Essay/Term paper: Nostradamus

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Biography

Nostradamus


Michel De Nostradame, otherwise known as Nostradamus was born December
14, 1503. His family was of Jewish ancestry. His grandfather, Pierre de
Nostradame, had settled in Provence because by the mid-1400s, many Jews had
come to live there.
Nostradamus' father was Jacques de Nostradame. Jacques worked as a
scholary, since most people didn't know how to write he wrote things for them,
from love letters to formal documents. Jacques' income provided a good home at
the time. Nostradamus' earliest recollection of his home was the following:

Typical of all provençal homes in the sixteenth century was the room
where both domestic and social life was carried on. The center and
symbol of the room's activity was the great fireplace, majestic, caver-
nous, holding a banked fire that never went out since his mother and
father moved in. Shining pots and pans of brass hung low from the
mantle shelf. At either angle of the fireplace was an oak settle were
his grandfathers liked to laze and talk when they came to visit. On the
walls hung light cabinet shelves holding salt and spices.

Nostradamus had one definite brother, Cèsar who wrote Histoire de
Provence, a book which sustains the myth of the Nostradamus royal line.
Historians think Nostradamus had three other brothers, Bertrand, Hector, and
Antoine, but they are not sure and almost nothing is known about them besides
their names.
Nostradamus was educated by his grandfathers. First Peyrot, who had
been a great traveler, brought Nostradamus up in his home. He taught
Nostradamus the basics of mathematics, Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and Astrology.
After Peyrot de Nostradamus' death Nostradamus moved back in with his parents,
Jacques and Reynière. It is thought that his other grandfather took over his
education for a while, but the family decided to send Nostradamus to Avignon,
which at that period was the center of Renaissance learning. At Avignon,
Nostradamus spent many hours at University libraries.
Nostradamus' biggest interest was astrology. His interest in astrology
began to worry his parents, and by the advice of his grandfather he was sent to
the University of Montpellier to study medicine. The University of Montpellier
was regarded as second only to that of Paris in all of France.
Nostradamus arrived there in 1522 at nineteen years of age. In three years he
studied all the subjects needed for his bachelor's degree. He was tutored by
some of the finest doctors in Europe. The process of getting a degree was far
more arduous than in the present day, and lasted much longer. A successful
candidate was given his license to practice by the bishop of Montpellier.
Nostradamus achieved this in 1525.
Nostradamus left the University and acquired a great reputation as a
doctor by treating victims of the plague that ravaged that part of Europe, he
would return later to get his doctorate. He was widely known for his use of his
own formulas and prescriptions. He was recorded as being very successful. He
made his medicines according to the patient; the richer the patient, the more
expensive the ingredients were.
One of Nostradamus' medicines used for tooth decay consisted of the
following, it was not at all unusual for the time:

300-400 red roses, picked before dawn.
1oz. Sawdust from green fresh Cyprus.
6oz. Iris of Florence.
3oz. cloves.
3 drams sweet smelling calamus, tiger lily.
6 drams lignaloes. Pulverize the rose petals, in a mortar, mixed with a
powder made from the above. Make the mixture in to lozenges , dry and keep
enclosed, away from the air. Keep one in the mouth at all times.

Nostradamus got married in 1547 to a woman named Anne Ponsarde Gemelle,
a rich woman and a widow. Even though Nostradamus was Christian he had not
always been that way, and the townspeople abused him as a Jew. His reputation
decreased. It was around this time that he started writing books called
Almanachs. The first one, which came out in 1550, had information on things
like the weather and crops. Many of these things were wrong, but the book was a
success.
In 1555 Nostradamus completed a series of books of prophecies, each
containing 100 predictions about the future. They were joined in a book for the
first time in 1568, the book contained 1000 predictions. Nostradamus predicted
a lot of things. The following are several:
In prophecy number I.XXVI he says that in mid-day a great man, one that
promises change to the world will be struck and killed in front of thousands of
people. This is thought to explain John F. Kennedy's death. In prophecy number
II.V Nostradamus predicts a third World War. He says a great country in the
north will be struck by a great blast from the sky, plague and blood. Many will
suffer.
The books of prophecies are very interesting to read and are very accurate.
Starting in 1561 a streak of prophecies became true and Nostradamus'
reputation grew so much that Jean Aymes de Chavigny the ex-mayor Beaunne, a city
in France was quoted as saying "People came to France and sought Nostradamus as
the only thing to be seen."
By the end of 1565 Nostradamus was seriously ill suffering from arthiritis
and gout, a painfull swelling of the joints. On June 17, 1566 he wrote his
will; a couple of days later he died. He lived 62 years, 6 months, 7 days. He
was very old if you consider the fact that he lived in the 1500's when the life
expectancy was around 43 years. When he was 57 Chavigny described him as the
following:
He was a little under medium height, robust, nible, and vigorous. He
had a large open forehead, a straight nose and gray eyes which were usually
pleasant, but blazed when he was angry. His cheeks were red even at his old
age. He spoke little, but thought a great deal. He slept only four or five
hours a night. I can remember his charity to the poor towards whom he was
very generous.
Nostradamus had a great life he had everything he wanted besides that
fact that his family was killed by the plague and he was not able too help them.