Dating Nostradamus
As explained in the last instalment, Nostradamus published seven quatrains that contained actual dates, allowing subsequent researchers to verify his original prophecies. These quatrains are quoted below. Translations from the original French, together with the accompanying commentaries, are taken from the book The Prophecies of Nostradamus by Erika Cheetham.
Century 1 verse 49 – “Long before these happenings the people of the East, influenced by the moon, in the year 1700 will cause many to be carried away, and will almost subdue the Northern area.”
Cheetham considers this to be a failed quatrain since nothing that occurred in 1700 had the sort of impact in the north that Nostradamus predicted.
Century 2 verse 51 – “The blood of the just will be demanded of London burnt by fire in three times twenty plus six. The ancient lady will fall from her high position, and many of the same denomination will be killed.”
Cheetham considers this to be one of Nostradamus’ more interesting quatrains, for it not only gives an accurate date for the Great Fire of London (1666), but also mentions St. Paul’s Cathedral (dame antique) which was destroyed in the blaze.
Century 3 verse 77 – “The third climate included under Aries, in the year 1727 in October the king of Persia, captured by those of Egypt: battle, death, loss: great shame to the cross.”
This quatrain proved to be uncannily correct, for in October 1727 a peace treaty was concluded between the Turks and the Persians. At the time Egypt belonged to the Ottoman Empire and was ruled by the Turks.
Century 6 verse 2 – “In the year five hundred and eighty more or less one will await a very strange century. In the year seven hundred and three, the skies as witness that several kingdoms, one to five, will make a change.”
Cheetham writes: “A daring quatrain with two dates, both of which seem accurate. In 1580, Nostradamus nearly always leaves out the thousand for reasons of scansion, France was torn by the Civil War called the Seventh War and had little to look forward to. But by 1703 Louis XIV was defying Europe and fighting the Spanish Succession.”
Century 8 verse 71 – “The number of astrologers will grow so great, that they will be driven out, banned, and their books censored. In the year 1607 by sacred assemblies so that none will be safe from the holy ones.”
Cheetham considers this to be an accurate quatrain. In the year 1607 Pope Urban VIII banned Dekkers’ Almanach under pain of expulsion from the church. This act caused considerable controversy at the time.
Century 10 verse 91 – “In the year 1609, the Roman Clergy at the head of the year will have an election; one of grey and black come forth from Campania, never was there as wicked as he.”
Cheetham writes: “Pope Paul V reigned from 1605 to 1621 as Pope. But in the year 1609 he fell ill, and according to contemporary reports, there was a great deal of intriguing going on in the Courts of France and Rome should the Pope die an opportune death.” In retrospect this seems like a less than convincing quatrain by Nostradamus.
Century 10 verse 72 – “In the year 1999, and seven months, from the sky will come the great King of Terror. He will bring back to life the great king of the Mongols. Before and after War reigns happily.”
This is one of Nostradamus’ most intriguing quatrains, implicating as it does his many references to “fire from the sky”. What makes this even more significant is that in July of 1999 the comet Hale-Bopp could still be seen dominating the northern sky, and was of course the subject of numerous end-of-the-world predictions. However, from the point of view of the date quoted by Nostradamus, this quatrain must stand as a failure.
As we have seen in the previous instalment, Nostradamus indicated in his letter to Henry that his predictions were made “with the aid of astronomy and other methods, and even by the Holy Scriptures”. And yet despite his avowed confidence that he “could have put a calculation of time into each quatrain”, it is clear that Nostradamus was ultimately as fallible as others have proven to be.
There is, however, another way of dating prophecy that has proven to be much more effective and reliable than simply guessing at dates. It was also the method used by Jesus, as we will see in the following instalment.
