by the same symbol.

Example: DORA is coded char(68)char(79)char(82)char(65)

How to decrypt Dorabella cipher?

As the translation of the Dorabella message remains to be discovered, the decryption can only be based on the supposed 24-letter alphabet. The decryption principle is a substitution (replacement) of symbols with the corresponding letters in the alphabet.

Example: char(66)char(69)char(76)char(76)char(65) is decrypted BELLA

It is not possible to differentiate between the letters I and J, nor between the letters U and V.

How to recognize a Dorabella ciphertext?

Dorabella symbols are arc/semicircles/halfcircles assembled by 1, 2 or 3 and oriented in 8 directions ↑ ↗ → ↘ ↓ ↙ ← ↖

All references to Edward Elgar or Dora are clues.

When Dorabella was invented?

The original message is dated July 14, 97 (for 1897)

Source code

dCode retains ownership of the "Dorabella Cipher" source code. Except explicit open source licence (indicated Creative Commons / free), the "Dorabella Cipher" algorithm, the applet or snippet (converter, solver, encryption / decryption, encoding / decoding, ciphering / deciphering, breaker, translator), or the "Dorabella Cipher" functions (calculate, convert, solve, decrypt / encrypt, decipher / cipher, decode / encode, translate) written in any informatic language (Python, Java, PHP, C#, Javascript, Matlab, etc.) and all data download, script, or API access for "Dorabella Cipher" are not public, same for offline use on PC, mobile, tablet, iPhone or Android app!
Reminder : dCode is free to use.

Cite dCode

The copy-paste of the page "Dorabella Cipher" or any of its results, is allowed (even for commercial purposes) as long as you credit dCode!
Exporting results as a .csv or .txt file is free by clicking on the export icon
Cite as source (bibliography):
Dorabella Cipher on dCode.fr [online website], retrieved on 2024-11-07, https://www.dcode.fr/dorabella-cipher

Need Help ?

Please, check our dCode Discord community for help requests!
NB: for encrypted messages, test our automatic cipher identifier!

Questions / Comments

Feedback and suggestions are welcome so that dCode offers the best 'Dorabella Cipher' tool for free! Thank you!


https://www.dcode.fr/dorabella-cipher
© 2024 dCode — El 'kit de herramientas' definitivo para resolver todos los juegos/acertijos/geocaching/CTF.
 
Feedback