Arcandam was a celebrated
astrological pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
of the sixteenth century, under which books of predictions were published in Latin and French from about 1540. The name was still in use in the 1630s. It is assumed that Richard Roussat, a canon and physician of
Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of ...
whose name appears on the early works as editor, was the author of the early works.
The best known of the Arcandam books is the ''Livre de l'estat et mutation des temps'' of 1550. This formed one of the sources for the prophecies of
Nostradamus
Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, who is best known for his book '' Les Prophéties'' (published in 1555), a collection ...
.
[Available online:, in translation into modern French.]
There are some secondary pseudonyms/attributions appearing alongside Arcandam:
*Aleandrin,
*Aleandrinus,
*Aleandram,
*Alcandrin,
*Alcandrinus (perhaps suggesting
Alkindus
Abū Yūsuf Yaʻqūb ibn ʼIsḥāq aṣ-Ṣabbāḥ al-Kindī (; ar, أبو يوسف يعقوب بن إسحاق الصبّاح الكندي; la, Alkindus; c. 801–873 AD) was an Arab Muslim philosopher, polymath, mathematician, physic ...
),
*
Al-Kindi
Abū Yūsuf Yaʻqūb ibn ʼIsḥāq aṣ-Ṣabbāḥ al-Kindī (; ar, أبو يوسف يعقوب بن إسحاق الصبّاح الكندي; la, Alkindus; c. 801–873 AD) was an Arab Muslim philosopher, polymath, mathematician, physician ...
.
Notes
References
*Max Jacob et Conrad Moricand (1949) Miroir d'astrologie contenant des extraits du livre d'Arcandam
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arcandam
French astrologers
16th-century astrologers