The Essential NostradamusFrom his predictions about life and death in the Middle French court of Catherine de' Medici to his uncannily suggestive preconceptions of World War II, Michel de Nostradamus has aroused continual fascination-and commercialization-in the West. Today, many search his elliptical "centuries"-or collected verses-for new truths about 9/11 and End Times, while supermarket tabloids routinely falsify and exploit his pronouncements. What is the difference between prophecy and prediction, and how has it led to a misuse of the ideas of Nostradamus, as well as those of other post-biblical prognosticators? What is the nature of the oracular tradition in the West-stretching back to the oracle at Delphi-and how can Nostradamus be understood from this perspective? In The Essential Nostradamus, the highly regarded spiritual thinker and writer Richard Smoley provides a true sourcebook in the life and messages of one of history's most peculiar figures. This volume offers a host of advantages beyond other collections of Nostradamus's work. Many commentators on Nostradamus take liberties in their translations, further confusing the matter of what the prophetic quatrains actually said. In The Essential Nostradamus, Smoley presents a fresh, scholarly, and literal translation of Nostradamus's Middle French, allowing readers to make their own determination as to the passages' historical references and accuracy. Smoley also supplies detailed commentary on Nostradamus's key quatrains, with a sharp eye toward the political and social events of the writer's era-elements that many commentators overlook or fail to grasp. An authoritative biographical essay-highlighting Nostradamus's separate roles as physician, astrologer, and prognosticator-rounds out the volume to create a truly essential exposition of the work of one of Western culture's most mysterious men. |
Contents
INTRODUCTION | 1 |
A PROPHETS LIFE | 9 |
HISTORICAL NOTE | 41 |
THE PROPHECIES | 47 |
CENTURY I | 51 |
CENTURY II | 77 |
CENTURY III | 98 |
CENTURY IV | 115 |
CENTURY V | 134 |
CENTURY VI | 157 |
CENTURY VII | 181 |
CENTURY VIII | 187 |
CENTURY IX | 211 |
CENTURY X | 231 |
NOSTRADAMUS AND THE USES OF PROPHECY | 255 |
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Common terms and phrases
alluding ancient Antichrist apocalyptic army astrological Brind'Amour captive Catherine Catholic century B.C. César Charles Charles IX Chavigny Christian Church commentators death deux divine Edgar Leoni emperor Empire England Erika Cheetham Europe fear fera Fernand Braudel fleet forces forecast fourth line France François French future Gaul Germany grand Greek happen Hapsburg Henri II Hercules Hitler Holy Roman Holy Roman Empire human Hungary Iamblichus interpretation Italy Jay Kinney John Hogue king King François II kingdom last line Louis Mars means Medici Mediterranean monarch mort Muslim Napoleon Napoleon III Nostradamus Nostradamus is predicting Nostradamus's prophecies Ottoman Ottoman Empire Pannonia Peter Lemesurier Philip planets pope prophecy prophet Protestant quatrain queen reference regne reign Rome ruled Saturn second line sect seems seen Selin sera seront Spain suggests taken terre third line throne tradamus tradamus's translation Turks Venice verse viendra