Nostradamus

Paper Summary:

The paper relates that 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. The paper discusses how detractors argue that Nostradamus was a first-class con-man, who wrote purposely vague predictions that allow his forecasts to be applied to a variety of events. The paper shows, however, that some of his predictions had a degree of detail that supporters argue is much more than coincidence.

Outline:
Supporting Nostradamus
Nostradamus the con?
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"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)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Menachem Begin: 6th Prime Minister of Israel" (No Date). Retrieved Nov. 25, 2006 from the Web site for the Orthodox Union at http://www.ou.org/chagim/yomhaatzmauth/begin.html.
• "Nostradamus" (2006). Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved Nov. 25, 2006 from http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761568156/Nostradamus.html.
• "Nostradamus" (No Date). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved Nov. 25, 2006 from http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9373679.
• "Nostradamus Predictions - What is the accuracy?" (No Date). Retrieved Nov. 25, 2006 from the Web site for All About Popular Issues athttp://www.allaboutpopularissues.org/nostradamus-predictions-faq.htm.
• "Quatrain 2-24" (2006). The Nostradamus Society of America. Retrieved Nov. 25, 2006 from http://www.nostradamususa.com/html/quatrain_2-24.html.

More papers on Nostradamus:

• Essay # 3807 : "Nostradamus' Predictions"
• Persuasive Essay # 124362 : "Apocalyptic Connotations"

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