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Apres combat & bataille navale,
Le grand Neptune à son plus hault beffroy,
Rogue aversaire de peur viédra passe,
Metant le grand ocean en effroy.
In roman mythology, Neptune was the Lord of the Sea. For a long time this role was filled by the British, the supreme naval power, so Neptune is a direct reference to the British. After the Second World War, the supreme naval power was the United States, so Neptune would refer to that country. A belfry is a tower, normally a church bell tower though in the times of Nostradamus it was also a moveable tower. Red has long been the color of the cardinals, though after the French Revolution it also became the color of the revolutionary – in the 20th century, it became the color of Communism. The great ocean could refer to the Atlantic, the Pacific, or all the oceans combined. On the whole, I lean towards the last interpretation.
The United States was at its strongest just after the Second World War ended. The red adversary was Communism, the communism of the Soviet Union and the Peoples Republic of China. Though the communist states were loud and boisterous, they were very cautious due to the strength of the United States. This resulted in a terrible game of brinkmanship between the Soviets and the Americans, both wanting the ascendancy but neither wanting outright war. As a result, because there could have been a thermonuclear altercation, the whole world was frightened.
Le divin verbe donrra à la substance,
Comprins ceil terre, or occult au faict mystique :
Corps, ame, esprit ayant route puissance,
Tant Soubs ses piedz comme au siege Celique.
Many Catholics believe that the Catholic creed was written in stone from the very beginning. In fact, the truth is far different. Ecclesiastical councils have long played a part in shaping the teachings of the church. This council was one of them.
Before the Council of Trent the Catholic Church did not accept the now accepted dogma that the bread and wine was in reality the body and blood of Christ, it was simply an act that was done in remembrance of the sacrifice Jesus did centuries ago. But in 1563, during the Council of Trent, it was decided by the bishops in attendance that the rite of the bread and wine was in actuality a miraculous reality, the literal body and blood of Christ; the basis for this was his own words as recorded in the Gospels.
With this quatrain, Nostradamus is dealing with practical aspects of this change, at least practical according to the rites of the Catholic Church.
Mars & Mercure, & l'argent joint ensemble,
Vers le midy extreme siccité,
Au fond d'Asie on dira terre tremble,
Corinthe, Ephese lors en perplexité.
The silver is the moon, the silver luminary. The first line refers to what is known as a triple conjunction between Mars, Mercury and the Moon. This is a configuration that does not happen often. The key one that seems to include the other lines happened in the 2nd of September, 1940. It occurred with the Sun as well, but I would imagine that Nostradamus, having limited space, choose to mention the Moon instead of the Sun for timing purposes. At this time, the Greek army was on alert, preparing to defend against an expected Italian attack. But they were uncertain as to the exact strength of the Italian army, so they were in grave doubt.
The bottom of Asia refers to French Indochina, which was occupied by the Japanese. The earth did tremble with the marching of foreign soldiers.
The word midy could mean middle or it could mean south. This seems to refer to Italy, which was showing a very hard position, or to Germany, which was taking a hard line with Britain at the time. Knowing Nostradamus, it could be both.
Quand seront proches le defaut des lunaires,
De l’un autre ne distant grandemont,
Froid, siccité, danger vers les frontieres,
Mesmes ou l’oracle a prins commencement.
There are many questions in this quatrain that need to be answered. The lunar ones, are they the Sun and the Moon, do they refer to Christianity and Islam or Monarchy and Republic? Regarding where the oracle had its beginning, we must ask which oracle? Does this refer to Nostradamus, Daniel, another Biblical oracle, the legendary Sybil or another? And note that it states that the location is where oracle has its commencement, not its birth, so it could refer to a place where a prophet or psychic started their prophecy; it does not necessarily have to be a birthplace. Unfortunately, what the meaning is only the future will tell.
Pres loing defaut de deux grands luminaires.
Qui suruiendra entre l'Auril & Mars :
O quel cherré! mais deux grands debonnaires
Par terre & mer secourront toutes pars.
The key to this is the timing. It occurs between April and March. However, to understand it, one must not account dates by the Gregorian calendar that we are familiar with. Instead, we must account dates by the old Julian calendar, the calendar Nostradamus knew.
The Germans launched Operation Fall Gelb (Case Yellow) on May 10th 1940 by the Gregorian calendar. By the old Julian calendar this was April 25th. Within 3 days the Germans were at Sedan and France was officially invaded. With the German invasion of France, the fault had begun.
The end of the fault occurred when De Gaulle’s Free French forces, aided by four American divisions, reached Worms on March 22, 1045, which was March 7th by the Julian calendar. This cut off all organized German resistance west of the Rhine River. The last Germans in France surrendered a few days later.
The two great debonair ones were Franklin D. Roosevelt and Joseph Stalin. They are not debonair because of their actions, though Roosevelt could fulfill that roll, but because of their appearance, which was certainly better looking than the appearances of both Hitler and Mussolini. The United States under Roosevelt supplied the British with arms at their own expense, and later supplied ships and troops to operate first in North Africa, then Italy and finally in France. Stalin of course led and supplied the Soviet forces. From west, east and south, they closed in, releaving all parts of Europe from the Nazy tyranny.
Dans temples clos le foudre y entrera,
Les citadins dedans leurs forts greuéz :
Chevaux, beufs, hommes, l’onde mer touchera,
Par faim, sois sous les plus foibles arnés.
Some have attributed this to the siege of Paris during the First World War. This cannot be true, because then it requires the answer to the question about the sea wave. This sounds to me like the future.
Les fuistifs, feu du ceil sus les piques,
Conflict prochain de corbeaux s’esbatans,
De terre on crie aide secour celiques,
Quand pres des murs seront les combatans.
The clue is in line 1: Fire from heaven. While there are many cities and countries this could apply to, it is definitely applicable to the Second World War. But where to choose. Every nation in Europe, except Spain or Switzerland, could qualify. With so many places to choose from, a simple rule applies – if met with a wealth of choices, choose the French one. The event described may not be what Nostradamus intended, but it is a good rule to follow and is probably correct.
The first line is a reference to the horrors of the Blitzkrieg. Stuka dive bombers were tearing up the communications lines of the French, while the Panzer divisions were the spearhead (the pikes) of the German assault. The Stukas would definitely know where the panzers were (know the pikes). Fugitives were lined up on the streets, the roads, the hills and fields, trying to run from the German assault which was charging like a tidal wave. The French kept crying out for help from their fellow Celts, the British, who (according to Churchill) gave them all they could. The second line refers to the spoils of battle, the spoils that crows and ravens get; the massive numbers of corpses is a feast for the black birds. And the combatants near the walls (Paris, Maginot Line, etc.) were the Germans.
Les Cimbres joints avecques leurs voisins,
Depopuler viendront presque l’Hespaigne :
Gents amassés Guienne & Linosins,
Seront en ligue, & leur seront compaignie.
The Cimbres were a people who supposedly originated along the coasts of Denmark and northern Germany. They also supposedly migrated quite extensively, traveling through Germany, Gaul and Iberia, before settling along the Mediterranean coast in the area from the Pyrenees to past the Alps. As such, it includes Germany, Italy and France. These three countries did intervene in the Spanish Civil War, the Germans and the Italians on the side of Franco, the French on the side of the Republic.
Bourdeaux, Rouan & La Rochele joints,
Tiendront autour la grand mer oceane,
Anglois, Bretons & les Flamans conjoints,
Les Chasseront iusques au-pres de Rouane.
Bourdeaux is a major French commune, located on the Garonne river not far from the Gironde Estuary. Rouen is in the ancient provence of Normandy. La Rochelle is located along the Bay of Biscay. Though they have been united for centuries, what is key here is that all three cities were part of Occupied France during the Second World War, therefore they were under German occupation.
When the United Nations landed on the coast of Normandy, included in the invasion were members of the Free French (Britons) and soldiers of the Netherlands and Belgium (Flemish). Roanne is located on the Loire River. The United Nations later struck in the French Riviera, moving northward through Roanne.
De sang & faim plus grande calamité,
Sept fois s’apreste à la marine plage,
Monech de faim, lieu prins capitvite,
Le grand mené croc en ferrée caige.
Note on Translation: The third line has a second translation that, while unlikely, is possible under this context: Monech by famine, their prince captive. Monech can be either Munich or Monaco. The fourth line has multiple possible translations due to what the words mené and croc can mean. Mené can mean lead, as in leading, as well as head, the head of the body as well as the head of an organization. While croc can be from the latin croceus, golden or yellow, it can also be short for crocodile, spelled the same in both the English and the French.
This is not the Second World War. Besides the mention about the seven approaches to the sea coast is curious. I am forced to leave this one to the reader to solve.