Mirabilis Liber
Encyclopedia
The Mirabilis liber is an anonymous and formerly very popular compilation of prediction
s by various Christian
saint
s and divine
s that was published in France
in 1522 (though purportedly published in Rome
in 1524, probably because it was the date of an important and long-anticipated planetary alignment) and reprinted several times thereafter. It is not to be confused with the almost contemporary Liber mirabilis. Its unwitting contributors include:
plus, in French, an anonymous anthology including a collection of late 13th-century prophecies elsewhere attributed to ‘Merlin
’.
As the above indicates, the book—whose only known complete translation (by Edouard Bricon) was published in French in 1831—had two parts, the first in Latin and the second, shorter, in French. It contained prophecies of fire, plague, famine, floods, earthquakes, droughts, comets, brutal occupations and bloody oppressions. The Church would collapse, the Pope
be forced to flee Rome. Such predictions made it extremely popular at the time of the French Revolution
, when crowds besieged the French Bibliothèque Nationale to see it. Indeed, many nineteenth-century catalogues suggested that it had predicted the Revolution itself. But above all the book predicted a supposedly imminent Arab invasion of Europe, the advent of the Antichrist
and the subsequent End of the World
.
The Mirabilis liber seems to have served as a major source for the prophecies of Nostradamus
, and was placed on the Lisbon
version of the Church's Index of Forbidden Books in 1581.
Prediction
A prediction or forecast is a statement about the way things will happen in the future, often but not always based on experience or knowledge...
s by various Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s and divine
Divinity
Divinity and divine are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems — and even by different individuals within a given faith — to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power or deity, or its attributes or manifestations in...
s that was published in 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...
in 1522 (though purportedly published in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 1524, probably because it was the date of an important and long-anticipated planetary alignment) and reprinted several times thereafter. It is not to be confused with the almost contemporary Liber mirabilis. Its unwitting contributors include:
- Bishop Bemechobus (misprint for Pseudo-Methodius – Syrian, 7th century)
- The Tiburtine SibylTiburtine SibylThe Tiburtine Sibyl was a Roman sibyl, whose seat was the ancient Etruscan town of Tibur .The mythic meeting of Cæsar Augustus with the Sibyl, of whom he inquired whether he should be worshiped as a god, was a favored motif of Christian artists. Whether the sibyl in question was the Etruscan Sibyl...
(Syrian, 9th century) - ‘St Augustine of Hippo’ (actually by the 10th-century monk Adso of Montier-en-Der)
- ‘St Severus’ (in fact a 15th-century composition)
- Johann Lichtenberger (an anthology of various named sources, first printed in 1488)
- A set of papal prophecies (14th century)
- Telesphorus of CosenzaTelesphorus of CosenzaTelesphorus of Cosenza was a name assumed by one of the pseudo-prophets during the time of the Western Schism.He gave out that he was born in Cosenza, Italy and lived as a hermit near the site of the ancient Thebes...
(14th century) - Another anthology including St Brigid of Sweden, St Hildegard of BingenHildegard of BingenBlessed Hildegard of Bingen , also known as Saint Hildegard, and Sibyl of the Rhine, was a German writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mystic, Benedictine abbess, visionary, and polymath. Elected a magistra by her fellow nuns in 1136, she founded the monasteries of Rupertsberg in 1150 and...
, the Cretan Sibyl, the Hermit Reynard, St Cyril and the celebrated Abbot Joachim of FioreJoachim of FioreJoachim of Fiore, also known as Joachim of Flora and in Italian Gioacchino da Fiore , was the founder of the monastic order of San Giovanni in Fiore . He was a mystic, a theologian and an esoterist... - Joannes de Vatiguerro (16th century)
- Joachim of FioreJoachim of FioreJoachim of Fiore, also known as Joachim of Flora and in Italian Gioacchino da Fiore , was the founder of the monastic order of San Giovanni in Fiore . He was a mystic, a theologian and an esoterist...
himself (12th century) - ‘St Vincent’ (actually a 16th-century compilation based on St Thomas AquinasThomas AquinasThomas Aquinas, O.P. , also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest of the Catholic Church, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, or Doctor Universalis...
and others) - St. Catald of TarantoSt. CataldSaint Catald of Taranto , a friend of Saint Patrick, was an Irish monk who lived roughly from 400 to 480 AD...
(actually a 16th-century text) - Jerome of Ferrara (Savonarola – late 15th century)
- Fra Bonaventura (16th century)
- Johannes de Rupescissa (Jean de la Roquetaillade – 15th century)
- St Bridget of SwedenBridget of SwedenBridget of Sweden Bridget of Sweden Bridget of Sweden (1303 – 23 July 1373; also Birgitta of Vadstena, Saint Birgitta , was a mystic and saint, and founder of the Bridgettines nuns and monks after the death of her husband of twenty years...
(14th century)
plus, in French, an anonymous anthology including a collection of late 13th-century prophecies elsewhere attributed to ‘Merlin
Merlin
Merlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
’.
As the above indicates, the book—whose only known complete translation (by Edouard Bricon) was published in French in 1831—had two parts, the first in Latin and the second, shorter, in French. It contained prophecies of fire, plague, famine, floods, earthquakes, droughts, comets, brutal occupations and bloody oppressions. The Church would collapse, the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
be forced to flee Rome. Such predictions made it extremely popular at the time of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, when crowds besieged the French Bibliothèque Nationale to see it. Indeed, many nineteenth-century catalogues suggested that it had predicted the Revolution itself. But above all the book predicted a supposedly imminent Arab invasion of Europe, the advent of the 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...
and the subsequent End of the World
End of the world
End of the world may refer to:* End time, in religion* List of places described as the end of land or the world* Expected tidal destruction of Earth when Sun becomes red-giant star-Albums:* End of the World , 1968 work by Aphrodite's Child...
.
The Mirabilis liber seems to have served as a major source for the prophecies of 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...
, and was placed on the Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
version of the Church's Index of Forbidden Books in 1581.
Sources
- Araujo, Fabio R., Selected Prophecies and Prophets, 2007
- Britnell, J. and Stubbs, D., The Mirabilis liber, its Compilation and Influence in the Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, Volume 49, 1986
- Lemesurier, P., Nostradamus – The Illustrated Prophecies (O Books, 2003)
- Lemesurier, P., The Unknown Nostradamus (O Books, 2003)