Jodorowsky Camoin : Foot prints!

Thanks Fulgour,

Its also found on orange (Roy) and green (Emperor)!

I found an interesting site in which it states that during the Renaissance the Ermine was a symbol of purity. Apparently when its being hunted and it realises it can't esape, it would rather give itself up to the dogs and hunters than risk getting its fur dirty.

It also says in this site that Great Lords and Ladies should not let their minds become soiled. Interesting in the light of the fact that this appears on both Reyne and Roy de Deniers and the Emperor. This fur with the black tails was used to make robes for monarchs, clergy and wealthy people. I wonder if thats significant?

http://f01.middlebury.edu/FS010A/STUDENTS/n075.htm

to be read by candlelight

Here's a little snippet of synchronisity:

Last month my wife and I purchased a stonker of a book,
Encyclopedia of Animals (Barnes & Noble 2002)
which has more than 600 photos and 360 paintings.

After checking my Encyclopaedia Britannica re ermine, which
I knew was there because I'd checked on heraldry before,
the next stop was my cool new animal picture book...

Page 1 (the pages aren't even numbered until 13) there is a
picture of a stoat. Inside, we learn of the weasel family et al.,
but it was just there ~ and a little blurb on page 4 says:

An ermine or stoat in its summer coat of chestnut with
a white underside. In winter, the entire coat turns white.

...there is no further mention or ermines or stoats in the book.

This turning of the coat from chestnut to white has been related to Christs resurrection in one of the sites that I was looking at. This is because it appears to die in summer and then be reborn in winter.

Whilst surfing, I came across other similar meanings which I like. The ermine also symbolises valor, justice, dignity and innocence. All of these meanings can be related to the cards that we are looking at here. It became associated with phrases such as Death before Defilement, and Death rather than Dishonor because of the fact that it would rather die than soil its coat.

It seems the white with black tips appeared on the coats of arms of knights, as a sign that they would prefer death rather than stain their honor and conscience. In the light of this you might have expected it to appear on one of the knights instead of the page wouldn't you?

Its a reminder that we should be honest and pure and not allow our characters to be tarnished. That we would rather be brave and heroic and even die rather than sully our reputations.

I still can't make any connection to the number of little triangles on the cards in question though.

For what it's worth, I also made some small remark in the thread entitled The Language of the Birds about the similarity between heraldic ermine and the three-pronged goose-feet (indicating the language of the north - Langue d'Oi - rather than that of the south - Langue d'Oc).

I remain unsure as to why Camoin and Jodorowsky have decided to include the motif in so many instances... so if such does appear in Jodorowsky's book, it would be useful to read their particuliar views summarised. Of course, the emblem, both in heraldry and in its use in Tarot, far precedes their particular usage.

Me too, I have something to say (for what it's worth).

Judges (magistrates) in France, still today, have some ermine tucked away somewhere on their official robes. I can't recall whether it's part their robe that is lined with it, or if it's just the cuffs and the collar. In journalistic reports on law cases, judges are sometimes referred to as "les hommes en hermine" (usually used as a derogatory term). (It means "Those men in ermine".)

Anyway, it is not on that part of the robe that is depicted on the scan Jewel-ry provided, as far as I can make out.

(Actually, they don't use ermine these days, because of societies for the protection of animals who would raise havoc if they did, and rightly so, I think. They use rabbit fur these days - as if ermines were more important than rabbits - just shows what their ideas of justice and equality are all about. - eeek!!!!!!! )

They never have "mouchetures d'ermine" on their coats, which is what these little footprints are called. This was reserved for royalty and heraldry (Brittanny is famous for "mouchetures d'ermine" in their heraldry.) As far as I can make out, these mouchetures have NEVER been used on coats for judges, even in the Middle Ages and the Rennaissance.

In the olden days, human justice was under the jurdisdiction of the king. Are Camoin and Jodorowsky trying to remind us that Justice in the Tarot is not impartial?

Fulgour's remark about the mouchetures being normally black on white is correct. However, one can also find white on black. One doesn't find these mouchetures on other colours.

Very odd addition to this arcanum indeed.

p.s. As tmgrl says that these mouchetures are the Hermit's triangles (???) , according to Jodorowsky, perhaps Camoin-Jodorowsky are trying to make a word-play with "hermine" and "hermite". But if so, I don't quite get the joke.

GHRRRR....just wrote a partial post on these words and LOST IT!

Welcome back, jmd.

Ok, my post was too long. In summary, as I look at my fifty-year old French-English dictionary, the word "ermine" is not there in French. "Hermitage" and "Hermite" were there as versions of "ermitage," with "ermitage referring to both the place (hermitage) and the person (the hermit). "Hermine," is, as we have read in these posts, the "fur" or "ermine."

The interesting part is that the word "herminette" or "erminette"
means "adze," or "trowel." Immediately, I thought of the Knight of Templar and of the disbanding of these early workers' societies who probably used a trowel as a key tool, no?

So, now I am wondering, as did Diana, about the connection with L'Hermit (The Trump) and the "herminette" as a tool....

Listening to my "third ear" and quietly reflecting with my "third eye," I just got an image of these poor workers having to go into "higing" like the hermit, who goes off from his day-to-day worl to reflect and, perhaps, regroup.

I found the link with the passage by Flornoy wonderful and printed to reread.

I lean toward Diana's idea of the Knights being the ones to "die" for their beliefs, therefore, being the ones who perhaps should carry the "ermine."

I am going back to Jodorowsky....In my haste, it was "ermin" not "hermit." So, I'm going to post this post, then correct my error and translate Jodo on the "ermin."

terri LOL likes the image of the "erminette" and the "trowel" and going into reflection....to be continued in next post.

terri

Et mainenant, Now....here is what Jodorowsky says about the
nine little "prints" on the Justice card: ( My summary).

On the costume of La Justice, nine triangles going uphill like the the footprints of a bird , recall the "ermine," signifying royalty. Here, the nobility is that of the perfection and sublimity of the divine spirit. In this sense, Justice can be viewed as the witness of this natural internal ability we have to evaluate. Within, we are capable of fairness or of knowing the right thing. Are we capable of showing mercy to ourselves and to others."

I apologize for my hasty glance at the word "hermine," in my first look-up....

I shall also do a quick look-up of the other cards that have the "prints" later. But it does seem that in the Camoin deck there is an intermingling of the idea of the Language of the Birds
(Langue d'Oi) and the ermine worn by royalty and the connection to justice and fairness delivered by rulers ..therefore, perhaps, the inclusion on cards of royalty. Will read later when I have time so I don't take off my glasses to look at tiny print and miss those little "key" letters.

terri

Finally, Jodorowsky give only one paragraph on the Valet d'Epee.
Basically, he indicates as most of us already probably agree, that this young page is one of intellect and communication.

Jodo says that this page, however, has some difficulty with duality, with separating the subjective from the objective. This Camoin page carries two sets of three "footprints" as Jewel has noted. Two sets of three. So what to make of that would perhaps fall again under the umbrella of "quiet reflection" and opening up one's "third ear" and "third eye." We have two threes, the perfect number of the trinity on the page's cape. If it were a 4 and a 2, I might be thinking, 4 elements and duality of the 2....

So, moving forward, and thanking Jewel for this great thread which reopened Flornoy to me and, probably others, I await more responses. I'm still out on what I think about what Camoin and Jodorowsky have done with the deck and what Jodo says. I am merely bringing forth what is in his new book. Hopefully, I will read more this summer and share.

Rusty, I know you have translated pieces for us, and I am sure you will also have more to share with us on what Jodo says in his book.

terri

I'm getting the feeling that if Jodrowsky and Camoin really had
some deep insights and wanted to highlight them in this way
it would actually make sense. What have they begun though,
and to lead us where? As for me, I think it's all well and good,
but that we here are probably the real experts on this now.

Funny still, how they write about it but never explain...
as if they felt it was too obvious, or didn't much worry.