Hister
Encyclopedia
Hister is the Latin
name for the Danube River (especially its lower course), or for the people living along its banks.
It also appears as Ister, equivalent to the Ancient Greek
᾽´Ιστρος, which also meant the Danube River or the region around its mouth. A city called Istria still appears near the mouth of the Danube in some modern atlases.
The term may be related to the name of the region Istria
in what is now northwestern Croatia
, where a tribe called the Histri lived in ancient times. Some once thought that the local freshwater streams in Istria derived from a (non-existent) southward branch of the Danube.
In modern English the term is most commonly encountered in its use by Nostradamus
, especially in a phrase at quatrain II.24 commonly translated "most of the battle (or armies) will be against Hister":
or, in English:
This is often interpreted to be a prediction of the war
against Adolf Hitler
's Nazi state in the twentieth century. However, none of the reputable sources listed support this view. In fact all of them point out that the name 'Hister' (as Nostradamus himself explains in his Almanac
for 1554) in fact refers in his writings to the Danube
, being mentioned (as elsewhere) alongside 'R[h]in' (Rhine) -- two rivers that formed the north-eastern frontier of the ancient Roman Empire
. Un bien sçavant homme dans ce dernier quart se pourmenant le long de la riviere Hister dite Danube, he writes at Prose Presage 222, la terre se parfondant, dans ladite riviere se perdra ('A very scholarly man during this last quarter, while walking along the river Hister known as Danube, the ground subsiding, in the said river shall be lost'). This is evidently based on a historical incident described by Nostradamus himself in his Traité des fardemens (Proem, p. 19, 1552), involving one Gaspar Ursinus Vellius consellier à Vienne en Austriche, qui un soir soy pourmenant le long du Dannube la terre se fendit, & tumba & se nya ('a councillor at Vienna
in Austria
who one evening was walking along the Danube, the ground split apart and he fell in and was drowned').
Similarly, the origin of the above quatrain itself seems to be historical: Gian Francesco Poggio Bracciolini
’s De Varietate Fortunae ('On the Vicissitudes of Fortune') of around 1430 contrasts the fates of the German King Sigismund of Hungary
(who, after being defeated at the battle of Nicopolis
on the banks of the Danube in 1396, became King of Germany
and attended a Church council at Constance
, at the source of the Rhine, in 1414) and of his triumphant opponent, the Sultan Bayezid I
(also known as Bajazet), who had meanwhile been captured and dragged all over Asia
in an iron cage by Tamerlane, just as the verse recounts.
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
name for the Danube River (especially its lower course), or for the people living along its banks.
It also appears as Ister, equivalent to the Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
᾽´Ιστρος, which also meant the Danube River or the region around its mouth. A city called Istria still appears near the mouth of the Danube in some modern atlases.
The term may be related to the name of the region Istria
Istria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
in what is now northwestern Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, where a tribe called the Histri lived in ancient times. Some once thought that the local freshwater streams in Istria derived from a (non-existent) southward branch of the Danube.
In modern English the term is most commonly encountered in its use by Nostradamus
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...
, especially in a phrase at quatrain II.24 commonly translated "most of the battle (or armies) will be against Hister":
- Bestes farouches de faim fluves tranner:
- Plus part du camp encontre Hister sera,
- En caige de fer le grand fera treisner,
- Quand Rin enfant Germain observera.
-
- [Nostradamus, Les Propheties, first printing 1555]
-
or, in English:
- Beasts wild with hunger shall cross the rivers:
- Most of the fighting shall be close by the Hister [Danube],
- It shall result in the great one being dragged in an iron cage,
- While the German shall be watching over the infant Rhine.
This is often interpreted to be a prediction of the war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
against 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...
's Nazi state in the twentieth century. However, none of the reputable sources listed support this view. In fact all of them point out that the name 'Hister' (as Nostradamus himself explains in his Almanac
Almanac
An almanac is an annual publication that includes information such as weather forecasts, farmers' planting dates, and tide tables, containing tabular information in a particular field or fields often arranged according to the calendar etc...
for 1554) in fact refers in his writings to the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
, being mentioned (as elsewhere) alongside 'R[h]in' (Rhine) -- two rivers that formed the north-eastern frontier of the ancient Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. Un bien sçavant homme dans ce dernier quart se pourmenant le long de la riviere Hister dite Danube, he writes at Prose Presage 222, la terre se parfondant, dans ladite riviere se perdra ('A very scholarly man during this last quarter, while walking along the river Hister known as Danube, the ground subsiding, in the said river shall be lost'). This is evidently based on a historical incident described by Nostradamus himself in his Traité des fardemens (Proem, p. 19, 1552), involving one Gaspar Ursinus Vellius consellier à Vienne en Austriche, qui un soir soy pourmenant le long du Dannube la terre se fendit, & tumba & se nya ('a councillor at Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
who one evening was walking along the Danube, the ground split apart and he fell in and was drowned').
Similarly, the origin of the above quatrain itself seems to be historical: Gian Francesco Poggio Bracciolini
Gian Francesco Poggio Bracciolini
Poggio Bracciolini was an Italian scholar, writer and humanist. He recovered a great number of classical Latin texts, mostly lying forgotten in German and French monastic libraries, and disseminated manuscript copies among the educated world.- Biography :Poggio di Duccio was...
’s De Varietate Fortunae ('On the Vicissitudes of Fortune') of around 1430 contrasts the fates of the German King Sigismund of Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
(who, after being defeated at the battle of Nicopolis
Nicopolis
Nicopolis — or Actia Nicopolis — was an ancient city of Epirus, founded 31 BC by Octavian in memory of his victory over Antony and Cleopatra at Actium the previous year. It was later the capital of Epirus Vetus...
on the banks of the Danube in 1396, became King of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and attended a Church council at Constance
Constance
Constance is a female given name that derives from Latin and means "constant." Variations of the name include Connie, Constancia, Constanze, Constanza, Stanzy, and Konstanze.Constance may refer to:-People:*Constance Bennett , American actress...
, at the source of the Rhine, in 1414) and of his triumphant opponent, the Sultan Bayezid I
Bayezid I
Bayezid I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1389 to 1402. He was the son of Murad I and Valide Sultan Gülçiçek Hatun.-Biography:Bayezid was born in Edirne and spent his youth in Bursa, where he received a high-level education...
(also known as Bajazet), who had meanwhile been captured and dragged all over Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
in an iron cage by Tamerlane, just as the verse recounts.
Sources
- Nostradamus, Michel:
- Almanachs, Presages and Pronostications, 1550–1567; Les Propheties, Lyon, 1555, 1557, 1568
- Brind'Amour, Pierre: Nostradamus. Les premières Centuries ou Prophéties, 1996
- Lemesurier, Peter, The Nostradamus Encyclopedia, 1997; The Unknown Nostradamus, 2003; Nostradamus: The Illustrated Prophecies, 2003
- Chevignard, Bernard, Présages de Nostradamus 1999
- Wilson, Ian, Nostradamus: The Evidence, 2002
- Clébert, Jean-Paul, Prophéties de Nostradamus, 2003
- Gruber, Dr Elmar, Nostradamus: sein Leben, sein Werk und die wahre Bedeutung seiner Prophezeiungen, 2003