Ross G Caldwell
I don't know where this post should go, but considerations of the Belgian Tarot (TB) have raised it for me, so I put it here.
The peculiarities of any tradition should enable us to search for its temporal and geographical locus.
What I mean is that, for instance, the Hanged Man is so peculiarly Italian, iconographically and ideologically, that its existence in tarot pretty much screams "I'm Italian!".
But more particularly, the TdM is so different from the kinds of cards used in Italy in before the 18th century, that without the Cary Sheet it would be hard to think of it as anything but French.
So - for the geographical and historical locus of the tarot images, we can come up with precise analogues in other media to the Bateleur, to the Popess, Pope, Empress and Emperor, Lovers, the Chariot, the Virtues, the Wheel of Fortune, Time or the Hermit, the Pendu, Death, and Judgement.
But what about the TdM's Devil? I haven't seen anything exactly like him anywhere but in the TdM.
TdM's Star is fairly unique, although there are some analogues.
TdM's Moon is entirely sui generis.
TdM's (various) Sun cards are unique.
TdM's World is unique - although like the Star, there are antecedents.
So - can any exact parallels in any other iconographical sources be found, that match the TdM's Devil etc., that could put it in a more precise time and place?
The peculiarities of any tradition should enable us to search for its temporal and geographical locus.
What I mean is that, for instance, the Hanged Man is so peculiarly Italian, iconographically and ideologically, that its existence in tarot pretty much screams "I'm Italian!".
But more particularly, the TdM is so different from the kinds of cards used in Italy in before the 18th century, that without the Cary Sheet it would be hard to think of it as anything but French.
So - for the geographical and historical locus of the tarot images, we can come up with precise analogues in other media to the Bateleur, to the Popess, Pope, Empress and Emperor, Lovers, the Chariot, the Virtues, the Wheel of Fortune, Time or the Hermit, the Pendu, Death, and Judgement.
But what about the TdM's Devil? I haven't seen anything exactly like him anywhere but in the TdM.
TdM's Star is fairly unique, although there are some analogues.
TdM's Moon is entirely sui generis.
TdM's (various) Sun cards are unique.
TdM's World is unique - although like the Star, there are antecedents.
So - can any exact parallels in any other iconographical sources be found, that match the TdM's Devil etc., that could put it in a more precise time and place?