Evaluating Nostradamus's prophecies: Hitler, Napoleon, and historical accuracy

Nostradamus

Fewer historical figures are as hotly debated as Michel Nostradamus, a 16th century physician who issued a series of four-line poems that seemed to predict subsequent major world events. In 1555, Nostradamus released Centuries, which contained nearly 1,000 quatrains that supporters say predicted everything from the rise of Hitler to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 (Yafeh, 2003). Detractors say Nostradamus was a first-class con-man, who wrote purposely vague predictions that allow his forecasts to be applied to a variety of events (Yafeh, 2003). Without question, there was a great deal of vagueness and uncertainly inherent to most of Nostradamus' predictions, but some of his prophecies also had an element of detail that can not be explained away as simple coincidence. In the end, the power of Nostradamus, as with so many things in life, is largely in the power of the beholder.

Supporting Nostradamus

Nostradamus, whose birth name was Michel de Notredame, was born in Saint Remi in Southern France and gained notoriety as an innovative physician who healed seriously ill patients suffering from the plague (Nostradamus, 2006). His fame as a healer eventually led him to be appointed court physician to Charles IX in 1560 (Nostradamus, No Date).

In 1547, Nostradamus began making predictions in rhyming quatrains that made use of French, Latin, Spanish and Hebrew, eventually culling them together for the publication of Centuries in 1555 (Nostradamus, No Date). Centuries became an immediate hit and people from across Europe flocked to visit Nostradamus at his home in Salon, hoping to earn a glimpse into the future. Nostradamus claimed Centuries laid out a series of predictions for world events from his own era to the end of the world, which he predicted would occur in 3797 (Nostradamus, 2006).

Without question, there was a certain vagueness to many of Nostradamus' predictions, although some of the predictions had a degree of detail that supporters argue is much more than coincidence. For example, many believe that Nostradamus predicted the rise of Hitler and the Third Reich when he wrote that "beasts ferocious with hunger" (perhaps a reference to the German army) would rise up and that the majority of the world's armies "will be against Hister" and that "Hister" would ultimately be defeated (Quatrain 2-24, No Date). Indeed, the fact that Nostradamus only mis-spelled Hitler's name by one letter and also predicted his eventual defeat is remarkable and not easily dismissed.

Arguably, Nostradamus also predicted the rise of Napoleon with a certain degree of specificity. Nostradamus wrote about an emperor who would be born near Italy and would rise up from the ranks of a simple soldier (Williams, 2001). Nostradamus goes on to discuss an army marching through Russia and the emperor's eventual banishment to Elba (Williams, 2001). Clearly, the life of Napoleon follows the arc of these predictions, from his rise to power to his failed campaign in Russia and his temporary exile on Elba (Williams, 2001). Even Nostradamus critics have a difficult time dismissing the Napoleonic prophecies.

In all, there are a few dozen such Nostradamus prophecies that seem to accurately predict world events with a good degree of specificity (Yafeh, 2003). Will McWhorter, a renowned analyst of Nostradamus predictions, believes that Nostradamus was most accurate in predicting the rise of what Nostradamus called anti-christs, such as Hitler, Napoleon and a third figure, whose identity is still debated, who will be a follower of Islam originating from the Middle East (Williams, 2001).

Conclusion

Whether Nostradamus was a great man or a con man is largely in the eye of the beholder. Because his prophecies were typically vague, supporters will never be able to say for certain that he accurately predicted world events. Conversely, detractors will never be able to claim for certain that he did not. In the end, we can definitively say that the controversy is not likely to ever be resolved. Perhaps what Nostradamus really created was a unique mirror - we can look into his words and, in the context of world events and our own personal beliefs, we are free to see reflected back to us whatever we want.