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Is there a reason for these men to be bald or do they have a hat on?
The Hierophant
I think that it is telling us that it is direct knowledge from the divine, but I may be wrong.
Thanks for any ideas.
Le_Corsair
15-01-2004, 10:52
A tonsure was a special form of head-shaving symbolizing that the subject has taken vows in a religious order. I am aware of two types of tonsure in the Roman Catholic church: 1. the Roman tonsure, in which a circular area at the back of the head is shaved, and 2. the Celtic tonsure, in which everything forward of the ears is shaved. There may be other variants, those are the ones I am familiar with.
Bob :THERM
Thanks, this makes sense.
I thought of the one comedy movie with Tim Allen & Christy ( the one that use to be married to one of the Baldwin boys. They left the city & went to the country & was living with Omish people.
These guys had riglets for sideburns & then a space where there was no hair. lol
HudsonGray
15-01-2004, 13:47
Vikings also shaved, but from the top of the ears down, it was basically to help cushion the weight of their helmet against the top of their heads, yet leave the ears free to hear. Basically a matt of hair at the top of the head & nothing down below that circle.
WalesWoman
15-01-2004, 13:57
My step dad was bald, he said it was because his brain was so big it pushed out all of his hair!
Maybe it's the reverse of the veil, nothing is hidden, and there's nothing to come between the head and knowledge?????
[QUOTE]Originally posted by HudsonGray
[B]Vikings also shaved, but from the top of the ears down,
Wouldn't that leave a nasty hole where their ears used to be?
Vincent
ROFLMAO
Vincent: You have a fine eye for detail. I didn't catch this when I read it.
HudsonGrey: Hope this brightens your day! You have to admit this is funny!
Thanks
Originally posted by Vincent
[QUOTE]Originally posted by HudsonGray
[B]Vikings also shaved, but from the top of the ears down,
Wouldn't that leave a nasty hole where their ears used to be?
Vincent
Well, Ros I see what you mean.
Vincent started the whole thing. LOL
That is too funny.
I guess that might explain why Vikings have a reputation for being a little bit cranky.
Le_Corsair
16-01-2004, 16:51
All About Tonsure, (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14779a.htm) courtesy of the online Catholic Encyclopedia.
Bob :THERM
ScarabFlight
14-02-2004, 02:23
Le_Corsair, very interesting stuff. I like what the article said about how you had to have faith and be able to read and write before you could have this done.
So the two people already have knowledge and are looking for more...... It could also correspond with an energy point on your head or keeping the path open for divine communcation, so to speak. That's just my little addition. :)
Thanks for all the ideas!!
light2000
01-06-2005, 19:50
I think that it is telling us that it is direct knowledge from the divine, but I may be wrong.
Yes i think that you are right.
If saw the majoraty of Saints are bald. And the Franciscanos´(it´an order of priests) cut their hair for looking a bald person. So this part of the head is the realashionship with the divine. If you took the hair off you can contact better, you stay whith no barriers, lol.
I've never gotten a warm fuzzy vibe from the RWS Heirophant and I think this discussion finally pinpointed why. The teacher/mentor/pope/etc. is giving his information to guys initiated into his faith. That precludes, for me, the idea that he'll give knowledge to just anyone. You have to be part of the in crowd.
Compare to the Magician or the Priestess who aren't so exclusive.
My 2 cents for the day.
tarobones
13-07-2005, 22:20
It does not seem unusual to me for a teacher/wise person to impart knowledge to disciples that he would not to just anyone. The shamans all do that, as well as the Hierophant. Seems natural enough..............if one wants to be a disciple and learn from a teacher, one has to be willing to be taught. Just my two cents.........Peace to all...........Michael
squeakmo9
16-07-2005, 22:02
It's interesting how symbolic hair is, or lack of it. I've heard of people who have shaved their heads just as a personal cleansing of sorts, like beginning a new chapter in life.
It reminds me of that TV show-Kung Fu ('snatch the pebble from my hand') where the underling begins his journey bald as he prostrates before his "master".
When I was a kid I remember an odd occurrence seeing a nun take off her habit (12 years of Catholic school) and realizing there was hair there and it was closely cropped.
Won't get into the details of how I was privy to that but I think in the "old days" novices had to cut/shave their hair before taking their final vows. Just some of my musings :)
I think your correct ScarabFlight, the tonsure made sure nothing stood between their heads (minds) and the Higher.
As I'm getting slightly bald myself, I expect the Divine Light every minute now...I just hope that shiny little spot doesn't reflect it! :)
firemaiden
07-01-2006, 23:27
I've never gotten a warm fuzzy vibe from the RWS Heirophant and I think this discussion finally pinpointed why. The teacher/mentor/pope/etc. is giving his information to guys initiated into his faith. That precludes, for me, the idea that he'll give knowledge to just anyone. You have to be part of the in crowd.
Compare to the Magician or the Priestess who aren't so exclusive.
My 2 cents for the day.
Well, the image of a pope with two tonsured clerics is not specific to the Rider Waite: See the Marseille Pope (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/5-V-Pape.jpg)
fyi - the wikipedia article on Tonsure (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonsure) is very interesting. It brings up the possiblity that roman monks were originally tonsured to make them resemble slaves -that slaves in Roman times were tonsured like that, and free men were not - it was to show the humility.
The thought occurs to me that a whole bunch of them were either bald or losing their hair anyway so they didn't want to be alone and they made shaving your head a bit a badge of honor. That way the younger handsome ones were in keeping with the Hierophant who was probably bald anyway under that "hat" ?
(Just a bit more levity in case anyone thinks I am really serious)
I always assumed it was a reminder of humility and service. It also marked them as set apart from other men.
Is there a reason for these men to be bald...
"There is a ring in front of the altar, from which two chains are carried
to the necks of two figures, male and female. These are analogous with
those of the fifth card [ie: The Hierophant], as if Adam and Eve after
the Fall. Hereof is the chain and fatality of the material life."
Arthur Edward Waite on XV The Devil re V The Hierophant
http://www.sacred-texts.com/tarot/pkt/pktar15.htm