Queen of Swords' Veil

As I've been moving through my decks and recording notes, I've noticed that one of the common points of imagery for the Queen of Swords is that she wears a veil of some kind--this holds true in the Deviant Moon, Gothic Tarot of the Vampires and a few others. Is it just a traditional holdover from the Rider-Waite imagery (she does seem to have a veil that covers her hair under that crown), or is there a more specific symbolism behind it? I've tried to do some searching, but can't seem to dig up any discussion about it. Given the sometimes pervasive gloom of the suit, I've sometimes interpreted it as a grieving woman, but I'm curious to know if anyone here knows about the history of why the Queen of Swords shows up veiled when I haven't noticed such a strong pattern of it amongst the other Queens, artistic/historic styles not withstanding.

Great topic!

tenth said:

I've sometimes interpreted it as a grieving woman, but I'm curious to know if anyone here knows about the history of why the Queen of Swords shows up veiled when I haven't noticed such a strong pattern of it amongst the other Queens, artistic/historic styles not withstanding.

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What an interesting topic! Well, Waite, himself certainly agrees with you on the grieving element. He defines her as: "Widowhood, female sadness...absence...mourning, privation, separation."

And, yes, mourning often involved a veil down the back (though, to be fair, veils were very fashionable from the middle ages on up through the Tutor England, so if our queen is more middle ages than 19th century, she might just be fashionable).

Crowley, by the way, also sees this queen as separating from others, and also sees it as a painful process. But he asserts that it's also necessary as it brings clarity. His image does not contain a veil, but it does contain a cut-away-mask. The Queen/Swords is able to cut away others masks and see beneath them. She is all about the independent mind--but this brilliant, independent mind can also get lost in itself, remaining apart from the "real" world. So her separation is in seeing too much, being too clear sighted and affected by what she sees.

Veils were emblems of separation, but being of fabric rather than a wall or door they imply that what it's a shockingly thin line between one side and the other. The HPS' veil, separating natural from supernatural, shows us that they are side-by-side and it's easy to cross from one to there other. I think the Queen/Swords veil, like a nun's veil, signals that our Q/Swords is to be given her space, and approached with respect and gravity, because she is a woman of deep and very important contemplation; she is in a different world than the rest of us, and it is not up to us to cross that thin line and disturb her, but up to her to cross that thin line to join us when she has intelligence to give us.

Ooh, thanks for the reply. That bit about separateness is really intriguing and adds a dimension I hadn't considered before. It sort of follows suit with the Victorian idea of a widow removing herself from society for a particular stretch of time following her husband's death, playing back into her role as the "grieving woman," so there could be a multiple meaning there.

Ah - this is interesting. I read your post and immediately went to my two current/favourite decks. Druidcraft - no trace of a veil - she has long flowing grey locks with two fat plaits hanging down over her chest. She has a kind of head band on. This Queen doesn't need to hide behind a veil.
The Queen in Llewellyn seems to have a hairnet/veil down the back of her head but her face is free - she is wearing a crown.
Brides and widows traditionally wear veils in England. The former I think is some kind of symbol of chasteness, of the bride revealing her face to her husband first of all. I don't think this resonates with the Queen of Swords.
Widows are, I think, concealing their grief, hiding their emotions - this could resonate with The Queen of Swords i think