Snapshots in History: July 2: Remembering Nostradamus
On July 2 and beyond, take a moment to remember one-time
apothecary/physician and seer Michel de Nostradame or Nostradamus
(Born: 14 or 21 December 1503 in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence,
Provence, France; Died: July 2, 1566 in Salon-de-Provence,
Provence, France) whose predictions and prophecies have generated a
great deal of interest over the centuries, regardless of whether one accepts
them as having any validity or not. Nostradamus
was best known for developing prophecies organized in quatrains
published in his work “Les Prophéties“ (or The Prophecies, in English). The
first installment was published in 1555 with 353 quatrains. The second edition
with 289 additional verses was published in 1557. The third edition was
published purportedly in 1558 with 300 new quatrains but these quatrains are
now only accessible through the 1568 omnibus edition that contains 1 unrhymed
and 941 rhymed quatrains, grouped into “centuries” of 9 sets of 100 and 1 set
of 42.
Nostradamus supported judicial
astrology as a means of forecasting future events by calculating
planetary and stellar bodies in relation to the Earth and the quality of events
occurring thereon. Some astrologers in Nostradamus’ time criticized judicial
astrology as a premise for predicting future happenings. Apparen'tly, Nostradamus’ disdain
for astrologers was expressed in his writings of the last quatrain in his sixth
century of writings. (Click here
for an English translation of the sixth century of Nostradamus’ writings and
pay close attention to quatrain 100.)
Many of Nostradamus’ predictions deal with natural
and human-made disasters (i.e. floods, earthquakes, plagues, wars etc.). Some
have credited Nostradamus with predicting the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte and
Adolf Hitler (both deemed to be “anti-Christ” in nature), the Great London Fire
of 1666, and the September 11, 2011 terrorist attacks in the United States.
Some skeptics suggest postdictions
(i.e. predictions after the fact or retroactive clairvoyance) whereby
modern-day supporters use the vague wording supplied by Nostradamus to make his
words fit the events rather than the other way around. However, Nostradamus has
followers who believe that his prophecies carry weight. What do you think about
Nostradamus and his prophecies? The fascination about Nostradamus continues in
the publishing world, on the Internet (including many personal websites), and
in the mainstream media, including this
2011 article on Business Insider.
Whatever you might
think, consider these selected titles for possible loan from Toronto Public
Library collections if you are interested in learning more:
The
prophecies: a dual-language edition with parallel text [English and
French] / Nostradamus; translated by Richard Sieburth; historical introduction
by Stéphane
Gerson, 2012. Book. Adult Non-Fiction.
Award-winning historian
Gerson and award-winning translator Sieburth teamed up to provide readers with
a newly-translated and edited English version of Nostradamus’ prophecies.
Emphasis is placed on the poetics of the quatrains.
Nostradamus: how an obscure Renaissance astrologer became
the modern prophet of doom [1st
ed.] / Stéphane
Gerson, 2012. Book. Adult Non-Fiction.
Despite the wording of the
book’s sub-title, historian Gerson sidestepped the debate on whether
Nostradamus’ quatrains can predict the future or whether said quatrains are
vague and subject to interpretation. Instead, Gerson filled a gap by exploring
the life and legacy of Nostradamus and, naturally, the effect that his quatrain
verses have had on the world’s culture. Read the assessment by Kirkus Reviews.
Nostradamus
& the third antichrist: Napoleon, Hitler and the one still to come / Mario Reading, 2011. Book. Adult Non-Fiction.
A total eclipse of the sun is due to occur on March
24, 2034. The author (a Nostradamus scholar) contended that Nostradamus used
this event to predict the coming of a third Anti-Christ.
Nostradamus, bibliomancer: the man, the myth, the truth
/ Peter Lemesurier, 2010. Book. Adult Non-Fiction.
The
author, also the author of The
Nostradamus Encyclopedia: the definitive reference guide to the work and world
of Nostradamus, contended that Nostradamus was an ordinary individual using
the rather ordinary technique of bibliomancy whereby one
selects randomly chosen excerpts of randomly selected books to offer foresight
of happenings to come. The author contended that out of some 6,000 prophecies
made by Nostradamus, only
a small number have come true.
Nostradamus:
the good news / Mario Reading, 2007. Book. Adult Non-Fiction.
The author re-examined the prophecies of Nostradamus
to find glimmers of a positive future, suggesting good news for most of the
continents, especially Africa where an emergent leader will serve as an agent
of restoration and renewal. Following the conclusion of a horrible epidemic,
peace will be in place for many years. A new world order will emerge due to a
change in how democracy is perceived.
If you are interested in documentaries about
Nostradamus, then consider the following DVDs for borrowing from Toronto Public
Library collections:
The
lost book of Nostradamus [DVD] / James Lurie, Kreg Lauterbach et al., 2008.
DVD. Documentary. Adult Non-Fiction.
Recently uncovered cryptic predictions are discussed
as are prophecies about some of the Popes, the Middle East crisis, and the
apocalypse. This program was broadcast on the History Channel.
The
Nostradamus files [DVD] / James Lurie, Kreg Lauterbach et al., 2009. DVD.
Documentary. Adult Non-Fiction.
This 2-disc DVD set includes “The lost book of
Nostradamus” and “Nostradamus: 2012”, programs that were broadcast on the
History Channel.
If your preference is for fiction reading, then all
is not lost. You too can weave Nostradamus into your world of reading with the
following fantasy novels by Scottish-Canadian author Dave Duncan:
The
alchemist’s pursuit / Dave Duncan, 2009. Book. Adult Fiction.
Mystery, fantasy, and historical fiction fans alike
might relate to this third novel in an alternate Renaissance Venice. This time,
an ill-tempered Nostradamus, battling ill-health, accepts a sizeable commission
to find a serial killer who strangled three women, all of them prostitutes.
Once again, he is helped by his trusted apprentice Alfeo Zeno. Donna Violetta
Vitale, courtesan and friend of Alfeo, implores Nostradamus to predict and stop
the next murder. After the fourth victim is stabbed to death, Alfeo escapes
death by a whisker with the help of a magical cat. An added complication
results when Alfeo is retained by the mother of the prime suspect of the
murders to prove her son’s innocence.
The
alchemist’s code / Dave Duncan, 2008. Book. Adult Fiction.
In an
alternate Renaissance Venice setting, Nostradamus accepts a commission from the
Council of Ten to determine the identity of a spy by decoding intercepted,
ciphered messages. Once again, Nostradamus elicits the help of his apprentice
(and swordsman) Alfeo Zeno. Together, they employ a mixture of the occult,
deductive reasoning, and investigation to solve the case.
The
alchemist’s apprentice / Dave Duncan, 2007. Book. Adult Fiction.
The setting of this inaugural novel in this fantasy
series is an alternate Renaissance Venice. Facing suspicion at a gathering of
noblemen when one is poisoned after predicting an uneventful day, Nostradamus
charges his apprentice Alfeo Zeno with solving the murder and exonerating
himself. Fantasy and mystery fans alike should find common ground in this
novel.
Comments