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La tour marine trois fois prise & reprise,
Par Hespaignoiz, Barbares, Ligurins :
Marseille & Aix, Arles par ceux de Pise,
Vast, feu, fer, pille Avignon des Thurins.
Note on Interpretation: Virgil tells us in the Aeneid that Hesperia is Italy, the lands to the west of Greece. Tour has been translated into tower by Theophilus and most commentators since him, and it is a legitimate translation. But it could also be translated into walk, stroll, girth or movement. The first line could be Marine Tower, Marine Walk, Marine Stroll, Marine Girth or Marine Movement.
The flavor of the quatrain seems to indicate the Second World War, when Italians (those of Turin) were attacking and conquering southern France (Avignon, etc). Yet the Italians did not get that far from what I understand.
The key is in identifying the Marine Tower (or Marine whatever) of the first line. And this is difficult. I will give an example that gives the difficulties of properly interpreting the quatrain. I considered Tobruk, a marine port with a great natural harbor that had a fortress built by the ancient Greeks. It was owned by the Italians at the beginning of 1940. It however passed into British Commonwealth hands, was retaken by the Germans and Italians and then finally taken a third time by the British, taken and retaken three times. Now the Italians would be the Ligurians and the Hesperians while the Germans would be the Barbarians. But what about Arles and Marseilles being captured by those of Pisa (the Italians)? I do not think the Italians went so far west. Of course, it could be that these cities were hampered by the Italians, that does make sense and agrees with the third line. But there are other possibilities that may explain the quatrain, especially the first line. As can be seen, as far as I can determine at this time, due of my absolute uncertainty about the Hesperians, trying to claim that this quatrain refers to Tobruk is to force it, without a firm support by the facts.
On such little details do proper interpretations stand and fall.
Du tout Marseille des habitans changée,
Course & poursuitte jusques au pres de Lyon :
Narbon, Tholoze par Bourdeaux outragée,
Tués captifz presque d’un million.
The figures of line 4 preclude any war before the twentieth century. Even the Franco-Prussian war saw a total casualty figure of fewer than four hundred thousand. Consequently, the flow of the quatrain has to be the landing of the United Nations on southern France known as Operation Dragoon, and the subsequent drive up the Rhone River, with minor side thrusts to liberate all of southwest France. This was actually a minor companion to Operation Overlord and the ultimate liberation of all of France.
The change that occurred to Marseilles was its liberation. Note that it is not the inhabitants who change, but their status: They changed from slaves of Germany to free French. Lyons is on the Rhone River and was in the way of the United Nations thrust, its liberation was the end of this quatrain.
During the fight, there were those who supported the United Nations and those who supported the Germans. Collaborators with Germany were everywhere. Most collaborators were blatant anti-Semites. The anti-Semitism and the collaborating tended to be more entrenched in the conservative country than the more liberal cities, so Nostradamus named the Province of Boudreaux to represent the more conservative side, and the cities to represent the more liberal side.
As for the casualty figure, it is unlikely that the French and the United Nations suffered that much. However, one must also include the German and Italian losses. The Germans lost a considerable number of forces trying to stop the United Nations from advancing, and some of the territory liberated was occupied by the Italians. Taken as a whole, with losses on both sides, a million people dead and injured is not an unreasonable figure for this short time.
France à cinq pars par neglect assaile,
Tunys, Argel esmeux par Persiens :
Leon, Seville, Barcelon faillie,
N’aura la classe par les Venitiens.
The only time France was assailed on 5 sides was during 1813, during the final year of Napoléon’s reign (not counting the 100 days). Britain and Spain were assaulting from the south, Prussia, Austria and Russia were coming in strong from the East. But the French lost their fleet not because of what the Venetians did, but what the British did at Trafalgar. Consequently, this must refer to the future. The Venetians here refers to the Italians. It is true that the French lost their fleet during the Second World War, when the Italians were the enemies of France, but the French lost their fleet due to the actions of the Germans, not the Italians. Also, France faced only two enemies, not five. Tunis is a port city, located in North Africa on the Mediterranean Sea. Argel is normally taken to mean Algeria, and it is the ancient Spanish version of Algeria. That said, I have found a village called Argel, it is in Armenia. It could be that Nostradamus is referring to both places.
Apres sejourné vogueront en Epire,
Le grand secours viendra vers Antioche,
Le noir poil crespe tendra fort à l’empire,
Barbe d’azerin le roustira en broche.
I cannot find anyone who fulfilled this quatrain – yet. The closest so far was Napoléon, who, during his Egyptian campaign, got as close as Acre. But that was some ways south of Antioch (now Antiocha in southern Turkey). He did sail towards Empire, leaving Egypt for France, but he did not succeed in fulfilling line 2 and the last lines are nonsensical when applied to a Napoléonic context.
The beard of bronze strongly ties in with Bronzebeard in Quatrain 45 of the 5th Century, which is strongly indicative of a future leader. This has to be the future.
Le tyran Siene occupera Savone,
Le fort gaigné tiendra classe marine :
Les deux armées par la marque d’Ancone
Par effraieur le chef s’en examine.
Siena is located on the north western part of the Italian boot. Savona is on the coast of the Piedmont area. Ancona is located on the northern part of the Italian boot, next to the Adriatic Sea. The Italian flavor of the quatrain is quite obvious.
It sounds that the ruler of Siena will march north, conquering Savona. He will also strive to get Ancona, though the savagery will cause him to examine himself.
I cannot make this fit any past events that I know of. Unless there is something that I do not know of, this has to refer to the future.
D’un nom farouche tel proferé fera,
Que les troys seurs auront fato le nom :
Puis grand peuple par langue & faict dira,
Plus que nul autre aura bruit & renom.
That this refers to Napoléon is guaranteed by the first line. It was almost as if his name, meaning “Destroyer” was destined for him by the three fates, the sisters Nostradamus mentioned in line 2. The great people are the French. Of the French monarchs, he is the most famous, for obvious reasons, both positive (the Code Napoléon) and negative (the Napoléonic Wars).
Entre deux mers dressera promontoire,
Que puis mourra par le mords du cheval :
Le sien Neptune pliera voille noire,
Par Calpre & classe aupres de Rocheval.
Even in Nostradamus’s day, Calpre was believed to be Gibraltar, the opening that connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.
Neptune refers not the planet Neptune, in either astronomical or astrological meaning, neither does it refer to the God Neptune, instead it refers to the ruler of the seas, which Neptune supposedly was. As of this date, that label is given to the British and has been for over 300 years, though currently it is the United States that truly rules the seas.
I cannot find Rocheval. That said, there is a Richeval in the Lorraine department, and a Roche Au Val, in Brittany, which is probably more accurate – it must be remembered that Nostradamus strove to make the lines rhyme, if he had to alter a word to succeed then he altered the word.
The bite of the horse that kills a person is completely ambiguous to me.
D’un chief viellard naistra sens hebeté,
Degenerant par favoir & par armes :
Le chef de France par soeur redoubté,
Champs divisés, concedés aug gendarmes.
I keep thinking this refers to World War II. By my reasoning, the first two lines would refer to Hitler or Mussolini, the last two lines to France and Paul Reynaud, the leader of France before it was divided. Hitler was certainly not very knowledgeable about much, especially arms (which was emphasized by Nostradamus), though he was exceedingly knowledgeable about oratory and, in his early days, could read the minds of his opponents to a remarkable degree. He was also quite capable of brilliant quick victories, though he was unable to deal with determined long-term opposition. However, problems arise. Hitler’s father, Alois, was not a leader but a bureaucrat. Now, he may have been a bureaucratic leader, which would fit, but I have strong doubts. Also, I know nothing about a sister of Paul Reynaud.
As an alternate interpretation, I considered Philippe Pétain. In a sense, he was “born” or created as a national leader in 1940 when Vichy was created. And he was certainly old. His knowledge and his arms had been impecible during the First World War, but he lead France to defeat during the Second. The fields of line 4 would obviously refer to the division of France, three fifth of it was under the direct control of the Nazis. But again, who is the sister?
Bazaz, Lectore, Condon, Ausch & Agine,
Esmeus par loix quelle & monopole.
Car Bourd, Thoulouze Bay mettra en ruine
Remouveler voulant leur tauropole.
Note on Translation: Most of the cities and towns mentioned are in France. That said, I cannot find Condon, Ausch or Agine though. I am reluctant to use Auch and Agen, the common translations of Ausch and Agine. I found an Aisch in Germany, that is the closest I came to interpreting Ausch. Condon is beyond me. It could be that the first line does not refer to places but to people, it is certainly true that all 5 are French family names.
The Tauropole is a bull sacrifice. My limited research indicates that it was dedicated to Artemis, sister of Apollo and the goddess of the wild. Therefore, it could refer to the desire of at least part of France to return to a wild mode of existence. Beyond that, there is not much that I can say about this quatrain. I think it refers to the future.
De la sixiesme claire splendeur celeste
Viendra tonner si fort en la Bourgougne :
Puis naistra monstre de treshideuse beste,
Mars, Apuril, May, Juin, grand charpin & rougne.
Note on Translation: Mars on line 4 can refer to the month of March, or the God of War, Mars. It definitely does not refer to the planet for astrological purposes. The first line refers to Mars, the sixth bright celestial splendor. It is, on the average, brighter than Saturn, but dimmer than Jupiter, Venus, Mercury or the two luminaries (Sun and Moon), its redness dimming it somewhat compared to what it could be.
If you read Mars in line 4 as referring to the month of March, then the quatrain is nonsensical. However, if you read it as Mars, the God of War, then the quatrain reads like an open book. War was already declared and ongoing. Germany with Soviet assistance, had already carved up Poland. Martial ardor already encompassed almost all of France. Yet the phony war, or sitzkrieg, was everywhere. However, in April of 1940, that all changed.
The German operation to occupy Denmark and Norway started April 7th. Without any declaration, German forces overran tiny Denmark and attacked Norway. The Norwegians, supported by the British at Narvik and Trondheim, put up a stiffer resistance than anticipated, successfully sinking the German cruiser Blücher and defending Oslo by sea. British attention was focused to the north when, in May, the main attack was sprung against the French and the lowland nations. By the end of June, it was all over. The British were forced to evacuate Narvik and Trondheim and had miraculously recovered thousands of British and French troops through the miracle of Dunkirk. Another evacuation from Brittany occurred soon after the French Armistice at Compiègne. In these three months, the martial spirit of the Germans had completely transformed the war. Germany was triumphant. Britain stood alone. And the monster, Vichy France, born of the repugnant beast Adolf Hitler, had come into being.