The Hanged Man... death of a Jew in Christian lands?

History is for the Books

Le Pendu ~ which actually translates as "Hung"
and not The Hanged Man, is clearly shown as
dangling loosely by just one foot looped into an
open noose, and his hands are behind his back,
so it's very presumptuous to assume they're tied.

This card is not a historical depiction of anything.
It is specifically a Tarot card and functions as such.
Le Pendu does ask us to think, but for ourselves.

Piatnik Marseille IIX LE PENDU
http://www.republika.pl/tareau/karty_jpg/wisielec.jpg

Fulgour said:

Le Pendu ~ which actually translates as "Hung"
and not The Hanged Man,

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Sorry Fulgour, but "le pendu" does indeed mean "the hanged man"; "la pendue" means "the hanged woman", and "pendu" by itself is the masculine form of the past participle, which would usually be translated "hung" or "hanged" (depending on how the word is used) in English. In the term "LE pendu", the definite article shows clearly that it means "the hanged man".

With regards to the legend of the Wandering Jew, I briefly explain what this is on post 9 of the thread The Fool and the Bateleur - in case anyone is interested.

Thanks also for the corrected reference regarding the image as from the Jewish Encyclopedia, kwaw.

I also tend to agree with Fulgour that perhaps no individual card is simply a historical depiction - but, rather, draws on other historically relevant depictions. In this case, one may well ask as to why Jews (and undoubtedly others too) were hung by one foot with dogs (or a dog) often also hung adjacent.

That there are explanations stemming from simple brutal cruelty does not seem sufficient grounds for incorporation of the image into the deck.

Rather, it would have remained meaningful - and that at many levels simultaneously. One of these would have been the then common image (at least in the memory-picture) of this horrible sentence of one's peers, perhaps even distantly located family.

Another may have been a visual similarity to Lamed.

A third may have been connections to the passage of the Sun, referring to either equinoctial or solstitial points (and the one brings the other to mind, at any case).

For myself, this link has made not only the most sense, but has provided another small, but vitally important, piece of the overall puzzle.

With dog hanging too, multiple connections across the deck (to the Fool) also become available in yet not only new ways, but ways consistant with early representations and earlier living conditions.

I recall when I first read Mark Filipas's e.book when it was first released, and mentioned at the time that it was one of the most important contributions and much undervalued.

Same goes for this find, in my opinion - though perhaps I say this only because they provide further evidence (albeit circumstancial) of my own proposal of crypto-Jewish influence on the stabilisation of the Marseille pattern, and hence Tarot generally.

L'Homme Accroché

Ross G Caldwell said:

In the term "LE pendu", the definite article shows clearly that it means "the hanged man".

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I'm comfortable with "Le Pendu" as the hanged man,
but this does also translate directly as "Hung" too.

L'Homme Accroché is what I see for The Hung Man.

Thanks

Fulgour said:

L'Homme Accroché is what I see for The Hung Man.

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L'homme accroché...à quoi?
It sounds like someone hanging from a meat hook, certainly not a gallows.

We have a game in French-speaking countries. It is called "le pendu" and it is a word puzzle you must complete before a man is hanged from a gallows. Every false guess is a new part of the man, until we have a full person hanging. Children play this in school on hidden bits of paper, during dull lessons.

Whatever the interpretation we might choose to give it, Tarot imagery has a history (which might also be found in books). I'm finding this "Jewish punishment" thread chilling but fascinating.

Thanks for the Wandering Jew link, Jean-Michel. I have been looking up the legend on the internet. But the legend - at least the one we are familiar with - appeared in writing after the Tarot (17th century in Germany). How can we be sure of the influence?

Helvetica said:

L'homme accroché...à quoi?

Thanks for the Wandering Jew link, Jean-Michel. I have been looking up the legend on the internet. But the legend - at least the one we are familiar with - appeared in writing after the Tarot (17th century in Germany). How can we be sure of the influence?

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It is much earlier I think, I vagely recall the 12th century at least if not earlier - and is connected to the legend of the jewish cobbler. I have written this up in a previous thread, i'll try and find it and provide a link.

Kwaw

edited to add from my notes in relation to the wandering jew and the baggato:

According to Scholem the earliest reference to this is among the German Hasidism in the 13th century. In the same period there arose in Germany a Christian legend that seems to have mixed this tale with that of Aristeos in Greek myth. According to this version Christ, carrying the cross, rested on the doorstep of a cobbler. The craftsmen told him to go away to which Christ responded "I will go, and fast, but thou will tarry till I come again." The cursed cobbler becomes an immortal witness to the Christ, a wanderer through the nations of the Earth until Christ comes again. According to the legend he ages until 100 when he falls into a trance from which he awakes restored to the age of 30. This tale became very popular from the 13th to the 18th centuries with reports of the appearance of the 'wandering jew' appearing in Europe and America under a variety of names. He appears as Buttadeus in Antwerp in the 13th century, in Milan in 1413 and again in 1415 (bagato in modern Milanese dialect means 'cobbler'), a second time in Germany and the low countries in the 15th century and a third time in Germany in the 16th century. He is reported for the last time in 1774 at Brussels but reappears shortly after in Venice under the name of Gualdi. In France he was called Laquedem, other names under which he was reported to have made himself known are Ananias and Ahaseur. The tale of the 'Wandering Jew' has been adapted to numerous poems and novels over the centuries.

Kwaw

kwaw said:

According to Scholem the earliest reference to this is among the German Hasidism in the 13th century. In the same period there arose in Germany a Christian legend that seems to have mixed this tale with that of Aristeos in Greek myth. According to this version Christ, carrying the cross, rested on the doorstep of a cobbler. The craftsmen told him to go away to which Christ responded "I will go, and fast, but thou will tarry till I come again." The cursed cobbler becomes an immortal witness to the Christ, a wanderer through the nations of the Earth until Christ comes again. According to the legend he ages until 100 when he falls into a trance from which he awakes restored to the age of 30. This tale became very popular from the 13th to the 18th centuries with reports of the appearance of the 'wandering jew' appearing in Europe and America under a variety of names. He appears as Buttadeus in Antwerp in the 13th century, in Milan in 1413 and again in 1415 (bagato in modern Milanese dialect means 'cobbler'), a second time in Germany and the low countries in the 15th century and a third time in Germany in the 16th century. He is reported for the last time in 1774 at Brussels but reappears shortly after in Venice under the name of Gualdi. In France he was called Laquedem, other names under which he was reported to have made himself known are Ananias and Ahaseur. The tale of the 'Wandering Jew' has been adapted to numerous poems and novels over the centuries.

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Thanks Kwaw. I seem to remember reading that there was no mention of the Wanderer being a Jew before the 17th century - you have suggested the refutation. I wonder if Sholem was referring to specific texts or to oral history? Are you referring to the Hasidei Ashkenaz?

Helvetica said:

Thanks Kwaw. I seem to remember reading that there was no mention of the Wanderer being a Jew before the 17th century - you have suggested the refutation. I wonder if Sholem was referring to specific texts or to oral history? Are you referring to the Hasidei Ashkenaz?

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Didn't both hasidic sects originate among the Ashkenazi? Baal shem Tov the 17th century founder of modern hasidism was an Ashkenazi I think. Anyway Scholem is talking about the earlier Hasidics which originated in the region of Germany; not to be confused with modern hasidim.

Kwaw

kwaw said:

Didn't both hasidic sects originate among the Ashkenazi? Baal shem Tov the 17th century founder of modern hasidism was an Ashkenazi I think. Anyway Scholem is talking about the earlier Hasidics which originated in the region of Germany; not to be confused with modern hasidim.

Kwaw

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Yes, I think these (the German medieval Hasidim) were called Hasidei Ashkenaz. According to the Encyclopedia.com, the first Hasidim are actually far more ancient, going back to the time of the Maccabbees (they resisted Hellenization), therefore pre-separation between Ashkenazi and Sphardim (in fact the break was between Hellenized and non-hellenized Jews), though the somwhat separate strand of Mizrahi Jews (Jews of Babylon) existed already.

But that's another topic entirely!

Thank you again for those references to Scholem.

My original notes in the linked thread (the post was made in November 2003) come from earlier notes I made with relevance to not so much Jewish history, but rather mediaeval pseudo-Gospels, the Golden Legends, and other Christian tales.

I cannot immediately find my notes, but it was clear that the legend of the wandering Jew (or Roman, depending on the source) was around even as early as the 11th century - and in written form... but that is really for another thread.