Welcome to "Fact or Fiction", a series dedicated to displaying an array of esoteric events and crazy creatures. Today, I have come baring a rather bizarre topic: the teachings of Nostradamus. Known for his crazy - and astoundingly accurate - predictions, Nostradamus was a 16th century "seer" who prophesied of many future events, some of which have come true now. Those who speculate Nostradamus's work often claim the predictions are far too vague and can be easily misinterpreted. But, even those who dismiss the majority of Nostradamus's prophecies cannot help the fact some are simply too coincidental to overlook.
September 11, 2001
"Earthshaking fire from the center of the Earth
Will cause tremors around the New City.
Two great rocks will war for a long time,
Then Arethusa will redden a new river."
Did Nostradamus predict the events of 9/11? Some people believe so. The fact the prediction directly says "New City" makes many people instantly think of New York City. The verse also describes "two great rocks", which could mean the towers, or even symbolize The United States and the Middle East who have been in numerous conflicts since "the earthshaking fire" and other events of 9/11.
Hurricane Katrina
"The cities of Tours, Orleans, Blois, Angers, Reims and Nantes
Are troubled by sudden change.
Tents will be pitched by (people) of foreign tongues;
Rivers, darts at Rennes, shaking of land and sea."
Hurricane Katrina ravaged through the southern part of the United States in August of 2005. Before this hurricane took place, many people thought this prophecy was meant for France, but after directly mentioning "Orleans", many people think otherwise. After all, it would make sense with the rest of the verse, which describes foreign people helping the victims and the fact destruction would hit the land and sea . . .
London Fire
"The blood of the just will commit a fault at London,
Burnt through lighting of twenty threes the six:
The ancient lady will fall from her high place,
Several of the same sect will be killed."
For those who are not familiar with the London Fire of 1666, this event occurred when a fire nearly destroyed the city in a three-day long ravage. Nostradamus's words ring frighteningly accurate when explaining a "burn" (fire) and "blood of the just" which could mean the dozens of rat carrying fleas who perished in the flames. Also among those who died in the London Fire were six recorded human deaths.
French Revolution
"From the enslaved populace, songs,
Chants and demands
While princes and lords are held captive in prisons.
These will in the future by headless idiots
Be received as divine prayers"
If you're not quite sure what the French Revolution was, here is a quick summary. The peasant people (enslaved populace) took control and imprisoned the leaders (princes and lords help captive) and used the guillotine to chop off all their heads (headless idiots). Yikes.
Adolf Hitler
"Out of the deepest part of the west of Europe,
From poor people a young child shall be born,
Who with his tongue shall seduce many people,
His fame shall increase in the Eastern Kingdom.
He shall come to tyrannize the land.
He shall raise up a hatred that had long been dormant.
The child of Germany observes no law.
Cries, and tears, fire, blood, and battle.
A captain of Germany shall come to yield himself by false hope,
So that his revolt shall cause great bloodshed.
Beasts wild with hunger will cross the rivers
The greater part of the battlefield will be against Hister."
Hister? Is that a 16th century typo? Regardless of what it was, the rest of the verses, mentioning Germany, a man born to poor parents, and persuading a group of people with his tongue, sure appear to be describing a man like Adolf Hitler. This series of verses proves to be strikingly coincidental.
The death of Princess Diana
"The penultimate of the surname of Prophet
Will take Diana for his day and rest:
He will wander because of a frantic head
And delivering a great people from subjection."
Nostradamus does not give direct names often, so this verse becomes alarmingly interesting from the start. It's doubly peculiar when one discovers that Diana's boyfriend's father was named Muhammad (prophet), and that the subjection mentioned could possibly be the great sadness the English people faced upon discovering the death of their beloved princess.
Coming soon?
"The sloping park, great calamity,
Through the Lands of the West and Lombardy
The fire in the ship, plague and captivity;
Mercury in Sagittarius, Saturn fading"
From the very first line, this verse sounds appears to be describing an earthquake, and as if confirming it, "lands of the west" could easily mean California, where earthquakes are common. According to astrologists, the next time Mercury will be in a Sagittarius formation and Saturn in a "fading" position will be on November 25, 2015.
What about the end of the world?
Though Nostradamus never made it clear when or how he believed the world would end, his predictions ended in the year 3797. Does this mean he simply got bored of predicting bad stuff, or that there was nothing left to predict? Insert quizzical eyebrow-wagging.
That's all for today! Hopefully you all learned a bit (or lot) about this 16th century "seer", and found his prophecies as interesting as I did. I know that I personally was dumbfounded and creeped out by the predictions of Nostradamus and how they have been fulfilled through the years. It's crazy stuff!
With that, I leave you with one last question - do you believe?
Author's Note: Sources: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-nostradamus-predictions-2011-3?op=1
http://science.discovery.com/top-ten/2009/nostradamus-predictions/nostradamus-predictions-10.html
