Pig Pen Cipher
Description
By creating a matrix of the alphabet within a tic-tac-toe box a pig pen cipher can
be created. This method of enciphering was developed by Baptista dell Porta in the 1600's. Each symbol is created by referencing a letter position with the
lines:
Once you figure out the pattern it is easy to find the letter represented by each
symbol. I usually find the box pattern first, to locate which three letters must
be possibilities. I then find the location of the dot to determine exactly which
letter is represented by the symbol.
Making It Harder!
To make the cipher even harder, mix up the letters inside of the matrix. Put letters
like "Z T O" in the upper left, replacing "A B C." Do the same for the entire
matrix. Whenever you mix up the letters inside of a pig pen matrix it makes the
cipher much harder to decipher. You can even try variations of the cipher as seen below:
Can you figure out how to use this variation of the Pig Pen cipher?