View Full Version : RWS : 7 Swords quibble.
samantha
05-07-2003, 16:32
What do you make of the background in this card ?
For me it has a middle eastern feel .....whilst all of the other
cards feel as though they are located somewhere in Europe
(or eastern europe) . Plus the guy looks as though he is
wearing a Fez (?) .
Since he has been assigned the role of the thief I had better be
careful what I say .....still , maybe this is a sign of a non pc assumption in the mind of the artist ??!!
It could be that the tents in the background are meant to be
similar to the ones used at the time of jousting tournaments in
Medieval England .....so perhaps its only the context here which
is wrong , and which jars with me somehow .
Its the only card in the deck which has this effect on me (*there
there, take the little green pill*) , but I'm asking myself the same
questions each time I see it .
Minderwiz
05-07-2003, 17:13
I can see what you mean. However, to me the hat appears to have a fur ruff at the base, there is a break in it just above and forward of his right ear. There are similar ruffs around the tops of his boots. So I feel his hat is not a fez but is a round hat with a high crown and fur ruff. His hair underneath the hat appears to be blond and curly.
I also think his dress looks rather medievally European so I don't think it is out of place with the rest of the suite (and deck).
I wonder what other people think?
samantha
05-07-2003, 18:30
Ok! Perhaps I can concur on the hat ....!! But my guy definately
has jet black curls , rather than the JP Gaultier look as sported
by yours !!
And the more I look at the card , the more I "see" the bedouin
camp site ....or something of a similar ilk . It just doesn't feel
European !! And maybe its not meant to be ? And if not , why
not ?
Yes , please !! what does any one else think ?
Macavity
05-07-2003, 19:10
I wondered if it was a "Crusader" encampment and the gentleman making off with the swords was... perhaps a "Tartar" - as in Turkish speaking central asian, ex-soviet union and all that good stuff? My geography is lousy :laugh:
Macavity
Minderwiz
06-07-2003, 07:48
My version has definitely got blond hair! Not sure about the Tents, could be crusaders or any other medieval knight-type tent
Its also possible it could be both 'Middle East' and 'European' don't forget that the Turks captured Constantinople in 1453 and went on to hold much of Greece and the Balkans until the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. They also reached the Gates of Vienna, so there's lots of possible fighting there. Indeed thinking about it, the dress does look vaguely Balkan - but then I might be introducing red herrings here LOL
Also I undestand that Blond Turks are not unusual.
samantha
06-07-2003, 13:16
Ah , yes !! I had thought of it representing some annexed
country .....but this still leads me to wonder why she
only includes it the once ? And whether this has some
bearing on the cards meaning , or whether it is totally arbitrary.
Does anyone know what kind of reference material (if any) she
went to before drawing these cards ?
Chronata
08-07-2003, 16:44
I had a teacher who explained the backround of this card to me as a representation of a festival...a sort of circus gypsy camp kind of thing.
And that the little figures in the back are not about to get ready for a battle, but rather, gathering around a fire for entertainment.
And then there's that double line horizon, which has always been explained to me as things behind it are in the past....
Hmmm...never really considered it to be out of place before, but I can sure see what you mean!
samantha
09-07-2003, 18:23
Hmm , Gypsy camp is an interesting take on it Chronata .....I
could imagine this guy working for a fairground . ( Perhaps the
Magician is one of the background group !! Anyone got a
high power magnifying glass?)
I've never noticed the double lines ! Thanks for bringing this
up .......*off to investigate futher*
WalesWoman
06-01-2004, 12:06
This card is something else to decipher that's for sure. There is another thread here about the staged look of many of the minors and this is one that looks almost like a set. (Note that his shadow stops or is cut off and doesn't extend past the line dividing him from the desert tents side and he looks like he's taking a bow with a bouquet of swords)
The Crusades is a good guess for the medeival look of the cards, hadn't occured to me until I started reading this thread. One of the meanings I read for this card is the use of diplomacy, especially when in the "enemy" camp or dealing with animosity. So that makes sense. So I'm trying to think here, if this card might mean stepping away from some "crusade" that isn't going well, is meeting a lot of opposition, bowing out perhaps, to fight again another day? Or taking ideas that can be used to your advantage, or atleast ones that can't be used against you? The tents really are colorful, like a festival, but I was thinking of negotiations, like that is what is happening around the campfire and this guy is stealing unneccesary conflicts from it?
TemperanceAngel
06-01-2004, 17:05
Yes I see it as a carnival, circus type arrangement. A somewhat confusing card and I am not certain he is a thief. He seems to be playing a trick, but can't carry all the swords.
He has not prepared enough, so the job/task/situation will not manifest to it's full potential.
Take time to prepare young man!
Remember 7's are also about change and a maturing process and swords to do with intellect/mind.
Just my opinion, I like people to think about cards in a new light :) XTAX
Part of the reason to show the 'gypsy' camp must have been the designs on the tents. I can see Moon and Aquarius in the circles and wiggles, and I'd bet it has a lot to do with the idea of 'instability' that the 7 of Swords is supposed to convey.
The "tents" also show instablility for they are not permanent.
Just an idea.
you know, samantha, I thought this guy looked foreign, but never really THOUGHT about it before now. (If that makes sense.) Just the look on his face contributes to this, as well as the "fez" (or even Russian-type hat) as you mentioned. Again, I am soooo not a history person, that it didn't even register that it was out of character. Interesting observation and post!
Along with "change" and the "maturing process", sevens also represent illusion of some sort. Definitely deception, illusion, and shady business going on here.
As for the tents... I am still torn whether this is a carnival or a battle encampment. If it is an encampment of sorts, then why the heck all the fancy tents? But the people in the distance look like they are plotting something... and the leader seems to stand with a spear or lance of some sort. Also, if it is a carnival... why are there so many swords???
It has also always bothered me how this guy can hold the swords like that? Aren't they sharp? Isn't he going to cut himself???
haha. I know, no answers, only more questions... ;)
Also maybe there is confusion of thoughts with this card .
(s) words are sharp!
TemperanceAngel
07-01-2004, 17:38
Originally posted by ros
The "tents" also show instablility for they are not permanent.
Great thought, Ros :D
Another one is maybe because he can't carry all the swords and is running from someting that isn't permanent, that he is a bit overwhelmed and not ready to confront/deal with the situation yet.
Just my thoughts :) XTAX
Originally posted by ros
(s)words are sharp!
hee hee
i like it!
Jewel-ry
08-01-2004, 02:52
Is he an actor?
Stealing the show!
fits in with the deception, illusion meaning, and the sevens can mean a breakthrough.
J :)
I think he's stealing the swords to prevent a bloody battle.
So I sometimes see this card as stepping in and doing something about a small problem in your life, to prevent it from becoming a much bigger one.
Like going to the dentist when you have a small cavity before it turns into a root canal!
Stuff like that comes up in our life all the time.
And sometimes I'm to lazy or apprehensive to deal with it right away when I should.
This card shows up and gives me a kick in the butt.
And says," do it," before it gets out of hand.
It's the Nike "JUST DO IT" card.
I was looking for some ideas about this card so I did a search and found this old thread. Plenty of good ideas for sure.
I was wondering about the colors of the tents, who these people are, and who the figure is swiping the swords, then I noticed something. The whole scene is one of merriment. The folks in the background seem to have no cause for concern, the doors of their colorful tents are wide open, they've gone off and left their swords unattended, and they appear to be in the middle of nowhere. The expression on the face of the thief seems to be that of a joker, not a criminal. I would venture to guess he is probably one of their own party having a little lighthearted fun at his mates' expense. He hasn't taken all the swords, though he probably could if he really wanted to. He's just playing a trick. The color yellow would make a lot of sense following this line of interpretation.
fool_fool
I was looking for some ideas about this card so I did a search and found this old thread. Plenty of good ideas for sure.
I was wondering about the colors of the tents, who these people are, and who the figure is swiping the swords, then I noticed something. The whole scene is one of merriment. The folks in the background seem to have no cause for concern, the doors of their colorful tents are wide open, they've gone off and left their swords unattended, and they appear to be in the middle of nowhere. The expression on the face of the thief seems to be that of a joker, not a criminal. I would venture to guess he is probably one of their own party having a little lighthearted fun at his mates' expense. He hasn't taken all the swords, though he probably could if he really wanted to. He's just playing a trick. The color yellow would make a lot of sense following this line of interpretation.
fool_fool
Thats an interesting take on it fool_fool.
Kind of like the mate who swipes his friends clothes while they're having a fun time in the old swimming hole.
There are many possible scenarios. This fellow could have gone into the tents, taken the swords and is scattering them about. Rather than taking five and leaving two, it could be the other way around. All in all it's a reminder not to take yourself, or life, to seriously.
fools_fool