On 12 Aug 2006 03:37:48, "Merlin" <merlin2rhyme@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

Shammash wrote:

As to the idea of Nostradamus speaking about a third antichrist. I
guess, that this has something to do with the wrong translation of
"L'antechrist trois bien tost annichilez," in 8.77. This should not be
translated as the third antichrist, but as "The antichrist (little
horn) soon overturns three (horns),"

Shammash

That is more possible, but unlikely when looking at the syntax.
However, it certainly couldn't be translated as "The third Antichrist",
as that makes no grammatical sense - Nostradamus would have written
'tiers', not 'trois'! So, looking at both the syntax and context, it
most likely should have read "très bien tost"

Original 1568 Edition

L'antichrist trois bien tost annichilez,
Vingt & sept ans sang durera sa guerre,
Les heretiques mortz, captifs, exilez,
Sang corps humain eau rogie gresler terre

Line 1 - "très bien tôt"

Translation in English verse

The antichrist very soon nullified,
Twenty seven years of blood shall last his war,
The heretics dead, captive or exiled,
Human corpses, land & water, blood and gore.

Based on events that occurred during Nostradamus's own life-time, i.e.
the contemporary Wars of Religion, presided over by John Calvin, leader
of the Protestant cause at Geneva for just over 27 years, from late
1536 until his death in May 1564. During this period, Geneva was widely
referred to as the "Rome of Protestantism" and Calvin regarded by
Catholics as the Antichrist in person, who authorized fifty-eight
sentences of death and seventy-six of exile, besides numerous
committals of the most eminent citizens to prison.

Merlin
http://www.placeoftheskull.com

It is always a pleasure to read your astute interpretations of the
quatrains, with which I often agree. But in this case, I must disagree
with the notion that 8.77 is about John Calvin.

IMO, the beast that was, the eight head and little horn, ruled for
9768 days (26,7439 tropical years), though of which 4284 days more of
less behind–the–scenes.

He did indeed uproot three other rulers (horns) and countless people
were captured, exiled, brutally persecuted and murdered during his
reign. Especially those who, in that period, were considered to be
heretics. The last three years of his rule were regarded as a period
of terror hitherto unsurpassed.

My translation of 8.77 would thus be:

The antichrist (little horn) soon overturns three (horns),
Twenty & seven years of blood his war shall last,
The heretics dead, captives, exile,
Blood human corpses red water hails the land.

Shammash