XXIX
When the terrestrial and aquatic fish,
By vague force to the ground is brought:
Its strangely smooth and horrifying shape,
By sea to the walls very soon the enemies.
Original
Quand la poisson terrestre & aquatique,
Par forte vague au gravier sera mis:
Sa forme estrange sauve & horrifique,
Par mer aux mure bien tost les ennemis.
A terrestrial fish. Very significant. Let’s know that the centuries are not meant to talk about fish. For obvious reasons, Nostradamus talks about another thing. We face an assignment (see Introduction Century I). Or rather, it is something that Nostradamus can not identify. On one hand he says it's a "fish" and on another, as an adjective he adds that such fish is "terrestrial and aquatic." Preliminarily, it is not a Fish.
Let's review the second verse. The term "Gravier” agrees more as" gravel" than “soil”. The concept “mis” derives from "mettre", that means "to place". In this case, "au" is applied as "against" or "opposed", or alternatively, the translation “to the ground” is convenient. Given the context, we can change the concept “forte” by power, motion, momentum, energy. And because it acts as an adjective of force, we can substitute the term "vague" by uncertain. Then, this verse would say:
"By vague power against the gravel will be placed"
“Wander” derives from the Latin “vagari”. It means to walk through various parts without determining a site or place, or without any special detention in either; or, in other words, to walk free and loose, or without the order or disposition that it should usually have. I.e., an energy that makes something move, and allows it some freedom. What conceptually comes closest to this idea is the concept "autonomy". Let’s change:
"By autonomous energy against the gravel will be placed"
Let’s know that gravel or fine gravel is a mix of finely ground pebbles used for paving roads and mixing
concrete. In any case, they abound on cliffy terrains. The concept "by" (“par") is a preposition of causality. That Fish moves by that energy. Finally, if is not a fish and moves by autonomous power, we can change it for amphibious vehicle. The concept “amphibian” is not arbitrary precisely because amphibians (Amphibia, from the Greek ('both'), and bio ("life"), meaning "both lives" or "in both environments") are a group of anamniotic vertebrates (without amnion, such as fish,) tetrapods, ectothermic, with gills during the larval stage and lungs when they reach adulthood; in other words, “terrestrial and aquatic."
We see that Nostradamus decided that the first two verses were a main clause or main image, and that after the colon at the end of the second verse, the third and fourth verses formed another unit, secondary image or paraclause derived from the general clause.
Now let's change what we have:
When the amphibious vehicle
By autonomous power against the gravel will be placed:
The concept “will be placed" indirectly implies that someone or something puts it "against the gravel"
In the third verse and the beginning of the paraclause Nostradamus says:
Its strangely smooth and horrifying shape
In other words, here he states a more than obvious description of that type of vehicles. Anyway, he does not tell much. However, the fourth verse is conclusive:
"By sea to the walls very soon the enemies."
The key word is "enemies." I.e., indirectly we are facing a conflict.
The concept "By Sea" is allusive to that vehicle. And because the concept “by” is a preposition, it acts as “source” within the context of the verse, especially because it is supported by the concept "to the" ("aux"); therefore, that amphibious vehicle comes from the sea and goes to the walls. The concept Walls can be changed by defenses, fenders, embankments. We can also change the term "enemies" by opponents, adversaries.
On the other hand, if it comes from the sea and in the second verse Nostradamus says "will be placed" and then adds in the fourth verse “walls” and “enemies”, it means that that amphibious vehicle is within a context of war, and goes from the sea to a beach. That beach has gravel or sand typical of cliffs, and is walled or has fortifications. Now let’s replace what we have and see;
From the sea to the fortifications very soon the adversaries"
Nostradamus obviously is used to force the rhyme and therefore the syntax is expressed in function of the rhyme. Therefore, let’s remember that:
"From the sea the enemies very soon to the fortifications"
Now, Nostradamus does not speak about minor facts. He is talking about crucial facts. Therefore we know that we are facing a landing vehicle. And we're in a war. Nostradamus clearly takes us to the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944. In France. ("By sea to the walls very soon the adversaries.")
Well, Nostradamus is referring to the amphibious assault vehicles used in the landing of troops, very typical of the Second World War. Let's see: There are two amphibious vehicles that Nostradamus calls “terrestrial and aquatic fish” that meet the description mentioned by the prophet. Or else, he refers to the HIGGINS BOATS. This was the model most frequently used during the Normandy landings (June 6, 1944), and without which participation the raids on the beaches of the “Atlantic Wall” would have been impossible to conduct. Or else he refers to the Sherman tanks modified for crossing the English Channel; many of them were lost due to strong waves in the Channel. The tank was a Sherman M4, which in the water could reach 4 knots and took 15 minutes to "swell". The tank was used by ten battalions of British, Canadian and American tanks during the Normandy invasion. Or else, it was a truck which was also modified to float. But neither the tank nor the truck had the historic performance of the Higgins landing craft. And Nostradamus is precise ("When the amphibious vehicle”)
All points of the Allied landings on the beaches of Normandy faced a strong resistance, more so in the landing beach called Omaha. However, Nostradamus does not mention any one in particular, and only says, "by autonomous power against the gravel will be placed", and is referring to the Higgins landing craft. And when he refers to "its strangely smooth and horrific shape," he precisely emphasizes the modifications that were made on that boat to turn it into the most used model in the Allied landing in Normandy. And when he says "From the sea the enemies very soon to the fortifications" means that this terrestrial and aquatic fish transports enemies or adversaries that go towards the embankments. And if it transports "enemies", it is precisely why Nostradamus calls it "terrestrial"
Normandy was also called "Atlantic Wall" due to its cliffs. ("By Sea to the walls very soon the enemy."). Its historical implications in the future of humanity have no precedent, and gave way to the end of Nazism. The quatrain has been clarified.
XXX
The strange ship by the sea storm,
Will arrive near port unknown:
Despite the signs of palm branch,
After death and looting good advice comes late.
Original
La nef estrange par le tourment marin,
Abourdera pres de port incogneu:
Nonobstant signes de rameau palmerin,
Apres mort pille bon avis tard venu.
Again we find the concept "estrange" and “nef” or ship. This concept is singular. The concept "by” is a preposition indicating the context of causality.
And if it relates "ship" with “sea storm ", it is obviously a strange marine ship or at least its environment is marine and non-terrestrial. A boat is what comes closest, but the concept "estrange" allows visualizing that Nostradamus cannot identify it. We can change it for "strange marine ship" without ignoring the context.
Similarly, we can change the idea "sea storm" by “storm at sea”. Now let’s change the syntax a bit and see:
"The strange marine ship by the storm at sea"
The idea that it is a "strange marine ship" is not arbitrary because it is based on the second verse that says:
"Near port unknown will board"
It is obvious that Nostradamus does not recognize the port. Potentially and geographically we are in an area that is not recognized by the prophet. The term "board" acts within its meanings as an intransitive verb that within the context "near port" can be changed to "arrive". And if it arrives “near port”, it reaffirms even more the idea that this is a "strange marine ship."
"Will arrive near port unknown"
That "strange marine ship”, continuing our analysis, arrives near that port but does not sight land. And if he says "near port", it means that it remains at a distance.
This is the central idea or main clause constituted by the first two verses. Then the prophet places the usual final colon at the end of the second verse and thus invites us to a secondary image or paraclause derived from the main clause. This paraclause spans the last two verses, or rather the third and fourth verses.
Let go to the third verse. "Despite the signs of palm branch,"
“Palm branch" is characteristic of Christianity as it symbolizes martyrdom, or is associated with martyrs. But it also symbolizes, from the republican perspective, those who gave their lives for freedom or independence. The word that represents both ideas is "sacrifice." The term "despite" can be replaced by although. We can change the term "sign" by signs and indications. Let’s change what we have:
"In spite (of) the signs of sacrifice"
So this strange marine craft approaches that port at some distance, despite signs of sacrifice. Obviously this port shows those signs of sacrifice. Usually the concept sacrifice is associated with death. And the fourth verse tells us so. Let's see.
“After death comes good advice arrived late”
The concept "pille" is derived from “piller” that in French translates as loot, plunder. The term "bon" is an adjective which translates as good, right, correct. At the same time "avis" is translated as advice. So the last part of this verse is correct. "Good advice arrived late." In turn, the concept "come" can be changed to arrived, appeared, brought. The term "lelga", which is certainly a translation mistake into Spanish, supposedly refers to the concept "comes" The French verse says:
"Apres mort pille bon avis tard venu," which translated, would mean
After death looting good advice comes late"
Now let’s change some concepts already seen:
"After death looting good advice comes late"
Let’s have a complete vision and incorporate all the verses, but before let’s know that if "in spite (of) the signs of sacrifice" it is obvious that the action of that "sacrifice" is prior to the arrival of this "strange marine craft”; therefore, that "after" that appears in the last verse necessarily requires the preposition "from" and the article "the". Let’s see:
"The strange marine craft by the storm at sea
Will arrive near port unknown:
In spite (of) the signs of sacrifice
After (the) death (and) looting good advice comes late"
Let’s analyze something: As I said, if he says "strange ship" it means that he does not recognize it, therefore we are in an era where that type of vessels does not exist. We are also facing a port that the prophet does not recognize. Although it is not necessarily a surface ship, he may be referring to a submarine or an aircraft carrier. The other ships of today may well be identified as warships or are simply biremes or triremes, for example, but they are not strange ships.
Now, it is not historical to talk about a storm unless it is one like Hurricane Katrina which devastated the U.S. coast. Therefore, we can change the concept "Storm" by whirlwind, gale. This idea is supported because in the third verse Nostradamus adds "Despite (the) signals of sacrifice". In other words, that "strange marine ship" comes close to the port not because it is brought by a storm, but because there is a storm in that place. Therefore, I proceed to change it to "whirlwind". And to clarify it, I will also improve the syntax.
"By the whirlwind at sea the strange marine craft
Will arrive near port unknown "
Undoubtedly, Nostradamus speaks about the aircraft carrier Enterprise from the U.S. Navy that..????
The Enterprise ("the strange marine craft") was returning to Oahu on the morning of December 7, 1941 from a mission to deliver Navy aircraft and pilots from the VMF-211 squadron in Wake Island. Eighteen SBD Dauntless bombers from the VS-6 and VB-6 squadrons of the Enterprise arrived at Pearl Harbor ("will arrive near unknown port") during the attack ("by the whirlwind at sea") and, even though surprised, they immediately took action in the defense of the naval base ("In spite (of) the signs of sacrifice"). 6 aircraft were lost during the attack, several of them shot down by Japanese aircraft, but at least one was shot down and many others were damaged by their own heavy antiaircraft artillery.
The Enterprise ("the strange marine craft) also launched six Grumman F4F Wildcats from the VF-6 squadron after the attack; all except two were shot down by antiaircraft artillery.
The carrier sent its remaining aircraft to a fruitless search of the Japanese attack force. ("In spite (of) the signs of sacrifice"). The search spanned south and west of Oahu, while the Japanese withdrew northwest. The Enterprise went to Pearl Harbor for fuel and supplies during the night of December 8 and set sail the next morning to patrol against possible attacks on the Hawaiian Islands. Although the group did not find any surface vessel, one aircraft from the Enterprise sank the Japanese submarine I-70 on December 10, 1941.
Part of the Japanese plans for the attack included breaking off negotiations with the United States 30 minutes before the attack. Diplomats from the Japanese Embassy in Washington, including the Japanese Ambassador, Admiral Nomura Kichisaburo and the special representative Saburo Kurusu, had been conducting extensive discussions with the State Department regarding the U.S. reactions to the Japanese movement in Indochina in the summer. ..
Just before the attack, a long message was sent to the Embassy from the Foreign Office in Tokyo (coded with the PURPLE cryptographic machine) with instructions to send it to Secretary of State Cordell Hull shortly after the planned attack began (13:00 hours Washington). Due to the delays in deciphering and transcribing the message, the embassy staff was unable to fulfill instructions. The long message breaking off negotiations was sent long after the attack began.
Japanese records admitted as evidence at a congressional hearing showed that the Japanese had not even written a declaration of war until after they heard news of the successful attack on Pearl Harbor. The two-line declaration of war was finally handed to Ambassador Grew about ten hours after the attack ended. He was allowed to send it to the U.S. government, where it was received on Monday afternoon.
The United States had deciphered both sides of the final message well before the Japanese Embassy had finished. The decoding of the second part was what led General George Marshall to send his famous warning to Hawaii that morning, which ended up being delivered by a young Japanese-American Courier to General Walter Short in Pearl Harbor several hours after the completion of attack. The delay happened because General Marshall had left the Navy maneuvers when the Navy asked to use the Army's communication system, and due to difficulties with Army communications it was finally broadcasted on commercial cable and somehow lost its urgent status. ("After (the) death (and) looting good advice arrives late).
As a curiosity, but also relevant for understanding why Nostradamus infers "strange ship": In terms of military history, the attack on Pearl Harbor marked the emergence of aircraft carriers as the centerpiece of naval power, replacing the battleship as the cornerstone of the Navies.
The quatrain has been cleared
XXXI
So many years the wars in Gaul will last
far from the race of monarch Castalon:
Uncertain victory three leaders will crown,
Eagle, rooster, moon, lion, sun in mark.
Original
Tant d'ans les guerres en Gaule dureront
Outre la course du Castalon monoarque:
Victoire incerte trois grands couronneront,
Aigle, coq, lune, lion, soleil en marque.
Let’s remember that France or Gaul, as the Romans called this vast territory, has suffered many wars, therefore it is not unusual that this first verse refers to it. “So many years the wars in Gaul will last,”; however, the last verse where Nostradamus says “sun in mark” also refers to France. Let’s see: As we know, “Mark” is a sign, and this sign is for the sun. We also know that Nostradamus infers “Sun” referring to France. Therefore, these words in the last verse refer to a sort of warning to France or rather that France is marked or signaled. But France is marked.
Then in the third verse again we see the term “uncertain victory”, alluding to a conflict and even more marked when it says “three leaders will crown;” in other words, these “three leaders” “will crown” an “uncertain victory”. When he says “uncertain”, by definition he is stating that it is not safe, it is not true. Then we have that those three that were crowned by victory were crowned by a victory that is not true. Therefore, we have that this “uncertain victory” is a paraclause, i.e., it lies within another phrase (distinguished by the colon), meaning that the three will be crowned in Gaul, with an “uncertain victory”.
With this we conclude that Nostradamus is referring to the Treaty of Versailles, on June 28th, 1919. And in fact this treaty was an uncertain victory, because among its many regulations, one of the most important and controversial required that Germany and its allies to accept all responsibility for causing the war, and under the terms from clauses 231 – 248, they had to disarm, make important land concessions and compensate the victorious states. The Treaty was soon undermined by events after 1922, and was widely trampled in the mid 30’s by the Nazi boom, taking advantage of the victim mentality created in German society after the signature of this treaty in order to achieve power.
We will leave the next verse for last because we need to insert ourselves within a historical context to clarify it.
These 3 that will be crowned are the 3 winning Powers (England – France and United States), although there were other countries in that war. In fact, only 3 of them were big. The Treaty of Versailles was the culmination of World War I; however, many experts surround this treaty with a kind or paradigm: Germany was never defeated as in World War II. It signed the armistice, which is different; therefore, the feeling of unfairness of that treaty infected the German people and nurtured nationalist groups such as the Nazi party to develop their aggressive policies for European dominion, or even world dominion. So Nostradamus infers “Uncertain victory three leaders will crown”) That is why France is marked (“sun in its mark”) because Nazi Germany would invade it later in May 1941, within the context called World War II.
Now, the third verse forms the last one, so the symbols placed by Nostradamus belong to nations. If within this last verse he warns France, and this warning refers to World War II, then it is obvious that when he says “Eagles”, he is referring to the United States, the Russian Empire (Russia in World War II) and Nazi Germany; “Rooster”, refers to Italy (the rooster is part of Christian symbolism, therefore is related with Rome); Moon refers to the Ottoman Empire (Turkey in World War II; and Lion refers to England.
Finally, we can understand the second verse when Nostradamus infers “far from the race of monarch Castalon”. Let’s see: when he says Castalon, he is referring to Castulo, an Iberian city in the region of Oretania, currently in Spain. The remains of this city lie near the city of Linares. Obviously, Castalon derives from Castulo. But let’s move on, to the First Punic War between Rome and Carthage. The Carthaginian forces, commanded by Amilcar Barca attacked, among other Spanish regions, the territories of Oretania, and Amilcar Barca dies in one of those battles. His son, who inherits his command, was called Asdrubal Barca and was also defeated by the Roman Consul Gaius Livius Salinator. Later, that same consul founded the city of Forli around 188 B.C., currently in the Emilia Romaña region, Italy. And Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was born precisely in the city of Forli in July 29th 1883.
Amilcar, like the Carthaginian. Strange, is it not? Another curious information is that after the Treaty of Versailles, on October 30th 1922 to be precise, Benito Mussolini became Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italy, with full dictatorial attributions. The same year as the treaty. “Far from the race of monarch Castalon”. Far away from the Fascist’s rise to power. Nostradamus knows that when he says “monarch Castalon” he is relating that monarch with the city of Castulo, but this is not any city within Oretania, it is its capital. And this relation is only the place where Amilcar Barca, the Carthaginian leader, died. And to honor the memory of this leader, Mussolini’s second name is Amilcare. The quatrain has been clarified.
XXXII
The great Empire will soon be moved,
in a small place, which will soon grow:
an abysmal place from meager county,
In midst of which he will place his scepter.
Original
Le grand empire sera tost translat,
En lieu petit, qui bien tost viendra croistre:
Lieu bien infine d'exigue cont,
Ou au milieu viendra poser son sceptre.
If Nostradamus speaks of a “great empire”, he does it from the future point of view. But why future, many will think: well, first he says that it “will be moved”, and to a “small, abysmal, meager” place that he also calls county, a very common concept in English. And it will be moved to its midst, and there he will place his scepter; in other words, such transport entails “politic power” obviously by the concept “scepter” which infers authority, symbol of command.
Let´s remember that in Nostradamus’ times, to speak about republic was unthinkable; therefore, concepts like county, empire, monarch, scepter are normal for him. He also indicates that such “small place, abysmal and meager” “will grow”. Then, that growth symbolizes that it is just beginning; by definition it symbolizes expansion, increase, and logically it is not a “great empire” that has been moved because it is declining, is under attack, or seeking refuge. It is simply a political transfer. And that “tiny, abysmal and meager” place will grow, and when analyzing the verse, we see that such growth is political. The quatrain tells it so.
Well, Nostradamus is speaking about the United States, the “Great empire” and its capital Washington. Let’s remember that before it was New York and Philadelphia respectively, and then it was transferred to the Columbia district in 1800, (“In a small place, which will soon grow”) and within this district, to the small city or rather the town that was planned to become one, called Washington. At that time, a city of approximately 5000 people, (“meager county”) A tiny, abysmal, meager county or district; and within it, the current capital was set up (“in a small place...”) The strange and relevant aspect that supports this quatrain is that finally he adds “In midst of which he will place his scepter”, that is, between Maryland and Virginia, at the middle. Nostradamus refers this verse in a geographical sense.
And Nostradamus was precisely right; once the empire’s new capital was set up, Washington acquired
relevance as the capital of one of the great world powers, if not the greatest, the Empire of the United States of America. Let’s remember something that somehow reminds us why the United States is the empire that Nostradamus mentions: for example, New York’s nickname is Empire State (State of the Empire). Historians believe that this nickname comes from a comment from George Washington — he once commented that New York was the center of the (North American) Empire. The quatrain has been clarified.
