Swedish Witch / Jolanda Tarot - The Fool

Luna's Crone

This is the thread for the fool. Included are pix of the fool from both decks
 

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Luna's Crone

The Fool

Guess i will start. I usually look thru cards with a magnifying glass, to be sure not to miss anything. Since I am a second generation half swede here in the us, the cards don't look like an acid trip. i can show you cards that do look like an acid trip. LOL

I see a happy person walking along playing a flute and looks not to have a care in the world. Being the Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey fan he is, he is dressed in yellow and black. He has on jesters hat and shoes with bells. Over his shoulder, he is carrying a bowled mandolin. Behind him is a butterfly, and a giant grasshopper, beside him a crocodile with a yellow round thing between them and another obvious fan of the Pens, a tiger. In front of him tree branches with lovely pink flowers and to lovely birds chirping at him.

The birds seem to be telling him to go back, the tiger is looking at something that has startled him, the grasshopper keeps creeping me out and the crocodile looks like he's hallucinating and enjoying it. Will have to think on that gold thing, like is it a disk, liquid or something equivalent to the STANLEY CUP!!!!!!!
 

Rold

The Fool and the animals at the card.

Rosie Bjørkman aka Jolanda is well versed in mythology and history.So maybe she has thought of some of the things I have written below. I am not so well versed but google is an amazing thing.
In Swedish folklore it was told that the the bullfinch got its red breast because it pulled out the thorns from Jesus crown of thorns,and got blood all over the breast.In parts of Finland the bullfinch was an omen of death.
The same was believed about the magpie because it belonged to the Viking goddess of death Hel.It was also believed that witches could transform into magpies.
I don’t know if it has any significance but in Korea the magpie is believed to symbolize heaven and divine forces and the tiger is symbolizing earth and natural forces.
I am not sure if it’s a sun at the back of the crocodile but in old Egypt the crocodile god Sobek was fused with the sun god Ra and became known as Sobek-Ra and the Egyptians believed that Sobek-Ra would protect Egypt in the same fierce way it protect its young ones.
The grasshopper stands for happiness and music, the Iroquois believed it was a messenger of glad tidings.
And of cource the butterfly symbolizes rebirth.
 

Luna's Crone

Rosie Bjørkman aka Jolanda is well versed in mythology and history.So maybe she has thought of some of the things I have written below. I am not so well versed but google is an amazing thing.
In Swedish folklore it was told that the the bullfinch got its red breast because it pulled out the thorns from Jesus crown of thorns,and got blood all over the breast.In parts of Finland the bullfinch was an omen of death.
The same was believed about the magpie because it belonged to the Viking goddess of death Hel.It was also believed that witches could transform into magpies.
I don’t know if it has any significance but in Korea the magpie is believed to symbolize heaven and divine forces and the tiger is symbolizing earth and natural forces.
I am not sure if it’s a sun at the back of the crocodile but in old Egypt the crocodile god Sobek was fused with the sun god Ra and became known as Sobek-Ra and the Egyptians believed that Sobek-Ra would protect Egypt in the same fierce way it protect its young ones.
The grasshopper stands for happiness and music, the Iroquois believed it was a messenger of glad tidings.
And of cource the butterfly symbolizes rebirth.

thanks. alot of info that I wasn't aware of. What is your opinion of the Fool.
 

Rold

The Fool

The Fool is one of my favorite cards this confidence to life and that every body is your friend and that every thing will have a happy ending.
And the two birds are my favorite birds from the scandinavian fauna,the bullfinch is mostly seen in the winther where its colours brightens up the dark days.
And the magpie even if its a cruel predator its so funny and intelligent.
And I love the tiger lurking in the high grass maybe it waits for a chance to eat the Fool.
 

Luna's Crone

The Fool is one of my favorite cards this confidence to life and that every body is your friend and that every thing will have a happy ending.
And the two birds are my favorite birds from the scandinavian fauna,the bullfinch is mostly seen in the winther where its colours brightens up the dark days.
And the magpie even if its a cruel predator its so funny and intelligent.
And I love the tiger lurking in the high grass maybe it waits for a chance to eat the Fool.

See, i can't figure out which is his animal. The fact that the tiger is a few steps ahead of him, to me, sees a bit dangerous. Sorry, but the grasshopper still creeps me out and so my brain doesn't want to think about it. If the tiger wasn't consider a lone stalker, I would say he was signaling his friends to move in, otherwise I can't figure out the look on his face.
 

Libra 58

It's a happy card, but I see the Fool like a cross between the flute player from Hamel and a jockey. Maybe he's on his way to meet the horse? Just joking!
 

Luna's Crone

It's a happy card, but I see the Fool like a cross between the flute player from Hamel and a jockey. Maybe he's on his way to meet the horse? Just joking!

well, you may be right, he may well be a jockey and they do kinda dress like except for hat and shoes and they carry a crop. That's why he is the joker, student, initiate, jester....he can be anything.

I think i printed some info on him. The thing is, we have the basic tenets of all the cards from RWS and now we can make them our own from that jumping point. Like why is the high croc there and the grasshopper. the birds, flowers and butterfly are in place. but which of the animals would you want pulling on your trousers. its a conundrum. Of course it can be any of three each time it is drawn.

a jockey...that cracked me up, but makes sense. and also i don't want the giant grasshopper touching me. what if it spits that large glob of icky brown stuff. LOL
 

Luna's Crone

Oh yeah, this is a Swedish deck which probably has alot of swedish mystery folk lore in. My Swedish side of the family would make references, i didn't understand at get togethers, which made perfect sense to them.

on my mom's side we are pictish/celtic. I never understood, why scandinavians weren't celtic like the rest of Europe. Similar but more violent. I think it must have had something to do with there being enough land in Europe to support everyone but north and middle east, there wasn't so traditions where harsher. I digress. but we have to remember, at least i am looking at cards from a different culture than western europe.

there's a poem from sweden i sorta remember about a young girl with horse and she was attacked by a big wolf and a little wolf. I don't think there was a happy ending here. these tales are similar to the european ones...especially about wolves and witches. Of course they where to keep kids safe as they where growing up. Now those where equal in violence.

Also celtic wasn't a race, it was a catch all name for people who had the same/similar traditons and worship practices. And i see small bits of celtic pictish traditions in RWS.
 

Luna's Crone

Rold what do you think about blending of traditions in the new cards???