Prophecy 2

Key

Use the alphabet in its normal order, but each code letter corresponds to the letter 5 spaces forward (e.g., A = F, B = G, etc.)

Translation

Shensi Teotihuacan Giza Mydonia Urrika Guimar Perelandra Tell-al-Muqayyar Ukert Cahokia Wegthor

Hidden Message

None.

Interpretation

Shensi	An inland province in China. There was massive erosion here, which indicates a huge body of water was here at some point: a flood. Floods are repeatedly mentioned in these Prophecies. Also, the Chou, Ch’in, and T’ang dynasties built their power in this region. Clark, Lex, Lana, and Jason all traveled to China in search of the third Crystal in Season 4's "Sacred."
Teotihuacan	"The City of the Gods" or "Where Men Become Gods." Located in the valley of the same name 30 miles north of Mexico City, Mexico. In Teotihuacan, there is the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. The Sun Pyramid is the third largest pyramid in the world. Around 1500 A.D., the Aztecs discovered the stone pyramids of Teotihucan-- centuries after the city-state's collapse. No one knows what language was spoken by its inhabitants, so the Aztecs, believing it to be a divine site, named it "The City Where Men Become Gods." Teotihuacan mysteriously collapsed around 700 A.D. An article appearing in Yahoo! News on December 2, 2004 makes this city even more interesting. Decapitated bodies were found in a tomb in the Pyramid of the Moon, indicating "horrifically gory sacrifices." One archaeologist on site, Saburo Sugiyama, said, "It is hard to believe that the ritual consisted of clean, symbolic performances-- it is most likely that the ceremony created a horrible scene of bloodshed with sacrificed people and animals... Whether the victims and animals were killed at the site or a nearby place, the foundation ritual must have been one of the most terrifying acts recorded archeologically in Mesoamerica."
Giza	Location of the Great Pyramid, one of the seven wonders of the world.
Mydonia	The underwater realm.
Urrika	Large continent ("old world") on which Kryptonian civilization began.
Guimar	Location of the Pyramids of Guimar, Canary Islands, Spain.
Perelandra	Name given to the planet Venus (in the old tongue of the solar system) in C.S. Lewis’ book Perelandra.
Tell al-Muqayyar	Ancient Ur, present-day Iraq. Location of 4,000-year-old temple honoring the moon god Nanna. A city built, lost, and retaken by the Sumerians (see Prophecy 3). It's also the location of the biblical Tower of Babel; according to this story, humans attempted to build a Tower so tall that it would reach the heavens and allow people to make a name for themselves. Angered by the arrogance of Babel's builders, God disrupted construction by "confusing the tongues" of the workers. This failed architectural pursuit is why humans speak different languages.
Ukert	A crater on the face of the moon that appears to be the shape of a perfect triangle. Some believe it was artificially made.
Cahokia	Location of Illinois' Cahokia Mounds. Translates to "City of the Sun." It is the site of the only prehistoric Indian city north of Mexico, and the Mounds are the largest prehistoric construction in the Americas. Here, there were several "woodhenges" believed to have been used as sun-based calendars.
Wegthor	One of Krypton's moons. Destroyed when an experiment by the criminal-scientist Jax-Ur went awry, killing the people who had colonized it. Its remains of joined with space debris to form rings around Krypton like those around Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus.

Over her sweet shoulder
Hovers a portent
The mother adores unaware

In "Pilot," Lana's mother waved to Lana as the meteor that ended Mr. and Mrs. Lang's lives appeared over her shoulder. Of course, this is something Lana doesn't like to talk about...

Joined yet destined to divide
The young lion strains his bonds
The crow flies another direction

Refers to Lex and Clark, forever joined by the car accident at the bridge in "Pilot." Lex is the young lion straining to break free of his father's control; lions are associated with royalty, and Lex is always dressed in purple. Clark is the crow flying in another direction; Smallville High's mascot is a bluish crow with a red cape and an 'S' on its chest.

At the edge of science
Errors duplicate and live on
Humanity subverted breathes pain

This has something to do with kryptonite-related experiments. The clone of Lana's childhood friend, Emily, is one possibility, as is the individuals resurrected by Lionel Luthor (Adam and company). However, none of these experiments "duplicated." Perhaps this snippet refers to a future appearance of... Bizarro? See Prophecy 7.

Burning with a winner's passion
He blazes new trails on the field
But no flame can last forever

Whitney Fordman (RIP) was Smallville High's star football player, but he died in combat after joining the Marines ("Visage"). This could also, however, refer to Coach Walt ("Hothead"). He burned with a winner's passion, blazing his way to a record-setting string of wins, but died because his flame burned too brightly.

That which is enclosed in lead
Remnant of a world's demise
Defeats the undefeatable

Refers to kryptonite, a substance released during the destruction of Krypton. When encased in lead, it's harmless to Clark/Superman, but when exposed, it's deadly.

In seeking warmth
He obliterates it
An icy tomb seals his fate

In "Cool," Sean Kelvin fell into kryptonite-poisoned Crater Lake in Winter and lost his ability to stay warm. He was able to stay warm in temporary spurts by sucking the heat out of campfires, electrical sources, and people, but Kelvin ended up falling back into the lake and remained trapped. I wouldn't be surprised if Luthorcorp or LexCorp dug Sean out of Crater Lake and brought him to the mysterious Level 33.3...

The powerful deny it
The foolish ignore it
But the humble remain levelheaded

Does this refer to the truth? Destiny? Mortality? Hmmm...

Malformed frame
Fractured reflection
The one shall see the invisible

Some claim this refers to Tina Greer, aka "Shapeshifta Girl," since we saw her face reflected in a broken mirror ("X-Ray") and we know her skeleton was deformed due to a soft-bone disease. However, the last line makes me think this actually refers to "Shimmer." In "Shimmer," Jeff used a powder made from kryptonite-tainted flowers to make himself invisible. During one scene, while Jeff was invisible, a mirror was broken. The glass fell to the floor, leaving a malformed mirror frame. Before this moment, only Clark, using his X-ray vision, knew the invisible being was human rather than a ghost. However, Jeff stepped on one of the shards of glass in this scene, leaving behind a tell-tale smear of blood.

Beloved husband and father
Beloved wife and mother
The graveyard stretches to eternity

Clark's vision of his future in "Hourglass" showed him in a graveyard, outliving his parents and friends.

From the Coast
Comes a bittersweet memory
Related but no longer family

Clark's grandfather came from Coast City, future home of Hal Jordan, also known as the Green Lantern. Coast City will be destroyed later, driving Jordan insane. Martha's father was related to the Kents, but he didn't want to have anything to do with the family because he didn't like Jonathan... And also because Clark's parents didn't want him to know the truth about Clark's powers and origins.

Take me to you, imprison me
For I shall never be free, nor ever chaste
Except you ravish me

Poetry (John Donne's "Holy Sonnet 14") quoted by Lex in "Nocturne."

With her he seeks paradise
Alone he falls helplessly
Washed but not cleansed

A reference to Lex and his honeymoon disaster ("Exodus," "Exile"). With Helen, Lex sought paradise, but he awoke to find himself alone in a falling plane... The plane then crashed into the ocean, "washing" Lex, but not "cleansing" him of his evilness.