L'Hermite and his Lantern

xviiirkna

Diana said:
Blazing star? Where?

The Hermit (alas, not L'Hermite) in the collage deck I've made has a 'blazing star'

http://www.angelfire.com/in2/moonmagic/tarot/deck/09.html

I'm not familiar with what Umbrae is referencing in his post, but I chose the star (as lantern) for my card in homage to the meditation medallion on L'Ermite card of the Knapp Hall Tarot.

----- but to throw in another possible alternative to the beacon of light (or time?) held aloft by L'Hermite...

Tony Manero (John Travolta in 'Saturday Night Fever') with the hand of his outstretched arm touching a star of light reflected from the mirrored disco ball:

http://www.moviepostershop.com/item_lrg/mov99.jpg

Blessings,
Sally Anne (temporarily overcome with a case of Night Fever)
 

Jewel-ry

elf said:
I've always thought of the light in the lantern to be the heart of the Hermit, burning for humanity. It is like the expression, "He wears his heart on his sleeve."

He shows us his heart, his love, his knowledge, and holds it up for us to see that we can do what he has done. He lights the way to knowledge, let's us know the path works, that silence and stillness and sometimes turning away from society and everything we know and love will fill us with something else.

His loneliness is his light.
Because there are things to be discovered only in loneliness.
His love for us is his light.

I love the Hermit.

Off topic

elf,

This is beautiful - thank-you

:)
 

Astraea

Elf, you have expressed the essence of the Hermit in the most beautiful way. Thank you.
 

Diana

Melvis said:
Were lanterns from yesteryear designed with such handles? I thought they had bucket-style handles like on Fulgour's picture.

That is one of the things that struck me and which made me start up this thread. An odd handle indeed.

What bothers me too is that there is no light emanating from the lantern.

Maybe elf is right... it's possibly his lunch-box. ;)
 

kenji

In the case of Jodo-Camoin deck

Melvis said:
Were lanterns from yesteryear designed with such handles? I thought they had bucket-style handles like on Fulgour's picture.

According to "Camoin Tarot de Marseille" (by Philippe Camoin &
Tadahiro Onuma), what seems the handle is in fact a "key" ---
a key to the mysteries (literally).
The hermit is waiting for someone, to whom he can give this
key and his knowledge.
(At his feet you can see a yellow book from his library.)

Note: This is my translation from Japanese, so there can be
some incorrect points.
 

kenji

In Catelin Geofroy deck (Lyon, 1557)

The hermit holds a key in his right hand, and seems to be trying
to go through a door.

I don't know if Mr Camoin referred to it, though.
 

tmgrl2

This from a website describing meanings:

This card shows a bearded man, with cloak and long hood, standing with a staff and holding a lantern raised to head height. While this shows a hermit, it is among allegorical cards, and what the allegorical meaning might be is not immediately clear. This figure may represent the solitude of a hermit, or his asceticism. (Hermit monasticism was a more common religious path a few centuries earlier in the Middle Ages, but the image-idea was well-known.) The lantern he holds before him might imply that he has found God and is holding his light high so that others might see. However, in most early decks, both printed and hand-painted, this card shows an allegory of Time, the lantern is replaced by an hourglass, and sometimes the figure may be shown with crutches and even wings. Time is a clear and common allegorical subject.

Here's the site:

http://www.geocities.com/cartedatrionfi/Pictures.html

I think the Hadar looks like a bell of "stained glass" calling forth those that see spirtual wisdom from this ascetic man for whom time does not exist.

Of course, I always love to read O'Neill's take on the iconology:

http://www.tarot.com/about-tarot/library/boneill/hermit

He references time (hourglass) and lantern images....

Well worth reading again.

terri
 

tmgrl2

This link from O'Neill of "Time" represents the figure holding the lantern forward:

http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/g/gunther/chronos.jpg

Time was often thought of as "the revealer" as in the expression "time will tell" (according to the O'Neill reference. Hence, the hourglass may have been transfomed into a "lantern."

This latter possible interpretation of transformation from "time will tell" to light as "the revealer," makes some sense.

terri
 

Diana

While the forum was down for the upgrade, I have been e-mailing with Alain Bocher. After all, it was his comment that made me think of this lantern, so I thought it would be interesting to get his comments on my musings. I told him that I was wondering if it wasn't a lantern. I mentioned to him that it could be a bell.... it was spoonbender who mentioned that first here.

Alain was bowled over because he had just written on this very same subject in one of his reviews! And once again it goes to show that when an idea is ripe, more than one person thinks of it at the same time (like when people invent telephones :D ).

So at this point of time, and after thinking long and hard, my viewpoint at this present time is this:

This may very well not be a lantern, and Tarot of Marseilles enthusiasts MAY (I say MAY) have been barking up the wrong tree (perhaps the tree used for Le Pendu?), and jumping to conclusions without LOOKING. It could be a bell. In the Middle Ages, who used bells? Lepers.... Lepers had to exile themselves from the community.

A monk or a priest who was excommunicated (do not forget that the Tarot of Marseilles is stuffed full of heretical winks of the eye) would have no option but to exile himself from his community.

I put the same proposition to you all that I have to Alain:

That the bell symbolises this exile.

I will be delving more into the historical aspects of this supposition and look forward to any more insights that you guys can give.