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lactic Omen?
by
Michael
A.
Snyder
What does the approach of Comet Halley portend for humanity?
I
T
w
As
a b a t t 1e t ha t
forever changed the
course of history. The
year:
A.D.
1066.
On September 28 William
of
Normandy landed on English
soil. With him were troops bent
on wasting the English army.
Fresh from defending the moth–
e rl and from northern invaders,
King Harold hurried south to meet
this challenge. As he gathered his
forces, a strange visitar embla–
zoned the evening sky.
This "bearded star" stirred awe
and wonderment among the foot
soldiers of both sides. Many puz–
zled over the meaning of the ap–
parition.
As tension grew, William held
his hand aloft and pointed out the
blazing star as a sign of divine fa–
vor. The heavenly sign, he de–
clared, foretold that the Normans
would soon vanquish the English.
On October 14, the forces of
William and Harold clashed. In
what has been described as "one of
those battles which at rare ínter–
vals, have decided the fate of na–
tions," King Harold was felled by
a random arrow and the battle
swung in favor of the invading
Normans. William of Normandy
would soon assume the legendary
title of William the Conqueror.
Harold' s " Death Star"?
And what of the star that embla–
zoned the dark sky?
lt
continued
silently on its way toward the edge
of the solar system.
But it was not forgotten.
Indeed, those who viewed it
thought the comet's appearance
signifícant enough to embroider a
facsímile into the Bayeux Tapestry,
the 231-foot-Iong linen history of
the English conquest. On the an–
cient cloth, the comet soars over
the head of hapless King Harold
while onlookers gaze in awe. The
inscription
" f stimirant Stella"
("Thcy wonder at the star") fol–
lows its blazing tail.
But did the comet actually sig–
nify the impending defeat of the
English ? What power of
prophecy- if any-does this celes–
tial visitar hold?
T his is the question many ask for
1986, since that same "bearded
star" is now back for one of its
infrequent visits. Of course, instead
of calling it "a wonderful sign from
Heaven," as it was known in 1066
to the Normans, people refer to it
as Halley's comet. (The comet re–
ceived its surname from Edmund
Halley, the English astronomer
who calculated the comet's ellipti–
cal orbit. Scientists refer to it as
Comet Halley.)
Does Comet Halley possess re–
markable omen-like powers?
The famous comet allegedly por–
tended the death of the Seleucid
king Antiochus Epiphanes in 164
a .c ..
the destruction of
J erusalem during its ap-