Bohemian Gothic Tarot Knight of Cups

astrologerdave

Hi. I'm new here but have been reading the threads on this study group intensely.

When I look at the Knight of Cups I think of a macabre kind of Don Quixote. Would that be close to what the card is expressing? Any help you can give me with the imagery will be much appreciated.

I love this deck. I've never seen anything like it.

Dave
 

Thirteen

This is one of those cards in the deck that has me scratching my head. Why is it the Knight/Cups? I ask this because even examining it close up, it's hard to tell what he's carrying in his hand. That said, it doesn't seem to be a goblet. Nor, for that matter does it look to be a weapon. Maybe someone with the book (or the deck creators) could tell us?

There's other odd things about this knight. He's on a horse riding *out* of a castle. Meaning he was indoors on a horse! And it's hard to say what he's riding out onto--a bridge? A terrace? A walkway? So there's one question--why out of a castle, why onto that walkway? He's also covered head-to-toe, and so, for that matter, is his horse! Blue is the dominant color, and certainly reflects the blue of the other cup cards. Most significant, however, is that red cross.

Which, of course, might be a joke on the part of the deck creators. If the cups are mainly about vampires and blood then it's pretty funny for our Knight/Cups to have a "red cross" on his chest.

I'm wondering, however, if it's not too much of a stretch to imagine that this might be Edmund Spencer's "Red Cross Knight" from the Faerie Queen? It's a Very long poem about a knight searching for truth who has all sorts of allegorical adventures. Early on he meets faith, hope and charity in the house of holiness. Faith is described as having a goblet with a serpent in it, and Hope as having a silver anchor (sounds cup-like to me!). Charity is surrounded by children. Sounds like the suit of Cups to me.

Here's a painting that illustrates this scene from the poem showing hope and faith: http://onlinepainting.blogspot.com/2008/10/american-portrait-red-cross-knight.html

I've no idea if this is the Faerie Queen's red cross knight, and I'm not all that familiar with the poem, but I can certainly see this for the Knight/Cups in the BG deck. It's a story that involves dragons, giants, as well as things like the 7 deadly sins and such. This suits the Knight/Cups who is a romantic dreamer, a man of religion and faith, one who goes on a quest into realms of fantasy and imagination.
 

astrologerdave

Dreamer

Yes, I get the dreamer connection too. In fact I get the impression that even his horse has to be in costume in order to be part of his fantasy! Almost like a Zorro with no practicality at all. :)
 

Altena

I just got this card up in a reading myself and must admit I'm a bit stumped. The card doesn't really strike up any immediate associations. Is the knight standing still, waiting for someone or is he just leaving the castle? It does have a bit of a dreamy feel to it, I'm sensing a bit of ambitions and achievement too.
 

astrologerdave

Zorro

The more I think about the Zorro image the more it seems to make sense. Here we have a masked avenger type who probably has all his paraphenalia (mask, costume, whatever he is holding in his hand, and horse) hidden somewhere in that castle as Zorro had his hidden cave. By day he is royalty but by night he rides forth on some romantic quest. A romantic dreamer to the core. He is charging out of the castle on some mission. It would be interesting to know what he is up to!
 

swimming in tarot

Funny, I was just thinking of this guy.
Hm. This card has the feeling of motion for me, something to do with the position of the horse's head, the man's arms and shoulders, and the creases in the horse-trappings. Basically there is tension in both figures that is consistent with motion, and not a pose to try to hold.
Note, this fellow is in medieval get-up in the 19th century. Is he a ghost? Is he playing dress-up?
There is an odd quality about his eyes looking rather white, but under the magnifying glass they're not that weird after all.
What is odd is that goblet, which my friend swears is no cup but a figurine, kind of like those over-muscled action figures sold as toys, in those stores where khaki tanks are offered to boys and mini pink make-up kits and Barbies are offered to girls...still, in the 21st century! In the card, the "action figure" even seems to have a face, but it could be the lid of the cup. Don't tell me our knight has found the grail?!
I am quite unable to read the inscription in the entablature, or even to make out what language it is in. There is possibly somebody's take on a centaur on the bridge at the right edge of the card.
 

enchanted spirit

Okay, so I just got this deck today . . . this is the first study post I read . . . and WOW!!! :bugeyed:

So here's what I think . . He is not coming out of the castle, he is standing guard. The horse is restless, and that is why it looks like it is moving, it is, but in place. That thing in the knight's hand is a cup, AND a weapon! It is filled with blood (given to him by the vampire who lives in the castle). If you try to enter he will conk you on the head and pour blood all over you at the same time. Of course he is stark raving mad and believes that he and his horse need a disguise, so he acts all like he's a Christian with that cross and all. I guess it's no wonder the horse is spooked. :grin:
 

Thirteen

swimming in tarot said:
Funny, I was just thinking of this guy.
Hm. This card has the feeling of motion for me, something to do with the position of the horse's head, the man's arms and shoulders, and the creases in the horse-trappings. Basically there is tension in both figures that is consistent with motion, and not a pose to try to hold.
Agreed! This man is definitely riding out, not holding still.

As for the medieval get-up in the 19th century--that's actually not so strange. Have you forgotten the Pre-Raphaelite movement? There was a big fad in the 19th century for all things medieval--in a Romantic, Renaissance faire sort of way. We see novels glorifying those times of honor and romance (Ivanhoe), a re-discovery of Camelot tales leading to paintings and poems (Tennyson's "Lady of Shallot"). And, yes, Victorian men and women would, indeed, have "Camelot" themed picnics and parties with the men dressing up like knights on horseback.

Which is not to ignore the possibility that he might be a ghost or, well, a vampire still keeping up his old ways? I agree, the eyes are a bit strange.

And I think I know why our "cup" looks so strange. I thin it's a covered chalice. Like this: http://antiquesandthearts.com/Archives/2008/11-November/images//2008-11-04__14-50-37Image2.GIF

Google "Covered Chalice" and you'll see they come in weird shapes. They're also church objects...which gives me a very interesting idea..... (go on to next post!) ;)
 

Thirteen

A Stolen Chalice!

astrologerdave said:
The more I think about the Zorro image the more it seems to make sense. Here we have a masked avenger type who probably has all his paraphenalia (mask, costume, whatever he is holding in his hand, and horse) hidden somewhere in that castle as Zorro had his hidden cave. By day he is royalty but by night he rides forth on some romantic quest. A romantic dreamer to the core. He is charging out of the castle on some mission. It would be interesting to know what he is up to!
I kinda agree with you, but we have to keep in mind, this is the BG deck. That means that in almost every card, we have a "shadow," a dark side. Always be suspect of these cards; very few of them are "innocent," and almost all of them are likely to show the sinister side of the usual RW deck meanings. That our knight is trying to mask his identity is very possible, that he's on a quest is very possible, that it's noble quest, however...not so likely.

Covered chalices (if that's what he's got in his hand) are usually holy relics, infused with great power and magic. They likely did indeed hold sacred wine (which signifies blood, yes? The Holy Grail was supposed to have literally held Christ's blood). That horse's head is reaching, and it looks like the Knight is about to give it a kick and race away. I think our mystery knight has just snatched this "grail" right out of the castle chapel, and not that he's out in the open, he's about to make a run for it. In true, BG form, we have the dark side of our Knight/Cups. Rather than a knight on a holy quest for the grail, we've got a thief. A man wearing the costume of a knight, but committing a criminal, sacrilegious act.

Which, being Knight/Cups, would make for an fascinating interpretation of stealing emotions. Riding away with emotions. Breaking into someone's citadel, as it were, and taking away their heart. A dangerous knight indeed, as it looks like that castle as protected itself for a very long time, and that treasure he's getting away with was probably well hidden.