Legend: Nine of Spears, Wind Harps of War

Sophie-David

Although I am uncertain of some of the visual details, I am fascinated by the story behind the Legend Nine of Spears, the Wind Harps of War. Apparently the Celts erected these great harps upon their cliffs as protective weapons, and as the wild winds thrummed the strings would be attackers heard the eerie voices of the Land's guardian spirits rise up in defense.

In the imagery of the card, a wild rainstorm pelts the rocks and merges with the sea surging against the bleak cliffs. A giant harp has been erected on each side of the rocky gorge. In the foreground I am puzzled by the details. There appears to be the skeleton of a fallen warrior, perhaps left there in grim warning. Behind him, near the edge of the surge channel, is that an archer struggling against the wind, with a quiver of arrows across his side? On the further side of the gorge, is there perhaps another guard seated beside a fire? In any event, no matter what the details, this is an impressive card.
 

WalesWoman

I agree, David, this is a powerful image...the elements in here are so wild and turbulent and when I see it, I do feel the urge to get into a sheltered, protective place...go into defense mode.

I hadn't really noticed the images you saw in this, but it seems like the harps had heads with faces or dragon's heads snarling in warning. My thought that the quivers of arrows and such, were flotsam and jetsom, wrecked peace, and the dangers of being cast adrift along such shores, where you will take a real pounding, helpless against the surging waves crashing agains the rocks....between a rock and bad place.

The emotional torrents, that come down so forcefully that they are painful to experience. It sort of looks like a conical helmet back there by the fire, and a box...I'm sure the helmet is something you want to wear for sure, so since no one is...their head is defenseless.

The water is emotions, the rocks are the immoveable realities, the harps are the warning to be prepared, that the times, they are a changing...the winds of war to be sure. Courage! Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy ride.
 

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inanna_tarot

Greetings everyone -
Sorry I've had to take a little 'vacation' from the study, but I have been checking and working with my deck. I recently took it on an amazing trip to Cornwall to Tintagel castle, Boscastle etc. The cards loved 'returning to their spiritual home' and I think its mine now as well lol. I look at the cards and think I've been there ;) Tarot card holiday snaps lol.

Well, on my trip, we spent some time by a harbour, with cliffs that ideally could have had the Harps of war on the top. The coast is rough and very excitable. Last year Boscastle and other areas of Cornwall and the UK had severe floods and the storm here in the 9/Spears is only a hint of the storms I think they had.

Imagine the time, effort and energy that went into those harps. Or even worse thinking on it, people sacrificing their instruments so that the harps can be used by the spirits and fend off the invaders. I suppose when you had some many invaders at the time they experimented with lots of things. The storm can be terrible to anyone and everyone, so if the raiders weren't chilled by the harps they were proved to be easy pickings for the rocky coast and powerful sea.
Its clever how inventive they were in this period with weaponry and tactics, offence and defence and using everything in their power to gain victory. The Strength card with Christianity and Paganism being hand in hand is a real asset to their society and the legends, ah if only we were that wise sometimes!

In the cave, with the fire, I think could this be Merlin(or one of his type), stoking the fire and keeping the storm alive and defend the land from the invaders, or is it a survivor, thats alone and without his fellow invaders, the boats all destroyed by the sea? He dares not to venture from this point incase he is killed instantly, or that the moaning of the harps is driving him slowly mad as he can't get away?

Just some ramblings (lol when aren't they ramblings!) but since my trip I have a real love of this deck, the love and energy that Anne-Marie Ferguson put into it and I feel lucky to have this as one of my main decks (along with the Druidcraft).
 

WalesWoman

One of the interesting facts I've picked up in the Dragon Queen, was the real threat of sea raiders, mainly Saxons, who raided small villages because women were vital to a community, for the fine hand plucked wool she wove, the smoking and preparation of fish, her farming skills, reprodictive abilities and the blonder, the more they were worth on the slave market.

So it wasn't just warring kingdoms but the whole upset left behind when the Romans pulled out of Briton, those that wanted to maintain the Roman ways and those that wanted to keep the old Celtic ones, the changes that come along with Christianity, with one invasion after another from across the Channel. Definately a time of uncertainty and unrest.
 

Sophie-David

inanna_tarot said:
Greetings everyone -
Sorry I've had to take a little 'vacation' from the study, but I have been checking and working with my deck. I recently took it on an amazing trip to Cornwall to Tintagel castle, Boscastle etc. The cards loved 'returning to their spiritual home' and I think its mine now as well lol. I look at the cards and think I've been there Tarot card holiday snaps lol.
Welcome back Sezo! I envy you your holiday among the Legend scenery. ;)
inanna_tarot said:
In the cave, with the fire, I think could this be Merlin(or one of his type), stoking the fire and keeping the storm alive and defend the land from the invaders, or is it a survivor, thats alone and without his fellow invaders, the boats all destroyed by the sea? He dares not to venture from this point incase he is killed instantly, or that the moaning of the harps is driving him slowly mad as he can't get away?
Ah, so there is a fire in the cave - I had real difficulties picking out the detail in this card. Yes, that's an interesting thought, it could be either a defender or a survivor.
WalesWoman said:
One of the interesting facts I've picked up in the Dragon Queen, was the real threat of sea raiders, mainly Saxons, who raided small villages because women were vital to a community, for the fine hand plucked wool she wove, the smoking and preparation of fish, her farming skills, reprodictive abilities and the blonder, the more they were worth on the slave market.
But I wonder if there was really this depth of strategy in the minds of the invaders - or wasn't it, as usual, that the enemy's women were simply considered as a reward for the successful warrior, part of the spoils of war?
WalesWoman said:
So it wasn't just warring kingdoms but the whole upset left behind when the Romans pulled out of Briton, those that wanted to maintain the Roman ways and those that wanted to keep the old Celtic ones, the changes that come along with Christianity, with one invasion after another from across the Channel. Definately a time of uncertainty and unrest.
This conflict between the Romanized and traditional groups is interesting, were there internal wars between them, or did the Romanized people simply seize power because they were more organized?