TdM fool - his torn pants?

Yelell

I am really wondering why some versions have the fool with torn pants, showing a bare skin butt (and earlier even his genitals) but many other versions show torn skin-colored tights (I'm assuming not his skin although it really looks like it) and underneath bright green or blue. I don't understand, is that supposed to be colored underwear? It never looks right to me for some reason.

This just shows a couple of the variations
http://leefitzsimmons.com/esotericon/images/Marseilles Fool Trumps.png
 

firecatpickles

I think it's the dog's fault.
 

Yelell

Yes, it appears the mutt ripped the poor fool's pants :(

I was just curious about the difference in colors used. For example, the Conver, and the ISIS version especially, look like skin being ripped instead of clothing, and green parts underneath.

I guess I'm just more used to my Burdel mini that has red pants and skin showing underneath.
 

Fiver

So this is my interpretation, YMMV.

When I see the fool card where the pants have torn it adds emphasis to the meaning of the card.

When you look at the card minus pants torn, I see a man on a journey with a playful companion at his side. What this companion represents I'll leave that up to you.

When the fool's pants are torn the companion becomes a being that is holding the fool back from his journey. Is this a warning? Possibly; I leave that up to your interpretation. What we do know is that the fool keeps moving forward to the point that his pants have torn. There's no stopping the fool from his journey in this scenario.

Let me know what you think.
 

ilerner

Maybe he's an alien with a green or blue skin. )) I call him "The Man Without a number," that is, not one of us.
 

Debra

You know, the color blocking in old decks is often very strange. They used a limited number of inks and it can be difficult to color in a set of spaces without having the same color in contiguous areas (it can be a mathematical puzzle). I wouldn't read any meaning into it. I visualize the guy who made the stencils sayng, "whoops, used pink on the tights, guess that little area on his bum will be green. "
 

Yelell

You know, the color blocking in old decks is often very strange. They used a limited number of inks and it can be difficult to color in a set of spaces without having the same color in contiguous areas (it can be a mathematical puzzle).

That's true, and the revised versions tend to go along with whatever pattern they are based on. Looking around more I think the Fournier is going to be closest to what I'm looking for. (I think it's the last card above) Less confusing looking or extraterrestrial :)
 

Richard

The Fool in the venerable Grimaud TdM shows skin. The Grimaud version of the Conver is the most popular deck in France. It's sort of the RWS of TdMs.
 

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Yelell

The Fool in the venerable Grimaud TdM shows skin. The Grimaud version of the Conver is the most popular deck in France. It's sort of the RWS of TdMs.

The RWS of TdM's part pretty much convinces me to add this to my list as well.
 

Richard

The RWS of TdM's part pretty much convinces me to add this to my list as well.

It's a bit pricey, especially if you order from France. TarotBear's Lair (scroll down the page to see my mini review) has about the best price I've seen, but it's out of stock at present. There are a few reliable sellers on eBay. ETA. Paul Marteau, who authored the deck, is said to have originally coined the term Tarot de Marseille. Apparently the deck has been in print continuously for about the past 85 years.