Historical speculation
Controversy
Many of Nostradamus' prophecies use 16th-century French that is not clear to most interpreters. Some of the French words could be interpreted in various ways, and they can be tweaked to easily to predict an event. For example, "Hister" referred to a geographical area close to the Danube River. Skeptics argue that Nostradamus was referring to this region and not to a person.
Taking this into account, is Nostradamus a prognosticator worthy of his reputation? Historian and leading English-language expert on Nostradamus, Peter Lemesurier, thinks not:
Taking this into account, is Nostradamus a prognosticator worthy of his reputation? Historian and leading English-language expert on Nostradamus, Peter Lemesurier, thinks not:
“The idea that he was an extraordinary prophet and a man of mystery arose in the first place mainly from Jean de Chavigny, his secretary, who was obsessed with the man… There have been about 2,000 editions of Nostradamus’ prophecies since his death. Each of the early editions was based upon the previous edition - not on the original one, and each subsequent commentary was based upon what people wanted them to have predicted, rather than on what they actually stated.”
The most convincing argument against Nostradamus is that his predictions were the result of random chance and artistic understanding. Most of the quatrains are described in indistinct, unclear terms. It is possible that some events in history would be parallel to some of Nostradamus’ predictions, merely by coincidence. Most of Nostradamus' quatrains refer to natural disasters or deaths, events that are in no doubt to occur again and again throughout time.
Author and historian Stéphane Gerson thinks otherwise:
“I realized fairly quickly that the astrologer [Nostradamus] has left hundreds of predictions but no consensus regarding their meaning or import. During his lifetime and afterward, his words have fascinated and flummoxed the West. There have clearly been moments of shining visibility—typically linked to national and international crises—and others during which Nostradamus has receded into the background”