Phoenix
by Dale J. Sprague
White Papers
Nostradamus, The Artist
Truth made occult can only be fathomed by heart
Interpreted theme: As humankind, remote from the logos of Nature, or too close to it, its civilization destructs in perpetual war, and nature patiently waits for the carrion.
Art theme simile: "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville; where Captain Bly and his ship represents civilization far from the logos of Nature, and Moby Dick, the white whale, represents Nature striking back.
Chorus 6-100: Incantation of the Law Against Inept Critics
"Let those who read this verse consider it profoundly,
let the profane and the ignorant heard keep away:
And far away all Astrologers, Idiots, and Barbarians,
May he who does otherwise be subject to the sacred rite."The sacred rite of what? It is submitted here, that this rite is of art. The Prophesies of Nostradamus were written in French verse. At first sight, the work should be considered as one of art; not prophesies. Underscoring this notion, Nostradamus in his 6-100 Incantation, groups astrologers with idiots and barbarians.
Except for seven quatrains that function like a chorus in a Shakespearean play, each expresses war, the preparation for it, or changes that set the stage for another war. Except for quatrain 1-25 with reference to 'Pasteur,' all of the quatrains draw from proper nouns of his times. In all his accumulative knowledge and experience, Nostradamus paints a picture of how civilized humankind preoccupies themselves. The expressions portray civilization as one far, far from celebrating life. The quatrains even suggest his venting, a catharsis of anger and frustration associated with humankind being so far from the logos of Nature.
Chorus 8-3: Edition 1589
"Alas what a fury! Alas what a pity,
Will there be between people:
Never did one see such a friendship
As the wolves will have diligent in running."As civilization wars in vain, "never did one see such a friendship as the wolves will have diligent in running," running in packs together.
Quatrain 1-25
"The lost thing is discovered, hidden for many centuries.
Pasteur will be celebrated almost as a god'like figure.
This is when the moon completes her great cycle,
but by other rumors he shall be dishonored."What Pasteur discovered was not lost; it was discovered for the first time in the history of humankind. In the French version, the word "pasteur" is in lower case, which suggests that it was not a reference to a person because all references to actual places with specific names where capitalized. "Pasteur" in the French means "pastor," which fits into the context of this quatrain. The English translator capitalized the word 'pasteur' and left its meaning untranslated to suggest a person who lived 200 years after Nostradamus. With this criticism, the only quatrain that appeared to suggest prophetic knowledge has been disqualified.
The consistently repeating image of the quatrains, except for those that function as chorus, is one of civilization in perpetual battle. Given this death grip civilization has on itself, Nostradamus focuses on his present and near future and distant future, and envisions a terrible dirge of circumstances that civilization will indefinitely perpetuate.
Nostradamus characterized self'destructive civilization with a number of the quatrains, including two attributed to him, which functions in the light of this thesis as chorus.
Expressing vain battle and its collateral damage,
Chorus 8-87
"A death conspired will come to its full effect,
The charge given and the voyage of death.
Elected, created, received..defeated by its followers,
in remorse the blood of innocence in front of him."A game to the idealistic aristocratic warlords, but a dirge, hell, and tragedy for everyone else,
Chorus 8-100
"By the great number of tears shed,
From top to bottom and from the bottom to the very top,
A life is lost through a game with too much faith,
To die of thirst through a great deficiency."Civilization isolated from nature, nature will assault,
Chorus 9-82
"By the flood and fierce pestilence,
the great city for long be sieged:
The sentry and guard dead by hand,
Sudden capture but none wronged."Invoking heavenly spiritual forces, they turn live'giving water to the hardness of stone to pelt civilization as nature strikes back; the egg, instead of 'seed of life' becomes an abstract reference used to relate how large the stones will be. At this point of the work, perhaps Nostradamus felt that he could pick any time and predict the likelihood of war and Nature punishing civilization.
Chorus 10-67
"A very mighty trembling in the month of May,
Saturn in Capricorn, Jupiter and Mercury in Taurus:
Venus also, Cancer, Mars in Virgo,
Hail will fall larger than an egg."As Nostradamus remarks, of all the quatrains..there are no references to explicit proper names of people and places correlated specifically with dates. None. Therefore, as to their worth as prophesies become a function of one's agenda and imagination.
If Nostradamus, as a poet, were to introduce his work as social criticism, it is unlikely that anyone would know of him or his work today. His letter to King Henry II, a foot'kissing bitter'sweet obsequious apology for his work, draws attention to it as prophesies, rather than social criticism art, the sacred rite. As prophesies, the quatrains are gibberish; as art, as cutting commentary on so'called civilized humankind, they are powerful. Nostradamus estimated that his work would endure, and it has as original works of art tend to endure. While it takes imagination to regard the quatrains as prophesies, insecurity has inspired imagination to this effect. It is submitted here, that if the work endures further, it would have to be by the force and subliminal effect as art.
The Preface to the 'Prophesies' opus is addressed to Nostradamus's son, Cesar Nostradame. While making constant references to the opus as prophesies with the left hand, he communicates to his son with the right..no doubt in hopes that his son would fathom the meaning of his work.
"The key to the hidden prediction which you will inherit will be locked inside your heart."
The reference here, is to a singular prediction that the opus as a whole, implies, which should be kept hidden and locked inside his heart to avoid accusations of heresy. Nostradamus gives the impression that detail places and times were given in secret, but he felt compelled to intentionally make the quatrains obscure with imagery; an argument acceptable in his time because it invokes the wisdom of Jesus, "..do not throw pearls before swine," a cloak certainly made with some risk of giving himself equal station with Jesus, and the acceptable truism that '...only God can really know the details of places, times, and events to come.'
Nostradamus relates that,
"The whole work is thus written in a nebulous rather than plainly prophetic form."The strategy serves to occult the opus as a work of art bearing its theme and its hidden criticism and prediction, while perhaps in the mind of some critics of the time, casting no more than the shadow of an old man grown senile in the twilight of his years.
Nostradamus makes a clear disclaimer about the work,
"We human beings cannot through our natural consciousness and intelligence know anything of God the Creator hidden secrets, for it is not for us to know the times or the instants..."He also makes a clear disclaimer about himself,
"I do not wish to ascribe to myself the title and role of prophet, but emphasize inspiration revealed to a mortal man whose perception is no further from heaven than the feet are from the earth."As an artist, Nostradamus reveals the theme of his opus and its prophesy...that humankind, civilization, as we know it, as it seemed to him, shall war indefinitely,
"...until all has perished save history and geography themselves...nothing shall escape the holocaust."This we have seen in progress since Nostradamus lived. In conclusion of the Preface, Nostradamus hopes that his son will understand the implied meaning in each prophesy in every quatrain, the violence that each alludes to, and collectively what they prophesize.
As a series of prophesies, the work is doomed to obscurity; like a murky fog in a boggy marsh, its occult mist settled, one cannot see what one's foot is stepping into. As a work of art with a critical eye on the behavior of humankind, the work becomes an enduring opus because its vision implies that it takes more than the grand construction of a city or metropolis, the establishment of an empire, or certainly more than the powers of science and high technology to be civilized. Its prophesy is also implied..that if civilization does not become civilized, celebrating life with human values that supersede traditional values, its future is uncertain with the sense that extinction..is more certain.
Given the vision of Nostradamus, he was a prophet. He was a social artist with a mission to create a work..a warning of a maelstrom toward which, war'faring humankind is heading. Reading the quatrains, one senses Nostradamus to be in the same zone as any artist, with a refrain that repeats itself over and over again..a refrain that continues to speak with relevance.