4. The Desecration of Nostradamus’ Tomb
It seems that Nostradamus predicted the desecration of his tomb in his quatrains (that are printed below.) However there has also been some speculation that a medallion the corpse was wearing also predicted the disassembling and invasion of his corpse.
Soon after his entombment, his resting place became a pilgrimage site. For centuries, a rumor circulated that the prophet had had a secret document, giving the keys to deciphering the quatrains, buried with him. In 1700, city officials decided to move his body to an area behind a more prominent wall of the church so that vandals would not be tempted to dig him up to find the code to the quatrains. While the church officials had the tomb open, they couldn’t resist a careful peek inside the coffin. A quick look inside revealed a thick gold amulet on his skeleton, with the year 1700 on it.
One night in 1701 during the French Revolution, rebel soldiers from Marseilles broke into the church, in search of treasure The soldiers opened Nostradamus’s coffin and desecrated its contents and stole the amulet.
One nervy soldier actually used Nostradamus skull as a drinking goblet. The theory at the time was that drinking wine from his skull would bestow one with psychic powers.
The next morning Royalists ambushed the grave robbers and they opened fire. The soldier, who had used Nostradamus’ skull as a wine glass, the night before, died after being hit in the eye with a bullet from a sniper.
Aside from the prediction on the medallion (1700) nearly predicting the date of the desecration of his tomb seems that Nostradamus actually predicted this event in his quatrains.
Under the Oak (coffin) lightening strikes in Gienne.
Not far from there (Salon) is hidden the treasure
For after long centuries it is grabed (grabbed)
Found, shall die, eye pierced by a spring (of a trigger).
The man who opens the tomb when it is found
And who does not close it immediately,
Evil will come to him
That no one will be able to prove.
Upon hearing about the transgression the Mayor of Salon explained to the Royalist French soldiers that Nostradamus, in having predicted the French Revolution should be considered a national hero. Those present collected the bones from the floor and the missing amulet and helped to reinterr the remains. The tomb was resealed and left undisturbed for another 91 years.
