Erika Cheetham
Encyclopedia
Erika Cheetham was an English medieval scholar best known for her controversial interpretations of Nostradamus
' writings.
. Her parents enrolled her in a convent school, however she was expelled for positing the non-existence of God. Later while attending St Anne's College, Oxford, she married James Nicholas Milne Cheetham.
After earning her doctorate (in medieval language) at Oxford she worked as a staff writer for the Daily Mail
, a London tabloid. She began translating Les Prophéties de M. Nostradamus in 1963, which culminated in the publication of her first book The Prophecies of Nostradamus: The Man Who Saw Tomorrow in 1965. This was the basis for the 1980 Orson Welles film of the same title
.
s:
Cheetham interpreted Angolmois as a cryptic anagram for "Mongols
", predicting the rise (circa mid-1999) of an Antichrist
—ostensibly the third such figure (after Napoleon and Hitler)—a tyrant ("king of terror") of Genghis Khan
's caliber. However, other scholars have argued that this is merely a variant spelling of Angoumois
, a province of western France
now known as Charente
, and that d'effrayeur was actually supposed to be deffraieur, i.e. one given to appeasement
.
, a ballistic missile submarine, or even to individual SAMs, i.e. surface-to-air missile
s:
However, Cheetham dissents again from other Nostradamian scholars—and from herself—by proposing that Nostradamus derived the word samarobryn either:
Whilst the uppercase letters (preserved from Nostradamus' original) may suggest a deeper meaning, skeptics will note the mutual proximity of the Aquitainian villages Pau, Nay
, and Oloron
(in southwestern France
), which form a small triangle not 70 kilometres (43.5 mi) about. Though more esoteric interpretations have pegged this region "more fire than blood" as a future nuclear waste site, Cheetham's observation was that the capitalized letters can be arranged to spell something like "NAYPAULORON", i.e. Napoleon. Singer-songwriter and hist-rock pioneer Al Stewart
also favored this interpretation in his 1974 song "Nostradamus", wherein he deliberately pronounces and spells Bonaparte's name in a similar idiosyncratic manner.
Cheetham interpreted this as a reference to Adolf Hitler
, the "child of Germany [who] obeys [no law]". This conclusion disregards Hitler's Austrian heritage and the Latin use of Hister
(derived from the Milesian–Greek settlement of Histria
in ancient Thrace, and in turn from the Scythian river-god Ίστρος/Istros) to refer to the Lower Danube. Nonetheless this too is preserved in Stewart's lyrics:
This prophecy, according to Cheetham, predicts the establishment of the modern State of Israel.
Nostradamus
Michel de Nostredame , usually Latinised to Nostradamus, was a French apothecary and reputed seer who published collections of prophecies that have since become famous worldwide. He is best known for his book Les Propheties , the first edition of which appeared in 1555...
' writings.
Early life
She was born Erika McMahon-Turner in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Her parents enrolled her in a convent school, however she was expelled for positing the non-existence of God. Later while attending St Anne's College, Oxford, she married James Nicholas Milne Cheetham.
After earning her doctorate (in medieval language) at Oxford she worked as a staff writer for the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
, a London tabloid. She began translating Les Prophéties de M. Nostradamus in 1963, which culminated in the publication of her first book The Prophecies of Nostradamus: The Man Who Saw Tomorrow in 1965. This was the basis for the 1980 Orson Welles film of the same title
The Man Who Saw Tomorrow
The Man Who Saw Tomorrow is a 1981 documentary-style movie about the predictions of French astrologer and physician Michel de Notredame .The Man Who Saw Tomorrow is narrated by Orson Welles....
.
"Angolmois"
Prophéties 10:72 is one of Nostradamus' most infamous quatrainQuatrain
A quatrain is a stanza, or a complete poem, consisting of four lines of verse. Existing in various forms, the quatrain appears in poems from the poetic traditions of various ancient civilizations including Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and China; and, continues into the 21st century, where it is...
s:
Cheetham interpreted Angolmois as a cryptic anagram for "Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
", predicting the rise (circa mid-1999) of an Antichrist
Antichrist
The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to a leader who fulfills Biblical prophecies concerning an adversary of Christ, while resembling him in a deceptive manner...
—ostensibly the third such figure (after Napoleon and Hitler)—a tyrant ("king of terror") of Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
's caliber. However, other scholars have argued that this is merely a variant spelling of Angoumois
Angoumois
Angoumois was a county and province of France, nearly corresponding today to the Charente département. Its capital was Angoulême....
, a province of western France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
now known as Charente
Charente
Charente is a department in southwestern France, in the Poitou-Charentes region, named after the Charente River, the most important river in the department, and also the river beside which the department's two largest towns, Angoulême and Cognac, are sited.-History:Charente is one of the original...
, and that d'effrayeur was actually supposed to be deffraieur, i.e. one given to appeasement
Appeasement
The term appeasement is commonly understood to refer to a diplomatic policy aimed at avoiding war by making concessions to another power. Historian Paul Kennedy defines it as "the policy of settling international quarrels by admitting and satisfying grievances through rational negotiation and...
.
"Samarobryn"
The first word of the third line of Prophéties 6:5 has been variously interpreted as a reference to the U.S.S. Sam RayburnUSS Sam Rayburn (SSBN-635)
|- External links : Includes maps, sketches, a list of ships of the Texas Navy, and a chronology. Also includes photographs of 20th-century U.S. Navy ships named after Texans or Texas locations, including photographs of USS Sam Rayburn ....
, a ballistic missile submarine, or even to individual SAMs, i.e. surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
s:
However, Cheetham dissents again from other Nostradamian scholars—and from herself—by proposing that Nostradamus derived the word samarobryn either:
- From the Russian words само and робрин—meaning something to the tune of "self-operated", i.e. a self-operating machine in space, 100 leagues from the hemisphere (or atmosphere), "living without law [and] exempt from politics", or:
- From the trade names of wonder-drugs SuraminSuraminSuramin is a drug developed by Oskar Dressel and Richard Kothe of Bayer, Germany in 1916, and is still sold by Bayer under the brand name Germanin.According to the National Cancer Institute there are no active clinical trials...
and RibavirinRibavirinRibavirin is an anti-viral drug indicated for severe RSV infection , hepatitis C infection and other viral infections. Ribavirin is a prodrug, which when metabolised resembles purine RNA nucleotides...
. Pondered Cheetham: "Perhaps the remedy for AIDSAIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
will be produced in a sterile laboratory circling the Earth?"
"Pau, Nay, Loron"
Cheetham cited quatrains 1:60 and 8:1 of Nostradamus' Prophéties as a cryptic reference to Napoleon Bonaparte.Whilst the uppercase letters (preserved from Nostradamus' original) may suggest a deeper meaning, skeptics will note the mutual proximity of the Aquitainian villages Pau, Nay
Nay, Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Nay is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It lies in the former province of Béarn.-Geography:The land of the commune are crossed by the Gave de Pau and one of its tributaries, the Béez-Place names:...
, and Oloron
Oloron-Sainte-Marie
Oloron-Sainte-Marie is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. The town of Oloron-Sante-Marie is positioned at the junction of two rivers and has a population of approximately 12,000. While not spectacular, it is a pleasant looking town, with an ancient quarter,...
(in southwestern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
), which form a small triangle not 70 kilometres (43.5 mi) about. Though more esoteric interpretations have pegged this region "more fire than blood" as a future nuclear waste site, Cheetham's observation was that the capitalized letters can be arranged to spell something like "NAYPAULORON", i.e. Napoleon. Singer-songwriter and hist-rock pioneer Al Stewart
Al Stewart
Al Stewart is a Scottish singer-songwriter and folk-rock musician.Stewart came to stardom as part of the British folk revival in the 1960s and 1970s, and developed his own unique style of combining folk-rock songs with delicately woven tales of the great characters and events from history.He is...
also favored this interpretation in his 1974 song "Nostradamus", wherein he deliberately pronounces and spells Bonaparte's name in a similar idiosyncratic manner.
"Hister"
Prophéties 2:24:Cheetham interpreted this as a reference to Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, the "child of Germany [who] obeys [no law]". This conclusion disregards Hitler's Austrian heritage and the Latin use of Hister
Hister
Hister is the Latin name for the Danube River , or for the people living along its banks....
(derived from the Milesian–Greek settlement of Histria
Histria (Sinoe)
Ancient Histria or Istros , was a Greek colony or polis on the Black Sea coast, established by Milesian settlers to trade with the native Getae. It became the first Greek town on the present day Romanian territory. Scymnus of Chios , the Greek geographer and poet, dated it to 630 BC...
in ancient Thrace, and in turn from the Scythian river-god Ίστρος/Istros) to refer to the Lower Danube. Nonetheless this too is preserved in Stewart's lyrics:
Israel
Prophéties 3:97:This prophecy, according to Cheetham, predicts the establishment of the modern State of Israel.