The ‘future’ is mysterious, unpredictable, and equally fascinating. The quest to understand the future has always been a persistent desire of mankind, leading to the creation of numerous intriguing tales and myths in every corner of the world. Many achieve fame, but the kind of renown, enigmatic allure, and attraction that persists centuries after, as in the case of Nostradamus, is rare. Michel de Nostradamus, a French seer, was born on December 23, 1503. Although he was Christian by religion, he inherited Jewish ancestry.
He was born in a time of extreme orthodox atmosphere regarding religion. Speaking against religion or expressing opinions could only result in a death penalty. In such a difficult time in France, a boy with a unique intellectual stance and sharp intelligence was born. Nostradamus, inheriting Jewish heritage, received early lessons in medicine, astronomy, history, chronology, astrology, mathematics, and more. He entered the field of medical study. In 1522, his family sent him away from his village to Montpellier, where he earned not only a degree but also a doctorate. He advocated scientific ideas like ‘the Earth orbits around the Sun’, and to avoid any trouble caused by his views, he was sent away to study medicine. His enemies conspired to accuse him in front of the religious authority, and sensing trouble, he left his home overnight.
For the next six years, he wandered across Europe to save his life. During this time, he studied astrology, mystical sciences, and rare medicines. It was then he gained fame as a divine prophet. During the outbreak of the plague, he chose his medical profession. He avoided devoting his full time to astrology as he believed the plague spread due to poor hygiene, though the church did not accept medicinal treatments saying, ‘the disease is a result of your sins.’ Therefore, he pretended to create a divine medicine, insisting on extreme cleanliness while taking it. After the plague subsided, he turned entirely to the subject of the future. Besides other subjects, he also had an exceptional command over languages. Works like Horas Apollo, Traité des fardements et des confitures were published after his death, but he became truly immortal with his work ‘Les Prophéties’. He predicted future centuries in this book. To avoid accusations by the church, he wrote the prophecies in cryptic and symbolic verses. Even today, scholars interpret those verses in many different ways. According to his calculations, he predicted the future of the world up to 2242 from the 16th century onwards.
According to researchers, the prophecies he made or mentioned in his verses have largely come true. During his lifetime, the prophecies he made for the French royal family, including Queen Catherine for King Henry II, proved to be true. He also worked for Charles IX (1564). Researchers claim he predicted World War II, airplanes, submarines, nuclear bombs, missiles, and tyrants like Hitler.
Recently, it is said he even predicted the coronavirus pandemic, among other news. Some of the events he predicted fortunately did not happen, and there are disagreements about the meanings of some, but whenever a significant event occurs in the world, the interpretations of Nostradamus’s verses become a topic of discussion again. This controversial, mysterious, and equally fascinating seer died on July 2, 1566, at the age of 63.