It’s amazing how relatable ancient art can be
There’s so much “wut” with this picture.
Why would you carry an Axe over the should opposite the hand you’re holding it with?
What is up with his pants. Dude looks like the has two dicks.
This is the tarot trump card “the fool”. The fact that he is using the axe incorrectly is part of the point. He just bumbles forwards blindly, driven along by the cat who swipes at his balls, unburdened by any intention whatsoever.
The fool is an incredibly important card in that it is the genesis of all action. As card 0, he sort of stands outside the path of the major arcana and can be seen as the beginning of any line of progression. Without the fool, nothing would or could ever begin.
Source: I am a woo woo individual who has spent a lot of time with the cards.
Hey, I’m looking for a woo woo individual! I don’t know anything about Tarot but its always seemed interesting. Are there any good resources you could recommend for learning more about it?
As a matter of fact, yes.
My biggest recommendation is the book 78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack. She compares the imagery off of the most popular symbolic systems for tarot, and really dives in to the esoteric meaning of each symbol. If you can absorb her book, you will be able to read nearly any deck you come across on sight alone.
For the Thoth tarot specifically, I would recommend Understanding Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot by Lon Milo DuQuette. The Thoth deck is a slightly more advanced deck in my opinion, but it ties tarot philosophy to Kabbalah, Jungian psychology, and a whole lot more.
I started as a Rider Waite deck reader (which is the most common symbol set in tarot), and Rachel Pollack’s book is perfect for understanding that, but then I moved into the Thoth deck as I got more advanced and understood what a genius Crowley was with this kind of stuff. There is no right or wrong answer—use the deck that speaks to you—but I’d recommend starting off with a standard Rider Waite and seeing where the journey takes you.
Thank you!
It’s my signifier since gender means so little to me.
i can answer the last one with something i learned the other week: the reason it’s “a pair of pants”, is that they used to consist of only the leg bits. you’d put on underwear, then leggy bits, then your jacket, then you’d tie the legs to the jacket.
instructions unclear
like this?
ye
that they used to consist of only the leg bits
Now I’m more confused. Are you saying they used to be, like, leg sleeves? Oh, and that’s what you would need to tie them to your shirt…man that’s weird…but I guess it’d be easier to weave 2 cylinders without the crotch bits.
You’re in luck!
Why would you carry an Axe over the should opposite the hand you’re holding it with?
That’s not an axe, it’s a bindle - exactly what a fool (in french, le fou) would carry.
What is up with his pants
He’s wearing medieval trousers - that is in fact two ‘hose’
These trousers, which we would today call tights but which were still called hose or sometimes joined hose at the time, emerged late in the fifteenth century and were conspicuous by their open crotch which was covered by an independently fastening front panel, the codpiece.
And again le fou is so stupid, his junk is out and all over the place.
Was not expecting an actually educational response to my meme of a comment, but boy is it delightful to receive.
Really appreciate the information!
You had 100% of my attention with the cat and mouse game.
History is often much more interesting looking up from the average guy than looking down with all the majesty (and bureaucracy) of the nobles. This card has great insight into the common man.
I’m not sure what that context of this picture is but it’s a common sword guard position depicted in medieval fighting manuals
it’s the Tarot card “the fool”
I zoomed in on the picture, and the first thing I see is the word “anus”.
I could be misreading it, but what other letter could it possibly be.
Thank you for enlightening me.
Oh you feel enlightened? I’m just more confused tbh.
Oh. I only feel enlightened about anus.
I am clueless as to what it is doing in a medieval combat manual.
The most I can rationalise is that the author had a bout of frustration, and the manual was the only outlet for their thoughts.
I’m thinking the artist was simply not good enough to draw pants correctly
I’m thinking the artist was simply not good enough to draw pants correctly
Jesus fucking Christ. How long has Coppertone been around?!
Wasn’t as cute in the 1500’s.
LEFOV JENKINS!!!
If you’ve ever had your dangle out around the cats, uh, you haven’t have it out twice. The Fool.
Deleted Ice Age scene
I hate when cats do that to you.
What if Felis catus is an alien race that enslaved humanity (to play with our genitals) and the reason they all look strange in art from this period is because they hadn’t finished adapting to earth yet?
Felis catus
Look at the color, that’s a Felis silvestris.
I thought that at first, but now I think it’s supposed to be an actual, literal demon.
Medieval commando
