Bohemian Gothic-Knight of Wands

Thirteen

All the other Knights have been covered save this one!

We have a red-haired dandy as our Knight/Wands. It's quite clear that he cares a lot about his appearance, being well turned out in pristine jodhpurs, a red riding coat and brocaded green vest. The cuffs and collar of his jacket have a military edge and there is some sort of military medal about his neck. He is a cross, in my mind, between one of those spoilt, arrogant fox hunters and the aristocratic officers prior to WWI--the ones given their position only because of noble birth, not because they were any good at winning a war.

He is a Knight who, IMHO, sees both hunting and war as aristocratic sport; they exist for his pleasure, and it's likely he sees no difference between commanding dogs to go after a fox or foot soldiers to after the enemy. Both are games and entertainment for this rarified young man--as well as giving him very fine costumes to wear. Though not on his horse right now, I can see him directing, watching and starring in this show from horseback, as if he were a silent film producer.

I think this is a very apt Knight/Wands, especially given the Queen and King. The three go together very well. Their costumes are flashy, their poses regal, and their attitudes....prima donna. Our Knight/Wands also stands out from the other Knights in that we feel he's probably a speedy horseman--not like the armored turtle of Knight/Pents, or the stealthy Knight/Cups.

Apropos of the Knight/Wands, the ride itself is what matters; that speed and flash. No surprise that his wand is a riding crop.
 

swimming in tarot

The foxhunter/officer analogy seems to work for a dark Knight of Wands, which this surely must be.

This is perhaps the most daylit card of the deck. This knight reminds me of one of my childhood friends--so, not old enough to be shaving, yet. He has found a puddle of sun to stand in, which sets him off from the unlit tree trunks. It gives him a not-quite-thereness. Detached from reality?

He and his horse pose standing on a trail, beyond which is a gatepost, not unlike a memorial marker. There is a fence further on, just visible between the horse's front legs. Perhaps this is a cemetery, and the fence is a little railing around someone's grave, such as can be seen in 5 of Cups. Just out for a scenic ride, or are these the fallen who obeyed his poor commands?

Now, I am not greatly familiar with horse gear, but it looks like the riding crop is suspended from his neck. I mean, his thumb goes through a loop, and a strap crosses his hand and goes upward, hiding between the red of his coat and the green of his vest. There is a dark line from the left side of his neck down to his hand, but that might be a crease; if so, it's funny the original photographer didn't have his subject straighten that out. Could it be something to do with the crop, or some other suspended item that we can't see? I can imagine a crop having a loop for the hand so as not to drop it, but on a string like a latch-key???

Also, the saddle on the horse sure reminds me of a side-saddle. Not the kind where the rider hooks her knee over a knob and sits facing forward, but the kind you see in medieval illustrations where the woman simply sits sideways on a "chair". Do my eyes deceive me? Try looking at it with the idea of a side-saddle with a low back support. The saddle certainly seems asymmetrical, not going down over the horse's right side, and with a backward curve to that upper horizontal front piece that may well connect to the upper horizontal back piece. If this is the case, what is the implication? That he is about to escort an unseen lady, and that's her horse, or is this a commentary on his "manliness", or something like he can't ride without training wheels? (I sat in one of those side-chair things once, but feel far more secure and in better communication with the horse, if I'm riding astride.)

Any thoughts?
 

Thirteen

I honestly cannot see the saddle well enough to tell. It may just have a high front part (bow of the saddle?)? It could be a war saddle or a royal-on-parade saddle. Check them out here (head on down past the bridles: http://ilaria.veltri.tripod.com/tack.html

I did note that there is something hanging down from the inside of his jacket. There are loops on riding crop handles to hang them, but my first thought is that, perhaps, this is actually a monocle dangling down?

I think we need Karen's help here. I can't tell if what's dangling down is a separate item (monocle would be my guess, it's go with his dandish look) or connected to the crop.
 

swimming in tarot

Hm. I glanced at the site you linked to. Saw a woman sitting side-saddle, but of course you can't see the saddle for her dress--but that would be the style I'm talking about. For a man's saddle, what we'd be looking for is one with a split front, which I don't think I saw...the Spanish war saddle may have been split front, but the one shown in the card doesn't have the leg support things. I'll look into this later after I've done the lick of work I promised someone. :)
 

magpie9

What I see in this Kt of Wands is a strong sense of entitlement. He is not a thinker, though he can scheme when he wants to for amusement value or to trick someone. He admires himself, and is passionately involved where he feels he can benefit. His passions, however, do not last long and are easily replaced. He can be cruel and vindictive if he feels slighted or not taken seriously enough. He holds grudges and usually gets his revenge. He is currently courting an old Auntie in hopes of inheriting the fortune that should rightly go to her son who is away at school or war.He has no scruples. He presents a cool exterior most of the time, but his rages are legendary. He can be very amusing and charming when he chooses to. Yet, nobody wants him to marry their daughter. There is something a little"off" about him.
Unlike the other knights, there is no devotion to war or justice or duty in him. He is not interested in gaining power in the military. He sees the military life as a necessary pastime in order to meet powerful people and families and benefit from the associations later in his life.
In battle he enjoys the killing and maiming, but his real aim is to emerge unhurt and not marked as a coward. He may have picked his regiment because he liked the dress uniform....or he thought he could come to dominate his commander.
 

baba-prague

Ah, interesting. Well, I had a bit of a Sergeant Troy character ("Far from the Madding Crowd" - not a Gothic novel but with some Victorian Gothic flavour to some parts) in mind in this card.

He is standing in an overgrown graveyard and I assume he is visiting the graveyard of some girl he has "wronged". He doesn't seem particularly guilty though (unlike Troy), I think he came as much to verify that she's dead and can't bother him as for any other more sentimental reason. You wonder if he has learned any lessons or will just go off and do the same to another woman. There is something shallow and weak about his face - he has a high opinion of himself. I think the horse remembers the girl - perhaps with more affection than the man has.

By the way, as an aside, I notice that some of the close-up rollovers on the site have stopped working. I will try to fix that in the next few days.
 

Thirteen

baba-prague said:
He is standing in an overgrown graveyard and I assume he is visiting the graveyard of some girl he has "wronged". He doesn't seem particularly guilty though (unlike Troy), I think he came as much to verify that she's dead and can't bother him as for any other more sentimental reason. You wonder if he has learned any lessons or will just go off and do the same to another woman. There is something shallow and weak about his face - he has a high opinion of himself. I think the horse remembers the girl - perhaps with more affection than the man has.
Works for me! I agree that he comes across very much as shallow, clueless and vain. It was that impression made me think that if he were in the military he probably cared more for how he looked in his uniform than for the lives of his men.

Can you tell us about the saddle? And what is dangling down? Monacle or something else? And having done what needed to be done--"such a chore visiting one's tragically dead wife!"--is he now off to the fox hunt? ;)
 

baba-prague

Thirteen said:
Can you tell us about the saddle? And what is dangling down? Monacle or something else?

Do you mean the leather thong on the crop? He is carrying a riding crop. The saddle was not significant - I just asked Alex as he added that detail and he said he just liked the look of that saddle. But he said what IS significant is that the horse may not be the knight's horse at all. He feels it's a woman's horse and that the woman is just out of the scene. If so, then it would alter the way this could be interpreted.
 

Thirteen

baba-prague said:
Do you mean the leather thong on the crop? He is carrying a riding crop. The saddle was not significant - I just asked Alex as he added that detail and he said he just liked the look of that saddle. But he said what IS significant is that the horse may not be the knight's horse at all. He feels it's a woman's horse and that the woman is just out of the scene. If so, then it would alter the way this could be interpreted.
Ah-ha! So, Swimming is vindicated! It was a lady's saddle. Interesting that the Knight is riding his, er, ex-wife's steed?

I had thought the Knight was a good rider, but perhaps I'm very wrong. Perhaps it was his wife who was the horsewoman, the lover of riding. And the "knight" is no better at riding than he is at being a real military man? A false knight on several scores then. As "pretend" as the rest of his suit's court cards.

You know, between the Knight and the Queen, you've made the Wands very ambiguous in their sexuality (identification as well as orientation). The Knight and Queen have similar enough faces that I begin to wonder if the Knight puts on ball gowns and dances around with a fan when no one is about.....