Essay On Nostradamus

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Alex Hall

Mr. Black

English 12 CP 7th Period

April 7, 2014

The Life and Mind of Nostradamus

Nostradamus, arguably the most famous author of prophecies, has been credited for predicting the execution of King Charles I, the abdication of Edward VIII, the rise and fall of Hitler, the assassination of John F Kennedy, and even the planes crashing into the

World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

“Michel De Nostradamus was born in St-Remy-De-Provence., France. On December 14, 1503. In a modern world that was itself just beginning to be born” (Smoley, The Essential Nostradamus). His family was Jewish, but changed to Catholicism sometime during the prior century. We don’t know much about his childhood, but at the age of fifteen he went to the University of Avignon. After a year had gone by he was forced by the illness, The Plague, to leave again. In 1529, he attended the University of Montpellier to get a doctorate in medicine, but ended up being kicked out when discovered that he had been an apothecary.

He later created a pill named the "rose pill" that was strongly believed to help against the deadly plague of the era. He still continued work as an apothecary, and in 1531, a leading renaissance man by the name of Jules-Cesar Scaliger, invited Nostradamus to come to Agen. There he ended up marrying Henriette Encausse, they had two children. In 1534, his wife and children died from the plague.

“Nostradamus lost his wife and both children by 1534. Although we do not know the causes, we can surmise that they died from the plague. This dealt Nostradamus a catastrophic blow in the loss not only of his wife and children but of his own prestige as a physician, since he proved unable...

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...n will overcome the old one in a martial field by a dual one on one:

In a cage of gold his eyes will burst: two classes one, then to die, cruel death.” (Smoley, The Essential Nostradamus, 62). This is one of Nostradamus’ most famous prophecies. This was believed to be the prediction of the death of King Henri II of France in 1559. King Henri II was killed in a mock medieval joust for entertainment. His younger opponent’s lance shattered against the king’s shield and a splinter pierced the king’s eye. Later he died after an agonizing 10 days (“a cruel death”).

Many of the predictions of Nostradamus are talked about and studied today, maybe because some do seem to come close to facts and names. Some articles readers can speculate and try to guess what he’s prediction is really about. In the end, many of his writings are pretty amazing, whether you believe or not.