Absalom and the Sola Busca Three of Swords

PTAH said:

Very interesting observation, especially when you consider the possible identification of the King of Swords as King David the exemplar of divine justice, and the Ace as his sword won from Goliath.

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And now the Ace & King of Swords shall henceforth be King David and Goliaths' sword . It will make a difference to how I will 'read' these cards, because I like to keep as close to any historical influences that they have. Thank you


Bee

PTAH said:

Very interesting observation, especially when you consider the possible identification of the King of Swords as King David the exemplar of divine justice, and the Ace as his sword won from Goliath.

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Well there are other biblical figures in the Sola Busca, but not King David. The King of Swords in the Sola Busca deck is Alexander the Great.

I think if I recall right that King David may be one of the court figures in some French suited playing card decks as the King of Spades, maybe you are thinking of that? Alexander is in those too, as King of Clubs I think.

goldenweb, I wouldn't mind seeing the images you talked about back in post #4 along with the text or captions that accompany. I only have dialup and 51MB for the PDF isn't very doable.

If anyone else has downloaded the PDF and wouldn't mind posting them you would have my sincere gratitude.

One Stroke is not Enough

GW has an image that includes the text, which hopefully she will post. In the mean time here is the illustration, the text may contain errors, I quickly copy typed it :

Unus Non Sufficit Ictus



Accedite, quibus adhuc Divina Pietas Parentes commodat : Legite, & contremiscite. Notissima est impii in Patrem Absalon miserimi adolescentis Historia, ex Libor Reg.2.c.18. Hunc impensius adamaverat David : Monstrum, dilectionem, contumacia, & odio rependit. Abhominatus est Deus tam ingrati animi Feram : Filium que nequam, triplici lancea, corde transfixum, propriaque simul coma suspensum; perire, & ad Inferna ruere iuffit. Legite filii, & horrescire. Apostolum clamantem audite; Filii obedite Patribus vestris : sique vestigium incautis, & deviis, rationis inest, vobis metuite. Vindex Numen imminet, nisi parentes (Brutis deteriores) diligatis, colatis. Praecepit id arctius Deus 4. Decalogi mandato ; interminata etiam faeculi poena. Oculum qui subsannat Patrem, & qui despicit partum Matrum sua, effodiant eum Corvi de torrentibus : & comedant eum Filii Aquile. Has engessit Salomon minas, Prou.30.17. vidit autem nuper in vio Montis Ferrati Templum, (ut audiui) pleno Populi spectaculo sunun, contumancis Filii, cuius cadaueri, Ecclesiam ingressi Corvi, indignos oculos essoderunt.

Here 'tis.

Absalom

kwaw said:

Well there are other biblical figures in the Sola Busca, but not King David. The King of Swords in the Sola Busca deck is Alexander the Great.

I think if I recall right that King David may be one of the court figures in some French suited playing card decks as the King of Spades, maybe you are thinking of that? Alexander is in those too, as King of Clubs I think.

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Right, but I'm talking cartomancy talk here, specifically the European interps stemming from Etteilla, Billaudot, Papus, etc. Etteilla and his school appear to have believed the tarot pips equated with the pips of the standard Paris pattern. Here Alexander indeed shows up as the King of Clubs, seen by Etteilla as synonymous with the King of Coins. And according to Etteilla Swords=Spades, so the King of Spades/Swords would equate with King David of the Paris pattern.

That's awesome goldenweb, appreciate it. And thanks kwaw for the typed text.

My amateur translation of the title looks something like:

Unus one
Non not
Sufficit enough
Ictus blow

One not enough blow. (One blow was not enough.)

It seems to paint a picture of strength. After Joab stabbed him with the spears, Absalom still didn't die and Joab's soldiers actually finished him off.

Some of the Golden Dawn's divinatory meanings hint that they may have had the Absalom story in mind.....Disruption, interruption, separation, quarreling, sowing of discord and strife, mischief making, sorrow, tears.....

"Who has been obedient to the father?"

I haven't the time to parse all the latin to make an adequate translation (and I think GW is doing that anyway, as she has the time) - but it seems to use the case of Absalom with reference to the commandment to honour your parents,* thus it quotes proverbs 30:17 -


Proverbs 30:17 oculum qui subsannat patrem et qui despicit partum matris suae effodiant corvi de torrentibus et comedant illum filii aquilae. (St. Jerome's Vulgate)

Proverbs 30:17 Who so laugheth his father to scorn, and setteth his mother's commandment at naught: the ravens pick out his eyes in the valley, and devoured be he of the young Aegles. (Tyndale translation)

In reference to this we may note that Absalom may be interpreted as representing a type of old Adam, the disobedient Son, in contrast to the new Adam, Christ, the obedient Son. (In the 'victory' wreath below the heart, the centre sword goes through the middle of five fruits = the five wounds of the obedient Son, Christ?)*

Kwaw
*The Fifth Commandment:
“Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” (NRSV)

* See for example, commentaries on Absalom and Soloman as exemplars of the disobedient and obedient son, and also upon the parable of The Obedient Son (Phil. 2:1-13;Matt.21:23-32)

kwaw said:

I haven't the time to parse all the latin to make an adequate translation (and I think GW is doing that anyway, as she has the time)

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I wish! And it takes me ages, but I will find time somehow...

Pen

I found a decent online Latin translator here, and I'm wondering if a better translation for Unus Non Sufficit Ictus might be, "One not adequate for the strike." I've been trying to make my way through the body of text and it says some pretty bad stuff about Absalom. Translating Latin is turning out to be no cake walk.