This is one of those cards in the deck that has me scratching my head. Why is it the Knight/Cups? I ask this because even examining it close up, it's hard to tell what he's carrying in his hand. That said, it doesn't seem to be a goblet. Nor, for that matter does it look to be a weapon. Maybe someone with the book (or the deck creators) could tell us?
There's other odd things about this knight. He's on a horse riding *out* of a castle. Meaning he was indoors on a horse! And it's hard to say what he's riding out onto--a bridge? A terrace? A walkway? So there's one question--why out of a castle, why onto that walkway? He's also covered head-to-toe, and so, for that matter, is his horse! Blue is the dominant color, and certainly reflects the blue of the other cup cards. Most significant, however, is that red cross.
Which, of course, might be a joke on the part of the deck creators. If the cups are mainly about vampires and blood then it's pretty funny for our Knight/Cups to have a "red cross" on his chest.
I'm wondering, however, if it's not too much of a stretch to imagine that this might be Edmund Spencer's "Red Cross Knight" from the
Faerie Queen? It's a Very long poem about a knight searching for truth who has all sorts of allegorical adventures. Early on he meets faith, hope and charity in the house of holiness. Faith is described as having a goblet with a serpent in it, and Hope as having a silver anchor (sounds cup-like to me!). Charity is surrounded by children. Sounds like the suit of Cups to me.
Here's a painting that illustrates this scene from the poem showing hope and faith:
http://onlinepainting.blogspot.com/2008/10/american-portrait-red-cross-knight.html
I've no idea if this is the
Faerie Queen's red cross knight, and I'm not all that familiar with the poem, but I can certainly see this for the Knight/Cups in the BG deck. It's a story that involves dragons, giants, as well as things like the 7 deadly sins and such. This suits the Knight/Cups who is a romantic dreamer, a man of religion and faith, one who goes on a quest into realms of fantasy and imagination.