ravenest
Hang on ! 'page' of swords ? ? ?
Insectile Wings?
Hang on ! 'page' of swords ? ? ?
nisaba
The Element of Air springs to mind, when you talk wings.
And his wings are interesting: dragonfly-wings, but arranged in groupings that call to mind large, heavy combat-style helicopters.
Again, of abstract thought - elemental Air.
Nemia
Duquette says that the knight's wings are fixed to his back, not his helmet, and that seems correct. I always thought that they're on the helmet 
There are a number of reasons why dragonfly wings seem a good choice for the suit of Swords. They are geometrical, transparent and lend themselves to abstraction and stylization.
Dragonflies, as opposed to birds, undergo transformation - they are not born with wings but acquire them.
Besides, by using dragonfly patterned wings, Harris avoids the association with angels (human figures with bird wings) or mythological Psyche (butterfly wings).
Here is the Duquette quotation (n.b. that dragonflies have four wings - and that's what Harris paints):
Beginning with the Knight of Swords, we see that what appear at first to be four propeller blades spinning atop his pointed helmet are actually four triangular wings sprouting from his back. They are transparent and veined, like those of a dragonfly. Perhaps there are only two wings that are moving so fast they appear as four. Please take a moment and look at the Queen, Prince, and Princess of Swords, and locate the marvelous angular wings on these figures. Now look at all the small cards of the suit and see the backgrounds festooned with these stylized wings— some balanced, almost pinwheel in form; some twisted, broken, stretched, and distorted.
DuQuette, Lon Milo (2003-11-15). Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot (p. 190). Red Wheel Weiser. Kindle Edition.
Does anybody see wings on the queen card? I didn't.
There are a number of reasons why dragonfly wings seem a good choice for the suit of Swords. They are geometrical, transparent and lend themselves to abstraction and stylization.
Dragonflies, as opposed to birds, undergo transformation - they are not born with wings but acquire them.
Besides, by using dragonfly patterned wings, Harris avoids the association with angels (human figures with bird wings) or mythological Psyche (butterfly wings).
Here is the Duquette quotation (n.b. that dragonflies have four wings - and that's what Harris paints):
Beginning with the Knight of Swords, we see that what appear at first to be four propeller blades spinning atop his pointed helmet are actually four triangular wings sprouting from his back. They are transparent and veined, like those of a dragonfly. Perhaps there are only two wings that are moving so fast they appear as four. Please take a moment and look at the Queen, Prince, and Princess of Swords, and locate the marvelous angular wings on these figures. Now look at all the small cards of the suit and see the backgrounds festooned with these stylized wings— some balanced, almost pinwheel in form; some twisted, broken, stretched, and distorted.
DuQuette, Lon Milo (2003-11-15). Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot (p. 190). Red Wheel Weiser. Kindle Edition.
Does anybody see wings on the queen card? I didn't.
blue_fusion
Yes! Bee/fly-like wings, with those little bee people at the bottom
And the princess' wings are a bit butterfly-y (if you look closely, you see what seems to be wing veining).ravenest
I'd say it depends on how ' twisted, broken, stretched, and distorted' it can be before one considers it crosses the line and it is NOT a wing ... my line is the Knight .
Also I will often disagree with DuQuette ... ' just because he got a book dont make him right '
The helm is winged ... the back isnt ... if the back is winged, those wings are not centred in the right spot but over his right kidney ... not too balanced that one.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qHwTb7JvU...AAAfM/Q_DQ1msjlxc/s320/Thoth_KnightSwords.jpg
Also I will often disagree with DuQuette ... ' just because he got a book dont make him right '
The helm is winged ... the back isnt ... if the back is winged, those wings are not centred in the right spot but over his right kidney ... not too balanced that one.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qHwTb7JvU...AAAfM/Q_DQ1msjlxc/s320/Thoth_KnightSwords.jpg
ravenest
Yes! Bee/fly-like wings, with those little bee people at the bottom
On the THOTH page of swords ??????
blue_fusion
So sorry. I meant prince I'm sure. Haven't slept yet ;D
ravenest
On the PNINCESS the pattern in that shape is sorta like what you say but I wouldn't call that over-all shape wings.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kyf11hMSw...lIHcbbKg/s1600/Court+-+Princess+of+Swords.jpg
One could just as easily see the formation of a crystal;
"The Princesses represent the He final of the Name. They represent the ultimate issue of the original Energy in its completion, its crystallization, its materialization. "
While I have the book out and am quoting (since no one believes me ) ;
the Knight ; " He is a warrior helmed, and for his crest he bears a revolving wing."
Queen's 'wings' ; " Her helmet is crested by the head of a child, and from it stream sharp rays of light, illuminating her empire of celestial dew. "
There is no comment on the Prince or Princess 'wings' in the Book of Thoth.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kyf11hMSw...lIHcbbKg/s1600/Court+-+Princess+of+Swords.jpg
One could just as easily see the formation of a crystal;
"The Princesses represent the He final of the Name. They represent the ultimate issue of the original Energy in its completion, its crystallization, its materialization. "
While I have the book out and am quoting (since no one believes me
) ;the Knight ; " He is a warrior helmed, and for his crest he bears a revolving wing."
Queen's 'wings' ; " Her helmet is crested by the head of a child, and from it stream sharp rays of light, illuminating her empire of celestial dew. "
There is no comment on the Prince or Princess 'wings' in the Book of Thoth.
sworm09
Well, since they are the suit of Swords, notice how the entire suit, including the minors, is predominated by sharp, angular lines. This is visually quite a harsh suit, not much of the pastel curves of the Cups. This probably fits the whole mental capacity thing, as the sword of the mind cuts through confusion, etc. Avian wings would have probably seemed out of place.
And all questions are welcome, of course.
I think this gets to the bottom of it.
The Courts have the same wing designs as the angular patterns in the backgrounds of all of the minors in the Swords suit. They're not necessarily meant to look insect like (I think), but they are meant to carry on the same theme of sharp angularity seen in the minors through their highly stylized wings.
But you're not alone. When I first saw the Knight of Swords, my first thought was that he was a dragonfly
Nemia
Ravenest, of course I believe you! I'm grateful you cleared that up for me at least. Actually, it's quite logical because all the court cards have crests.
I'm always inclined to believe authors ;-) and was too easily convinced by Duquette.
I'm always inclined to believe authors ;-) and was too easily convinced by Duquette.
