Andrea del Sarto's "Hanged Man" sketches

kwaw

Rosanne said:
What I would like to understand is why this hanging by one foot was considered
a traitor punishment or a treason punishment in the first place.

To lift up a traitor by his heel was possibly in allusion to the traitor Judas, who 'lifted up his heel' against Christ:

John 13:1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
John 13:2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's , to betray him;
John 13:3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;
John 13:4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
John 13:5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe with the towel wherewith he was girded.
John 13:6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?
John 13:7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
John 13:8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
John 13:9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also hands and head.
John 13:10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
John 13:11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.
John 13:12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
John 13:13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for I am.
John 13:14 If I then, Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
John 13:15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
John 13:16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
John 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
John 13:18 I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.

Christ here is quoting Psalms 41:9:

Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

This also fits in with the numeration of the traitor card as 12 and Judas being the 12th disciple.

(This answer came to me as I was contemplating the significance of feet washing in the star card).

Kwaw
 

mjhurst

FYI: online images

I posted a number of images to this thread, and to a popess thread (http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=92774), and elsewhere on AT. At the time they were posted, some were not readily available online and may still be hard to find. When I took down my site at the beginning of this year, I tried to leave some of those pics online. However, Geocities itself is shutting down later this year. So if you wanted to make copies of those Hanged Man images, or Lex Canonica, etc., now is the time to do it.

Best regards,
Michael
 

kapoore

Hi Michael,
I read through this interesting thread on the Hang Man. I think there are several other possible Hang Man examples in Biblical and Medieval literature that I don't believe were mentioned.

First in the Medieval translation into Latin of the Picatrix. I came across this passage in The Latin Picatrix Book I & II translated by John Greer & Christopher Warnock.

"There rises in the second face of Pisces a man upside down with his head below and his feet raised up, and in his hand is a tray from which the food has been eaten. This is a face of great reward, and of strong will in things that are high, serious and thoughtful. This is its form."

Sorry if someone mentioned this and I missed this.
I also didn't see a reference to Deuteronomy 21:22 (23)
"If a man guilty of a capital offense is put to death and his corpse hung on a tree. It shall not remain on the tree overnight. You shall bury it the same day; otherwise, since God's curse rests on him who hangs on a tree."

This passage is called the "curse" of the "law" and St. Paul uses it as a testament for a new law free of the curse. Christ died under the "curse" as he was hung on a tree.

Possibly someone combined the idea of an "upside down" image in the Picatrix with this passage from John 6:51 "I am the living bread that came down out of heaven, if anyone eats of this bread he will live forever."

The Picatrix has the upside down man holding a platter. Jesus died under the curse of the law, but is also the "bread that came down from heaven."

The mirror image of John 6:51 is Isaiah 51:6
"Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath for the heavens shall vanish like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner; but my salvation shall be for ever and my righteousness cannot fail."

The above passage could relate either to the Hermit with the "garment" but I believe more likely the Justice card with righteousness that cannot fail.

Finally, the Hang Man with the coins falling out could relate to the idea that Jesus empty himself or poured himself out. In Psalm 21:15 (Vulgate numbering) "I am poured out like water; and all my bones are shattered." Also, 21:7 "But I am a worm and no man: the reproach of men and the outcast of the people." This is the famous Psalm recited on the cross that begins, "O God, My God, look upon me: Why hast thou forsaken me?" And T.S. Eliot said that the Hang Man is death by water, as in being poured out.
Food for thought...
 

kapoore

Just add that if 11 is Time then wear out like a garment also relates to time/eternity. I have played with these two images and right now I'm in favor of 11 as Justice and the idea of righteousness that cannot fail. So, both/either/or..
 

kwaw

Very interesting Rosanne, thanks. I didn't think of that last part, never having slaughtered or even strung up an animal, dead or alive (although I've seen it), but I have a good imagination and I cook, so I can see how the one leg would allow, after death, for the trimming. Your analogy makes sense. The practice is ancient, and the "symbolism" in it, the psychological meaning behind it, is probably what you are saying - "you're dead meat".

“Depose me? if thou dost it half so gravely, so majestically, both in word and matter, hang me up by the heels for a rabbit-sucker or a poulter’s hare.” Act II. Scene IV. The First Part of King Henry the Fourth by William Shakespeare

rabbit sucker:
1) a sucking rabbit, a young rabbit, not yet weaned - or a weasel (that sucks on rabbits)
2) a gull, fool, dupe

poulter's hare:
1) dead hare displayed hanging from its hind legs for sale by a poulterer
2) a painting of a hung hair used as a sign for a poulterer