Chariot Shoulder Faces

Hey, all!

I've tried to search these words and found nothing on this exact topic, rare to see "zero matches" in a search on this board!

What the heck do the faces on the shoulder guards of the Charioteer mean?

:/

Shalott said:

Hey, all!

I've tried to search these words and found nothing on this exact topic, rare to see "zero matches" in a search on this board!

What the heck do the faces on the shoulder guards of the Charioteer mean?

:/

Click to expand...

According to Waite in _Pictorial Key to the Tarot_, they "are supposed to be the Urim and Thummim".

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15224a.htm

Ah yes OK. That actually rings a bell...

Epaulette faces are also found on decks pre-dating the RWS, e.g., the Tarot de Marseille. In the Marseille, you can see them on the Chariot card and on certain of the court cards.

Here's the link to the Chariot discussion on the History & Iconography board:

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4074

Thank you for the links Rusty, I printed out the one about Urim and Thummim. I'll have to go over the History one when I get home from work.

Chariot=cancer ruled by the moon.

the faces are close to the crecent moons on the charioteer himself.
Faces in the moon, go figure.

This is basically from Amber Jayanti’s book Living the Tarot.

The masks that Waite called Urim and Thummin, oracle instruments of the high priests of ancient Israel, may serve as reminders that the Charioteer should be receptive to the divine spirit. It suggests that mastery over the material world occurs when the rider’s actions are founded in the eternal truths. Because one of the moons has an expression of joy and the other has an expression of sorrow they emphasize the Charioteer’s role of mediator between dualities.

Rose

Shalott said:

Hey, all!

I've tried to search these words and found nothing on this exact topic, rare to see "zero matches" in a search on this board!

What the heck do the faces on the shoulder guards of the Charioteer mean?

:/

Click to expand...

The definitive study of the symbolism of The Chariot, including the Urim and Thummim can be found here;
http://jktarot.com/chariotser.html

On another tack; I remember researching this some time ago and came across a website where someone claimed that not only did he know exactly what the Urim and Thummim were, but that he also had them in his possession!

He even had pictures of them on the site. If I come across the address, I will post it.



Vincent

"Spaulders"

Around the time that playing cards were being introduced to Europe, armorers in Italy were also discovering the very fine quality of Arabian metalworking. One especial piece of armor was the "spaulder" shoulder guard. I will check my notes for the names of the families producing these, as they were quite famous, and locate a link for the actual gear. Spaulders are also seen on the male Sword Courts, so the "Urim and Thummim" is probably out ~ and really, Waite was only copying from Levi, and who knows where he got the idea. As a holy oracle, the Urim and Thummim is quite sacred, powerful, and mysterious ~ not the sort of thing for the Knight of Swords to fashionably display.

Spaulders and Pauldrons

In contrast to the Christian crusaders, the Islamic warriors, particularly the Mamluks, delighted in richly decorated arms, and these were soon widely exported. From the 15th to the 17th centuries the most renowned centres of production in Europe were in Milan, Italy.

The greatest armourers were the dynastic families of Nergoli and Missaglia, and individual geniuses such as Lucio Piccinino in the mid to late 1500s. Production soon spread to northern Europe. Shoulder pieces, known as spaulders or pauldrons were very practical, and fashionable. A search on line will produce some excellent examples.

Mamluks and Milan... a very Tarot connection.