The pigpen cipher (sometimes called the masonic cipher or Freemason's cipher) is a simple substitution cipher exchanging letters for symbols based on a grid. The use of symbols is no impediment to cryptanalysis however, and cryptanalysis is identical to that of other simple substitution schemes. The example key shows one way the letters can be assigned to the grid.
The scheme was developed and used by the Freemasons starting in the early 1700s for record-keeping and correspondence.
Example
Using the example key, the message "X marks the spot" is rendered in ciphertext as:
not true as i am a freemason. and none of the symbols i see or read in my lodge are anywhere close to those
References
- David E. Newton, "Freemason's Cipher" in Encyclopedia of Cryptology, 1998, ISBN 0874367727.
External links
- A gravestone with a pigpen inscription
- The Elian Script is a variation of this cipher, used as art.
- A longer, historical example of the use of the pigpen cipher
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