Literature Clues: King of Swords

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 18 May 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

jmd	18 May 2003
ToW, the poem as a reflection of the Fool is wonderful... these literature clues need not be veiled at all, in my view... and to find such a direct and succinct characterisation in literature is indeed wonderfully shared - thankyou. ...but now for a far more veiled reference. This time, from the text to a card: From the Virginia Declaration of Rights , 1776, section 13: That a well-regulated militia, composed of a body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defense of a free state; that standing armies, in time of peace, should be avoided as dangerous to liberty; and that in all cases the military should be under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power. (obviously something long deemed untrue by most nations) ...of which card may this refer, or is the question better stated as of which card does this extract conjure for me?

firemaiden	18 May 2003
Nine of wands?

Two of Wands	18 May 2003
I don't know really, but the Knight of Penticles sort of came to mind, form the line "standing armies, in time of peace". :TKNP

jmd	18 May 2003
Two highly plausible cards... but not the one conjured when I read this article... :)

firemaiden	18 May 2003
Seven of Wands?

Two of Wands	18 May 2003
Or the Six of Wands?

jmd	18 May 2003
... again, I can see why... but no clue: which card may represent the whole army by its figurehead?

Two of Wands	18 May 2003
King of Swords?

firemaiden	18 May 2003
Yeah, I agree with Two of Wands. "Figurehead" is a giveaway I think (:)) Otherwise, I would have said 5 of swords.

jmd	18 May 2003
... why do I have to make things too easy? You both win! Two of Wands wins the round! The reason it made me think of this card is that the army can be represented by its figurehead of the Kind of Swords, which is still, nonetheless, under the civil authority of the Emperor... Over to you ToW :):)

Two of Wands	18 May 2003
So JMD, is the Virginia Declaration of Rights, 1776, section 13, a real document? What was it saying exactly? It made for an interesting round. I shall go away to think of another...

jmd	18 May 2003
(by the way, the document is real)

The Literature Clues: King of Swords thread was originally posted on 18 May 2003 in the Tarot Games & Fun board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Games & Fun, or read more archived threads.