Nostradamus in popular culture
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The prophecies of the 16th-century author
Nostradamus Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, who is best known for his book ''Les Prophéties'' (published in 1555), a collection o ...
have become a part of the
popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...
of the 20th and 21st centuries. Nostradamus' life has been depicted in both fiction and non-fiction books as well as several films, and made-up prophecies that were said to be his were circulated online in several well-known
hoax A hoax is a widely publicized falsehood so fashioned as to invite reflexive, unthinking acceptance by the greatest number of people of the most varied social identities and of the highest possible social pretensions to gull its victims into pu ...
es, where
quatrain A quatrain is a type of stanza, or a complete poem, consisting of four lines. Existing in a variety of forms, the quatrain appears in poems from the poetic traditions of various ancient civilizations including Persia, Ancient India, Ancient Greec ...
s in the style of Nostradamus have been circulated by
e-mail Electronic mail (email or e-mail) is a method of exchanging messages ("mail") between people using electronic devices. Email was thus conceived as the electronic ( digital) version of, or counterpart to, mail, at a time when "mail" meant ...
. The most well-known hoax claims that he predicted the attack on
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
's
World Trade Center World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may refer to: Buildings * List of World Trade Centers * World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...
on
September 11, 2001 The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...
.


Supposed prophecies

Nostradamus enthusiasts have often credited him with predicting numerous events in world history, supposedly including the
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
, the rise of
Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
, the
atomic bomb A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bomb ...
, the rise of
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
, the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercia ...
on the
World Trade Center World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may refer to: Buildings * List of World Trade Centers * World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...
, and the last pope. Indeed, they regularly make similar claims regarding each new world crisis as it comes along as there is a tendency to claim that "Nostradamus predicted whatever has just happened." These claims rely heavily on the role of interpretation.


Great King out of the Sky

One well-known supposed prophecy is that "a great and terrifying leader would come out of the sky" in 1999 and 7 months "to resuscitate the great King from
Angoumois Angoumois (), historically the County of Angoulême, was a county and province of France, originally inferior to the parent duchy of Aquitaine, similar to the Périgord to its east but lower and generally less forested, equally with occasional vin ...
." But the phrase ''d'effraieur'' (of terror) in fact occurs nowhere in the original printing, which merely uses the word ''deffraieur'' (defraying, hosting), and Nostradamus sometimes uses the word ''ciel'' simply to mean 'region', rather than 'sky'. On the basis of Nostradamus's by now well-known technique of projecting past events into the future, LemesurierLemesurier, Peter, ''Nostradamus: The Illustrated Prophecies'', 2003, suggests tha
X.72
therefore refers to the restoration to health of the captive
Francis I of France Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once ...
(who was Duke of
Angoulême Angoulême (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Engoulaeme''; oc, Engoleime) is a communes of France, commune, the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Charente Departments of France, department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of southwestern Franc ...
) following a surprise visit to his cell by his host, the then Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infan ...
in 1525. No fewer than five of the planets were in the same signs on both occasions. Author and researcher Ove von Spaeth on his work ''Nostradamus, the New Millennium and the Basilisk'' notes that "numerous attempts of interpretation" of Nostradamus texts do not take into consideration that he was also an astrologer. Von Spaeth also denotes that the interpretation of ''deffraieur'' as "horror" is misleading, and suggests a new approach to interpret the text:
The Nostradamus words, ''roy de deffraieur'' is a special, old French spelling of ‘the king of the horrible’. If the word is changed a tiny bit, e.g. ''def(f)rayer'' - meaning something financial, ‘to lend money’, ‘to exempt from expenses’, as well as something entirely different, i.e. ‘to be the subject/matter/entertainment in a conversation’, a new possibility appears. People who have tried to interpret his prophecies have had problems in fitting this in, unless they have suggested a financial world crisis.
Some astrologers has considering that this prophecy could be related to the ongoing events in the world that began in the 2020s, with the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, which caused a global economic recession, global inflation disruption and a global supply chain crisis. These events could be associated with a possible transition from the
Age of Pisces An astrological age is a time period in astrological theory which astrologers say, parallels major changes in the development of Earth's inhabitants, particularly relating to culture, society, and politics. There are twelve astrological ages corr ...
to the
Age of Aquarius The Age of Aquarius, in astrology, is either the current or forthcoming astrological age, depending on the method of calculation. Astrologers maintain that an astrological age is a product of the earth's slow precessional rotation and lasts for 2 ...
, in which the interpretation of the prophecy would be: "from heaven (i.e. divine guided) shall come a great sovereign financer"; and this financer, whom in turn would be someone exceedingly wealth, would represent the figure of the water-bearer, symbol of
Aquarius Aquarius may refer to: Astrology * Aquarius (astrology), an astrological sign * Age of Aquarius, a time period in the cycle of astrological ages Astronomy * Aquarius (constellation) * Aquarius in Chinese astronomy Arts and entertainme ...
, which is also associated with the biblical verse in Luke 22:10 in the
New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
.


September 11, 2001

The September 11, 2001 attacks on
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
's
World Trade Center World Trade Centers are sites recognized by the World Trade Centers Association. World Trade Center may refer to: Buildings * List of World Trade Centers * World Trade Center (2001–present), a building complex that includes five skyscrapers, a ...
led to immediate speculation as to whether Nostradamus had predicted the event. Almost as soon as the event had happened, the relevant Internet sites were deluged with inquiries. In response, Nostradamus enthusiasts started searching for a Nostradamus quatrain that could be said to have done so, coming up with interpretations of Quatrains I.87, VI.97 and X.72. However, the various ways in which the enthusiasts chose to interpret the text were not supported by experts on the subject. In addition, Nostradamus himself in his dedicatory letter to King Henri II states that his prophecies were about Europe, North Africa and part of Asia Minor only. The nearest that the former could come up with wa
quatrain VI.97
which in the original 1557 edition ran: :''Cinq & quarante degrés ciel bruslera, :''Feu approucher de la grand cité neufve,'' :''Instant grand flamme esparse saultera,'' :''Quant on voudra des
Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Fran ...
faire preuve :'' With ''instant'' evidently a version of the Latin ''instanter'' ("violently, vehemently"), a reasonable English translation (after Lemesurier) would thus appear to be: :Five and forty degrees, the sky shall burn: :To the great new city shall the fire draw nigh. :With vehemence the flames shall spread and churn :When with the
Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Fran ...
they conclusions try. "Five and forty degrees" was said to be the latitude of New York City (New York's latitude is 40°47'), and was interpreted as "40.5 degrees" (even though the decimal point had not yet come into use in the Europe of Nostradamus' day). "New City", similarly, was claimed to be New York (even though Nostradamus refers in this way to various "New Cities" whose names, unlike "New York", literally mean "New City", and especially
Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
– from Greek ''Neapolis'', "new city"); and most of the attempts to fit in the "Normans" of line 4 seemed contrived at best. While it is true that New York State, which has the same name as New York City, crosses 45° latitude, it cannot, of course, be described as a "new city", and so doesn't fit line 2 of the verse. Lemesurier suggests that the verse is merely an undated projection into the future of the capture of Naples by the Normans in 1139 during a year marked by a notably violent eruption of nearby Mount
Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius ( ; it, Vesuvio ; nap, 'O Vesuvio , also or ; la, Vesuvius , also , or ) is a somma-stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples The Gulf of Naples (), also called the Bay of Naples, is a roughly 15-kilometer-wide (9 ...
that is recorded in the contemporary ''Annales Cassini''. In this case, the first expression may simply be a version of :''Cinq nte minutes& quarante degrés'' – which is indeed the latitude of Naples. Another quatrain which came under the scrutiny of enthusiasts wa
quatrain I.87
which in the original 1555 edition (
Albi Albi (; oc, Albi ) is a commune in southern France. It is the prefecture of the Tarn department, on the river Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called ''Albigensians'' (french: Albigeois, Albigeoise(s), oc, albig ...
copy) ran: :''Ennosigée feu du centre de terre'' :''Fera trembler au tour de cité neufve:'' :''Deux grands rochiers long temps feront la guerre'' :''Puis Arethusa rougira nouveau fleuve.'' or, in a possible English translation: :Earth-shaking fires from the world’s centre roar: :Around "New City" is the earth a-quiver. :Two nobles long shall wage a fruitless war, :The nymph of springs pour forth a new, red river. Here, once again, the ''cité neufve'' was claimed to be New York; ''au tour de'' had to refer to the Twin Towers (even though, in French, the word ''tour'' in the masculine – as it is here – has absolutely nothing to do with towers, but is part of a phrase meaning "around"); the ''Deux grands rochiers'' had to be the Twin Towers themselves; and ''Arethusa'' was said to be an anagram of "the USA". Once again, however, a rather more sober investigation by Brind'Amour had already revealed (bearing in mind that, in French, ''faire la guerre aux rochers'', or "to make war on the rocks", simply means "to struggle fruitlessly") that the reference was probably to Naples and its nearby volcano. Subsequent investigation by Lemesurier and his colleague Gary Somai suggested that it applied particularly to the ''Annales Cassinis report of its
lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...
eruption of 1036, at a time when the
Lombards The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 and ...
of
Capua Capua ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Caserta, in the region of Campania, southern Italy, situated north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain. History Ancient era The name of Capua comes from the Etrusc ...
and the
Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
dukes of Naples were constantly at war over the city prior to the decisive intervention of the Normans. For 968, similarly, Leo Marsicanus had reported in the same annals that "Mount Vesuvius exploded into flames and sent out huge quantities of sticky, sulfurous matter that formed a river rushing down to the sea". Thus, given that Arethusa was the classical nymph of springs and rivers, with a well-known "spring of Arethusa" still visible today in the Sicilian port of
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...
, the case for a "9/11" interpretation was evidently unfounded. The Julian Calendar was indeed the calendar system used during Nostradamus' lifetime. In his ''Almanachs'', Nostradamus published at least eleven Julian calendars of his own – but all of them in fact started on January 1, and in all of them the seventh month was consequently ''July''. Lemesurier consequently suggests that X.72 does not predict the
9/11 The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial ...
attacks at all, but refers back to the allegedly "miraculous" restoration to health of the captive Francis I of France in August 1525 by his then ''Roy deffraieur'' ("host-king") Charles V, and then projects it forwards into the future as a prophecy. As for the various interpretations of the line usually rendered as "To resuscitate the great king of the Mongols", the verse in fact contains no such line (the word ''mongolais'' which, since Leoni
961 Year 961 ( CMLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * March 6 – Siege of Chandax: Byzantine forces under Nikephoros II Phokas cap ...
has often been proposed as an anagram for ''Angolmois'', doesn't exist in French anymore), but merely refers to the well-known French region of Angoumois, of whose capital (Angoulême) Francis I was duke: he was thus, as the verse states, ''Le grand Roy d'Angolmois'' ("the great King from Angoumois") of Nostradamus's own day. In these and other ways, Nostradamus's statement in his open letter to his son Cesar that his quatrains were "written in a nebulous rather than plainly prophetic form" is widely taken by enthusiasts as ''carte blanche'' for suggesting that they can mean almost anything that they want them to say.


Hoaxes


"Mabus" as Antichrist

Some have interpreted the writings as predicting a series of three antichrists. However, the name "Mabus" as a synonym for or embodiment of the third
antichrist In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist refers to people prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus Christ and substitute themselves in Christ's place before the Second Coming. The term Antichrist (including one plural form) 1 John ; . 2 John . ...
is allegedly not suggested by any of the ''Prophecies''. In fact the verse in question (II.62) merely states that a character of a similar-sounding name (according to Lemesurier 'op. cit.'' an alleged reference to the Flemish painter
Jan Mabuse Jan Gossaert (c. 1478 – 1 October 1532) was a French-speaking painter from the Low Countries also known as Jan Mabuse (the name he adopted from his birthplace, Maubeuge) or Jennyn van Hennegouwe ( Hainaut), as he called himself when he matri ...
, contemporary with Nostradamus) ''will die''. Otherwise, the reference says nothing about what "Mabus" will do or what he will be like. However, parts of Nostradamus Quantrain 2.61-62 state that "Mars at the port of the arrow. Behind the river the ladder put to the fort, Points to fire great murder on the breach. Mabus then will soon die, there will come Of people and beasts a horrible rout" More recently attempts have been made to link the name "Mabus" anagrammatically with "
Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
", as previously with "
Saddam Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolution ...
", " Osama" and "
Bush Bush commonly refers to: * Shrub, a small or medium woody plant Bush, Bushes, or the bush may also refer to: People * Bush (surname), including any of several people with that name **Bush family, a prominent American family that includes: *** ...
". This tendency to attempt to adapt quatrains to fit current events can be traced all the way back to Nostradamus' own time. However, Mabus is also acknowledged to be the surname of longtime U.S. political figure
Ray Mabus Raymond Edwin Mabus Jr. (; born October 11, 1948) is an American politician and lawyer. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 75th United States Secretary of the Navy from 2009 to 2017. Mabus previously served as the State Auditor ...
.


Village idiot hoax

Following the contentious 2000 U.S. presidential election wherein
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
was elected president, this text was widely circulated: : ''Come the millennium, month 12'' : ''In the home of greatest power'' : ''The
village idiot The village idiot in strict terms is a person locally known for ignorance or stupidity but is also a common term for a stereotypically silly or nonsensical person or stock character. Description The term "village idiot" is also used as a stereo ...
will come forth'' : ''To be acclaimed the leader.'' As with other hoaxes, only the purported English translation was given. It is likely that this verse was written as a joke.


World Trade Center prophecy hoax

Shortly after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, the following spoof text was circulated on the Internet, along with many more elaborate variants (one of them signed 'Nostradamus 1654' – when he would have been 150 years old): : ''In the City of God there will be a great thunder,'' : ''Two brothers torn apart by Chaos,'' : ''while the fortress endures,'' : ''the great leader will succumb,'' : ''The third big war will begin when the big city is burning.'' As it turns out, the first four lines were indeed written before the attacks, but by a
Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
graduate student named Neil Marshall as part of a research paper in 1997. The research paper included this poem as an illustrative example of how the validity of prophecies is often exaggerated. For example, the phrases "City of God" (New York has never held the title of "City of Angels"), "great thunder" (this could apply to many disasters), "Two brothers" (many things come in pairs), and "the great leader will succumb" are so vague as to be meaningless. The fifth line was added by an anonymous Internet user, completely ignoring the fact that Nostradamus wrote his ''Propheties'' in rhymed four-line decasyllables called quatrains. Nostradamus also never referred to a "third big war".


Psy hoax

Towards mid-December 2012, an internet hoax related to South Korean singer and rapper
Psy Park Jae-sang (, ; born December 31, 1977), known professionally as Psy (stylized in all caps as PSY) (; ; ), is a South Korean singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Psy is known domestically for his humorous videos and stage per ...
being one of the
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are figures in the Christian scriptures, first appearing in the Book of Revelation, a piece of apocalypse literature written by John of Patmos. Revelation 6 tells of a book or scroll in God's right hand tha ...
was widely circulated around social media platforms. The hoax text, purportedly written by Nostradamus in 1503, is as follows: :''From the calm morning,'' :''the end will come'' :''when of the dancing horse'' :''the number of circles will be nine'' "Calm morning" is said to be in reference to Psy's birth country –
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, derived from the characters for one of its older names, ''Joseon'' (조선/朝鮮). "Dancing horse" refers to Psy's
Gangnam Style "Gangnam Style" ( ko, 강남스타일, ) is a K-pop song by South Korean rapper Psy, released on July 15, 2012, by YG Entertainment as the lead single of his sixth studio album, ''Psy 6 (Six Rules), Part 1'' (''Ssai Yukgap Part 1''). The term ...
"dancing horse" routine, whereas the "nine circles" refer to the number of zeroes in one billion (1,000,000,000), which is nine. It was believed that once Psy's Gangnam Style video on YouTube amassed a billion views, the world would end. The music video did reach one billion views on December 21, 2012, a popular date for which the world was predicted to end. However, the quatrain could not have been written by Nostradamus in 1503; he was born in December of that year.


Political and military manipulation

During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, leaflets with false Nostradamus quatrains predicting the defeat of
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
were launched by German planes over European skies. It seems that this operation was mastered by
Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
political secretary
Rudolf Hess Rudolf Walter Richard Hess (Heß in German; 26 April 1894 – 17 August 1987) was a German politician and a leading member of the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. Appointed Deputy Führer to Adolf Hitler in 1933, Hess held that position unt ...
, and that even
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
believed in Nostradamus' quatrains. Certainly his propaganda Minister
Joseph Goebbels Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazi politician who was the ''Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief propagandist for the Nazi Party, and then Reich Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to 19 ...
did, under the influence of his wife
Magda Magda is a feminine given name, sometimes a short form ( hypocorism) of names such as Magdalena, which may refer to: * Magda Apanowicz (born 1985), Canadian actress * Magda B. Arnold (1903–2002), Czechoslovakian-born American psychologist * M ...
. Subsequently, the Allies responded in kind, both with air-dropped leaflets and via the American film ''Nostradamus Says So''. After Rudolf Hess left
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
in a solitary flight to
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, seeking a peace agreement with the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, Hitler issued the ''Aktion Hess'', a mandatory prosecution of any divinator or future-teller in all Nazi-occupied countries.


Entertainment


Film

Nostradamus Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, who is best known for his book ''Les Prophéties'' (published in 1555), a collection o ...
is the subject of many films and videos, including: * ''
Nostradamus Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, who is best known for his book ''Les Prophéties'' (published in 1555), a collection o ...
'' (1925) Italian
silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...
directed by Mario Roncoroni. * ''
More About Nostradamus ''More About Nostradamus'' is a 1941 American short film directed by David Miller. In 1941 it was nominated for an Academy Award at the 13th Academy Awards for Best Live Action Short Film, One-Reel. Cast * John Burton as Michel de Nostradam ...
'' (1941) (Nominated for the 1941 Academy Awards in the Short Subject category) * '' Nosutoradamusu no daiyogen'' (1974) Japanese film by Toshio Masuda. * ''
The Man Who Saw Tomorrow ''The Man Who Saw Tomorrow'' is a 1981 documentary-style movie about the predictions of French astrologer and physician Michel de Notredame (Nostradamus). ''The Man Who Saw Tomorrow'' is presented (one might say "hosted") and narrated by Ors ...
'' (1981), a documentary-style movie hosted, narrated by
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
. * ''
Nostradamus Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, who is best known for his book ''Les Prophéties'' (published in 1555), a collection o ...
'' (1994) depicts Nostradamus's rise in influence, because of both his success in treating plague and his predictions, culminating in his appointment as court physician to
Charles IX of France Charles IX (Charles Maximilien; 27 June 1550 – 30 May 1574) was King of France from 1560 until his death in 1574. He ascended the French throne upon the death of his brother Francis II in 1560, and as such was the penultimate monarch of the ...
(son of Henry II of France). * '' Before Twilight'' (2008) Polish film directed by Jacek Bławut. * ''
Farewell to Nostradamus , sometimes also referred to as ''To Hell With Nostradamus,'' is a 1995 Japanese animated film. It is the fourth theatrical feature film in the ''Lupin III'' franchise, and the first time Lupin's voice is provided by Kanichi Kurita, following the d ...
'' is an anime film based around the prophecies of Nostradamus. * Mention is made of Nostradamus in the 1985 Italian horror film '' Demoni'', directed by
Lamberto Bava Lamberto Bava (born 3 April 1944) is an Italian film director. Born in Rome, Bava began working as an assistant director for his director father Mario Bava. Lamberto co-directed the 1979 television film ''La Venere d'Ille'' with his father and in ...
and produced by
Dario Argento Dario Argento (; born 7 September 1940) is an Italian film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and film critic, critic. His influential work in the horror film, horror genre during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in the subgenre known as ...
. According to the characters of the film shown at the fictional Metropol movie theater, Nostradamus predicted the spawning of demons that will "spread pestilence" and be "instruments of evil".


Television

The television series ''
Alias Alias may refer to: * Pseudonym * Pen name * Nickname Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Alias'' (2013 film), a 2013 Canadian documentary film * ''Alias'' (TV series), an American action thriller series 2001–2006 * ''Alias the ...
'' prominently features the character
Milo Rambaldi The following is a partial list of characters from the TV series, ''Alias''. Overview Main characters Recurring characters McKenas Cole McKenas Cole was portrayed by Quentin Tarantino. Formerly an operative for SD-6, he defected from the o ...
, a fictional prophet who seems to be an amalgam of Nostradamus and the non-prophetic but
visionary A visionary, defined broadly, is one who can envision the future. For some groups, this can involve the supernatural. The visionary state is achieved via meditation, lucid dreams, daydreams, or art. One example is Hildegard of Bingen, a 12th-c ...
inventor An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It may also be an entirely new concept. If an ...
,
artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...
, and
genius Genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for future works, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabiliti ...
Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially res ...
. In the
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
series '' First Wave'', the protagonists use a previously unknown book of quatrains of Nostradamus to fight back against an alien invasion. Nostradamus was also a regular character on '' This Morning With Richard Not Judy'', played by
Emma Kennedy Emma Kennedy (born Elizabeth Emma Williams on 28 May 1967) is an English actress, lawyer, comedian, and travel writer, comedian, television presenter and author. Early life and education The daughter of teachers,
. Nostradamus appeared semi-regularly on the
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
animated series An animated series is a set of animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can have either ...
''
Histeria! ''Histeria!'' is an American animated series created by Tom Ruegger and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Unlike other animated series produced by Warner Bros. in the 1990s, ''Histeria!'' was an explicitly educational program created to me ...
'' as an eccentric
red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...
-
beard A beard is the hair that grows on the jaw, chin, upper lip, lower lip, cheeks, and neck of humans and some non-human animals. In humans, usually pubescent or adult males are able to grow beards. Throughout the course of history, societal at ...
ed man in
stereotypical In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for example ...
wizard garb. On ''
Mr. Show with Bob and David ''Mr. Show with Bob and David'', also known as ''Mr. Show'', is an American sketch comedy series starring and hosted by Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. It aired on HBO from November 3, 1995, to December 28, 1998. Cross and Odenkirk introduced m ...
'', an episode contains a sketch called "Nostradamus and his Companion". In it, Nostradamus (played by
Bob Odenkirk Robert John Odenkirk (; born October 22, 1962) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker best known for his role as Saul Goodman on ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–2013) and its spin-off ''Better Call Saul'' (2015–2022). For the latter, he has re ...
) is a
gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...
man who falls in love with a fashion designer, played by
David Cross David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and writer known for his stand-up performances, the HBO sketch comedy series ''Mr. Show'' (1995–1998), and his role as Tobias Fünke in the Fox/Netflix sitcom ...
. Nostradamus is left behind by his constant chum, who goes on to achieve fame and fortune in the fashion industry. The sketch ends with a school being named after them: "Nostradamus and His Constant Chum Elementary School." On ''
Chappelle's Show ''Chappelle's Show'' is an American sketch comedy television series created by comedians Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show and starring in the majority of its sketches. Chappelle, Brennan, and Michele Armour were th ...
'', the sketch comedy show hosted by
Dave Chappelle David Khari Webber Chappelle ( ; born August 24, 1973) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is best known for his satirical comedy sketch series ''Chappelle's Show'' (2003–2006), which he starred in until quitting in the middle of p ...
, there is a character named Negrodamus (played by comedian Paul Mooney), an
African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
version of Nostradamus who makes various predictions in response to questions. In the
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
cartoon ''
CatDog ''CatDog'' is an American animated television series created by Peter Hannan for Nickelodeon. The series follows the life of yellow conjoined brothers of different species, with one half of the resultant animal being a cat and the other a dog. ...
'', the title characters find a prediction in a book by the fictitious prophet "Nostradummy" that they interpret as predicting the imminent end of the world. In ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
'' episode "
Thank God, It's Doomsday "Thank God, It's Doomsday" is the nineteenth episode of the sixteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 8, 2005. Al Jean claims that the recorded comm ...
",
Homer Simpson Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the American animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared, along with the rest of his family, in ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' short "G ...
is sarcastically called "Nostradumbass" by
Comic Book Guy Jeff Albertson, commonly known as Comic Book Guy, is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the second-season episode " Three Men and a Comic Book", wh ...
after his initial prophecy of the end of the world is incorrect. In the
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
ATV series '' My Date with a Vampire'' (series 1), Nostradamus (also referred to as the "French Guy") was held to have made a prophecy of the end of world in 1999, with a third of the world's population turning into monsters or vampires and the rest perishing. The antagonist, vampire Yamamoto Kazuo (portrayed by Kenneth Chan) and later Yu Meng Sap Sam or his true identity—Lo Hau (portrayed by Wai Lit), sought to make the prophecy come true and rule the world, but the protagonists Fong Tin Yau (portrayed by
Eric Wan Eric Wan Tin-chiu (born 28 October 1964) is a Hong Kong television actor best known for his role as "Fong Tin-yau" in the '' My Date with a Vampire'' television series trilogy produced by the Hong Kong television network ATV. Wan began his actin ...
) and Ma Siu Ling (portrayed by
Joey Meng Joey Meng Yee-man born 2 October 1970 is a Hong Kong actress, model and beauty spokesperson. She is best known for her roles with television network ATV before moving to network TVB in 2013. Her contract with TVB ended in 2020. Life and career ...
) were able to stop this from occurring. The anime ''
Occult Academy is a Japanese anime television series produced by A-1 Pictures and Aniplex and directed by Tomohiko Itō. The 13-episode anime premiered in Japan on the TV Tokyo television network on July 6, 2010. ''Occult Academy'' is the third and final pro ...
'' revolves around an artifact called the Nostradamus Key, an object that will open a dimensional rift on July 21, 1999, that would trigger an alien invasion in the year 2012. In fact, it seems that the survivors of the 2012 invasion used alien technology to send someone to tell Nostradamus as part of a plan to prevent the invasion.
Bob Bainborough Bob Bainborough (born 1951) is a Canadian actor and comedian. He is known for playing the role of Dalton Humphrey in the Canadian comedy series ''The Red Green Show'', and appearances on ''History Bites''. Bainborough was nominated for a Gemini ...
portrayed Nostradamus in an episode of ''
History Bites ''History Bites'' is a television series on the History (Canada), History Television network that ran from 1998 to 2004. Created by Rick Green (comedian), Rick Green, ''History Bites'' explored what would be on television if the medium had been a ...
'', appearing in an
infomercial An infomercial is a form of television commercial that resembles regular TV programming yet is intended to promote or sell a product, service or idea. It generally includes a toll-free telephone number or website. Most often used as a form of dire ...
to sell his books, referencing C1Q35, among others, as an example of his prophecy. A two-hour documentary on Nostradamus first aired by the History Channel on 28 October 2007 suggests that a book of paintings in the National Library at Rome is ''The Lost Book of Nostradamus''. In an
episode An episode is a narrative unit within a larger dramatic work or documentary production, such as a series intended for radio, television or streaming consumption. The noun ''episode'' is derived from the Greek term ''epeisodion'' (), meaning t ...
of ''
The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based American Mafia, Italian-American mobster, portraying h ...
'',
Bobby Baccalieri Robert Baccalieri Jr., portrayed by Steve Schirripa, is a fictional character on the HBO series ''The Sopranos''. He is nicknamed "Bobby Bacala". A mobster, Bobby is first shown as a soldier and then later top aide to Corrado "Junior" Soprano. Th ...
gets Nostradamus mixed up with
Quasimodo Quasimodo (from Quasimodo Sunday) is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the novel ''The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' (1831) by Victor Hugo. Quasimodo was born with a hunchback and feared by the townspeople as a sort of monster, but h ...
, saying that Quasimodo predicted 9/11 and the end of the world. He also appears in various episodes of the
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
animated show ''
Clone High ''Clone High'' (occasionally referred to in the United States as ''Clone High USA'') is an adult animated science fiction sitcom created by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Bill Lawrence. The show centers on a high school populated by the clo ...
'' as a teenaged clone of the original Nostradamus. The ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
'' ''
Past Doctor Adventures The ''Past Doctor Adventures'' (sometimes known by the abbreviation ''PDA'' or ''PDAs'') were a series of spin-off novels based on the long running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and published under the BBC Books imprin ...
'' novel ''
The King of Terror ''The King of Terror'' is a BBC Books original novel written by Keith Topping and based on the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It features the Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough, The Brigadier, and UNIT Unit m ...
'' features the
Fifth Doctor The Fifth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Peter Davison. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord from t ...
and
UNIT Unit may refer to: Arts and entertainment * UNIT, a fictional military organization in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' * Unit of action, a discrete piece of action (or beat) in a theatrical presentation Music * ''Unit'' (alb ...
dealing with a group of terrorists called the Sons of Nostradamus who consider it their duty to ensure that his prophecies-apparently predicting the end of the world in 1999-come true, but the prophecies are eventually revealed to have been part of the efforts of the alien race known as the Canavatchi to retard humanity's development. The
History Channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...
periodically airs a series of films on supposedly apocalyptic prophecies under the general title '' The Nostradamus Effect'', but in his book ''2012: It's Not the End of the World'', Nostradamus specialist Peter Lemesurier describes them as 'largely fiction' and 'lurid nonsense'. In '' Hetalia: Axis Powers'', Germany and Japan worry about the end of the World due to one of Nostradamus's prophecies. However, Britain and France ignore this warning, due to having lived through another supposed apocalypse, and instead tell Japan and Germany not to worry. Nostradamus is featured in CW's drama ''
Reign A reign is the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation (e.g., Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Andorra), of a people (e.g., the Franks, the Zulus) or of a spiritual community (e.g., Catholicism, Tibetan Buddhism, N ...
''. Nostradamus is featured in the ''
Robot Chicken ''Robot Chicken'' is an American adult animated stop motion sketch comedy television series, created and executive produced for Adult Swim by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. The writers, ...
'' episode "Petless M in: Cars Are Couches of the Road", voiced by
Alfred Molina Alfred Molina (born Alfredo Molina; 24 May 1953) is a British-American actor known for his work on the stage and screen. He first rose to prominence in the West End, earning a nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Pla ...
. Nostradamus was mentioned in ''
Celebrity Deathmatch ''Celebrity Deathmatch'' is an adult stop-motion claymated series created by Eric Fogel and produced by John Worth Lynn Jr. for MTV. A parody of sports entertainment programs, ''Celebrity Deathmatch'' depicted various celebrities engaging in ...
'' as the intended opponent for
John Edward John Edward McGee Jr. (born October 19, 1969) is an American television personality, author and a self-proclaimed psychic medium. After writing his first book on the subject in 1998, Edward became a well-known (and controversial) figure in the ...
in one episode. However, he predicted he would lose the fight and refused to show up.


Books

Fiction * In
Phil Rickman Phil Rickman (also known under the pen names of Thom Madley and Will Kingdom) is a British author of supernatural and mystery novels. Biography Rickman was born in Lancashire in northern England and worked as a journalist for BBC World Service ...
's historical novel ''
The Bones of Avalon ''The Bones of Avalon'' is a novel in first-person narrative mode by Phil Rickman. It is about John Dee, who investigates undercover on Her Majesty's Service. It was followed by ''The Heresy of Dr Dee''. Plot Part 1 John Dee gets visited b ...
'', Nostradamus appears at the end as the major villain who must be opposed by this novel's hero
John Dee John Dee (13 July 1527 – 1608 or 1609) was an English mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, teacher, occultist, and alchemist. He was the court astronomer for, and advisor to, Elizabeth I, and spent much of his time on alchemy, divinatio ...
. The book describes his contemporary influence and depicts him as a master of propaganda and
psychological warfare Psychological warfare (PSYWAR), or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations (PsyOp), have been known by many other names or terms, including Military Information Support Operations (MISO), Psy Ops, political warfare, "Hearts and Mi ...
. * In
Alexander Kuprin Aleksandr Ivanovich Kuprin (russian: link=no, Александр Иванович Куприн;  – 25 August 1938) was a Russian writer best known for his novels ''The Duel'' (1905)Kuprin scholar Nicholas Luker, in his biography ''A ...
's short story "The Blue Star", published in 1927, it is mentioned that Nostradamus has composed a
horoscope A horoscope (or other commonly used names for the horoscope in English include natal chart, astrological chart, astro-chart, celestial map, sky-map, star-chart, cosmogram, vitasphere, radical chart, radix, chart wheel or simply chart) is an ast ...
for one of the main characters, a French prince.


Music

British singer/songwriter
Al Stewart Alastair Ian Stewart (born 5 September 1945) is a Scottish born singer-songwriter and folk-rock musician who rose to prominence as part of the British folk revival in the 1960s and 1970s. He developed a unique style of combining folk-rock so ...
's album '' Past, Present and Future'' was a concept album including a song about every decade of the 20th century. As Stewart wrote the album in 1973, events from the latter years of the century were covered by the song "Nostradamus", in which some of the prophecies are quoted. One of the prophecies appears to refer to the future fall of the
Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall (german: Berliner Mauer, ) was a guarded concrete barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and East Germany (GDR). Construction of the Berlin Wall was commenced by the government ...
and the unnatural death of a
Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
named Pol; events which might have been considered predictable, even if the date was not. 1977
Moody Blues Moody may refer to: Places * Moody, Alabama, U.S. * Moody, Indiana, U.S. * Moody, Missouri, U.S. * Moody, Texas, U.S. * Moody County, South Dakota, U.S. * Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada * Hundred of Moody, a cadastral division in South A ...
member
Justin Hayward David Justin Hayward (born 14 October 1946) is an English musician best known as the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of the rock band the Moody Blues. Hayward became the group's principal lead guitarist and vocalist over the 1967–1974 ...
wrote a song on his album ''
Songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...
'' called "Nostrodamus".
Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...
's "Die With Your Boots On" from the 1983 album ''
Piece of Mind ''Piece of Mind'' is the fourth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released on 16 May 1983 in the United Kingdom by EMI Records and in the United States by Capitol Records. It was the first album to feature drummer Ni ...
'' pokes fun at Nostradamus and his believers. In 1984,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band Manfred Mann's Earth Band are an English rock band formed by South African musician Manfred Mann (musician), Manfred Mann. Their hits include covers of Bruce Springsteen's "For You (Bruce Springsteen song), For You", "Blinded by the Light" an ...
released the album ''
Somewhere in Afrika ''Somewhere in Afrika'' is the eleventh album by Manfred Mann's Earth Band, released in 1982. It is their last studio album recorded for their long time record label Bronze Records. They would record their next studio album, ''Criminal Tango'' f ...
'', which contains a cover of the
Al Stewart Alastair Ian Stewart (born 5 September 1945) is a Scottish born singer-songwriter and folk-rock musician who rose to prominence as part of the British folk revival in the 1960s and 1970s. He developed a unique style of combining folk-rock so ...
song, mistitled as "Eyes of Nostradamus". ''
Project Driver ''Project: Driver'' is a studio album by the heavy metal supergroup M.A.R.S., released in 1986 through Shrapnel Records (United States) and Roadrunner Records (Europe). The band's name is made up of the initial of each musician's last name: gu ...
'' is a studio album by the heavy metal supergroup M.A.R.S., released in 1986 that contains the song "Nostradamus" about the prophet.
Composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...
Robert Steadman Robert Steadman (born 1 April 1965) is a British composer of classical music who mostly works in a post-minimalist style but also writes lighter music, including musicals, and compositions for educational purposes. He also teaches, writes arti ...
has twice used Nostradamus'
prophecies In religion, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a ''prophet'') by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divine will or law, or prete ...
in pieces of music: in 1987,
quatrains A quatrain is a type of stanza, or a complete poem, consisting of four lines. Existing in a variety of forms, the quatrain appears in poems from the poetic traditions of various ancient civilizations including Persia, Ancient India, Ancient Greec ...
by Nostradamus were juxtaposed with the Latin Requiem Mass text and poems on natural environment, environmental issues. And in 1999, he set what was thought by some to be Nostradamus's prediction of the end of the world for soprano and chamber ensemble in ''The Final Prophecy''. The 1993 album ''The Window of Life'' by Pendragon (band), Pendragon includes a song entitled "Nostradamus (Stargazing)". Marilyn Manson said that his ''Antichrist Superstar'' CD, which came out in 1996, was an answer to the Nostrandamus prophecy in which he said that "The 3rd. Antichrist was going to come to the earth in the year 1996". Haggard (band), Haggard produced two albums dealing with the seer Michel de Notredame in the dark days of The Black Plague in Europe: ''And Thou Shalt Trust... the Seer'' in 1997 and ''Awaking the Centuries'' in 1998. Darkane's Song "July 1999" from ''Rusted Angel'', is all about the Nostradamus dated prophecy. Rapper Nas refers to himself as ''Nastradamus'' and released an album titled ''Nastradamus'' along with Nastradamus (song), its first single titled the same name in 1999. Bulgarian guitarist Nikolo Kotzev released a rock opera called ''Nikolo Kotzev's Nostradamus'' in 2001, based on the life and times of Nostradamus. In 2005, Dutch band Kayak (band), Kayak released a rock opera called ''Nostradamus - Fate of Man''. Germany, German power metal band Helloween's 1996 album ''The Time of the Oath'' is based on Nostradamus' supposed prophecy of a world war between 1994 and 2000. In 1997, Finnish metal band Stratovarius recorded a concept album loosely based on the life and prophecies of Nostradamus. The album was called ''Visions (Stratovarius album), Visions''. In 2008, the British Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Judas Priest released a concept album based on the life of Nostradamus. Simply named Nostradamus (album), ''Nostradamus'', the album itself focuses on Nostradamus' life and his prophecies. "Nostradamus said 'I predict that the world will end at half past six' / What he didn't say was exactly when" are the opening lyrics of "Tinderbox", penned by Bernie Taupin and sung by Elton John. Modest Mouse vocalist Isaac Brock (musician), Isaac Brock seems to take a stab at Nostradamus in a song called "Education" from the band's fifth studio album, ''We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank''. The verse is as follows: "Good old Nostradamas / he knew the whole damn time / there would always be an east from west / and someone in there fighting". In the bonus track of Dane Cook's "Harmful If Swallowed" he speaks of how a person would wake up and think he is late, then look at his clock to find out that he is in fact late. He would yell "I HATE it when I'm like
Nostradamus Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, who is best known for his book ''Les Prophéties'' (published in 1555), a collection o ...
and I predict that I'm late!" Several songs by The Stranglers contain references to Nostradamus' prophecies: "Goodbye Toulouse" (1977), "Shah Shah a go go" (1979), "Four Horsemen" (1980), "Top Secret" (1981), "It's a Small World" (1983).


Comics

In an Italian Mickey Mouse story (''Topolino e la Piramide Impossible''), Mickey and Goofy travel back in time and by accident a young boy followed them back to the present. The boy had to go back to his own time and his memory of the future was erased, but before that he grabbed pieces of books. The boy of course became Nostradamus and the ripped pages from books explained his visions of the future. The story was made by Massimo Marconi and Massimo De Vita. In the 1989 Scrooge McDuck story "The Curse of Nostrildamus" by Don Rosa
AR 143
, Scrooge enters the prophet's tomb to take the amulet that was the source of his power. However, whoever wears the amulet also attracts disasters – though Donald Duck ends up as the victim of the disasters instead of Scrooge. In author's commentary in the Finnish album release, Don Rosa says he was inspired to write the story based on the legend that whoever drank from Nostradamus's skull would be given the gift of prophecy. A The Phantom, Phantom story from 1983 by Ulf Granberg and Jaime Vallvé featured an appearance by Nostradamus. In the DC Comics Universe, Nostradamus was an ancestor of Zatara and Zatanna. In the Marvel Comics series ''S.H.I.E.L.D.'', Nostradamus is held prisoner of Isaac Newton and kept alive for centuries using the Fountain of Youth so he can read the future for him. In Scott Adams's comic strip ''Dilbert'', "Nostradogbert" is a pseudonym of Dogbert. In Mad (magazine), ''Mad'' magazine's section entitled the "strip club", a comic strip entitled Middle School Nostradamus appears every so often. Nostradamus is depicted as a preteen in wizard garb who makes predictions of impending despair for the people he is around at inopportune times.


Mangas

In ''Record of Ragnarok'', thirteen historical humans are chosen to fight thirteen mythological gods in a tournament for humanity's survival. Nostradamus is one of the human fighters.


Games

Face released an arcade game called ''Nostradamus (arcade game), Nostradamus''. Though the game itself had nothing to do with Nostradamus, the game's title screen showed a resemblance to his son's portrait of him, however he is facing the other direction and looks older. In ''Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow'', the prophecy of 1999 was used as the resurrection of Dracula (Castlevania), Dracula and added that all born of the day of Dracula's demise are "Dark Candidates" meaning that they have the potential to become the next Dark Lord. This prophecy is referenced again in ''Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, Portrait of Ruin''; the Belmonts cannot wield the Vampire Killer whip until 1999, when Dracula is revived. In the eroge ''Nostradamus ni Kiite Miro♪'', a girl named Stra (a shortened form of Nostradamus) claims to be the writer of Nostradamus' predictions. The prophet Nostradamus appears in the 2003 video game ''Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader''. In ''Nostradamus: The Last Prophecy'', Nostradamus appears as an adviser to his daughter during the game. In ''Super Ninja Boy'' for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Super NES, there is a prophet named Notruedamus. In ''Ninja Gaiden (arcade), Ninja Gaiden'', the hero is a nameless ninja on a quest to defeat an evil cult led by a fictional descendant of Nostradamus. In ''SpyHunter'', the hero, Alec Sects, has to stop an organization called Nostra, led by Daemon Curry, who believes in the prophecies of Nostradamus, thinks he is the figure mentioned in several religions and plans to stop all the world's electricity. In ''Assassin's Creed Unity'', there are Nostradamus riddles hidden in Paris for Arno to solve. In the PopCap Games, PopCap game ''Insaniquarium'', there is an obtainable pet with the ability to postpone alien attacks named Nostradamus.


Theatre

The soothsayer Thomas Nostradamus is a main character in the musical ''Something Rotten!'', where he was originally portrayed by actor Brad Oscar.


Notes


External links

* Snopes
False claims of Nostradamus predicting the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001


{{DEFAULTSORT:Nostradamus In Popular Culture Literary forgeries Cultural depictions of Nostradamus, Popular culture Topics in popular culture ru:Предсказания Мишеля Нострадамуса