hi Mike. first, we also were puzzled about Aiolus ... then Chaucer was detected, and the whole was regarded with suspicious eyes (English, how could this be) ... but then the upright row in the last column was realised (Eros - Daphne - Aiolus - Hercules) and associated with Petrarca's chapters in Tr...

Reading Huck’s post a question came to mind: how many members here know how to play tarot? That's a good question ... :-) ... I for my part have no opportunity to play the game, but I'm experienced in the kind of game and easily learn them, cause the important tricks and the experience with it is e...

hi Mike, "Found accidentally in an old bookshop recently, do you think this is one of the earlier "altered books" around? These are sketches - very amateur but nevertheless enthusiastic and observant, made in 1935 at an exhibition in Paris. They are vignettes, with notes, of Tarot Car...

Playing with two highest trumps (or two specialised cards, which are the highest) in practical card play can have different forms. This one is from Doppelkopf. You have two identical "highest cards" (heart-10 called "Dulle") with the same value - in Doppelkopf, which is played wi...

See for instance this page - http://www.answers.com/topic/holy-roman-emperor-2 for technicalities. Scroll to the bottom to see the list of coronations - Sigismund was the first Emperor to be crowned by a Pope for over 200 years! (after Frederick II in 1220). Simple list error? Or was the pope not p...

Voila, a German eagle, after he got two heads 1433 in Rome by Sigismondo. Huck, what can you tell me about the intention behind Sigismondo's changing the one-headed eagle to a two-headed one? On a brief excursion, I can't find any explanations of the symbolism. I would guess he is deliberately co-o...

http://www.ngw.nl/themes/phoenix.htm Heraldic shields with Phoenix. The birds look different - often like an eagle. "presently more than 50.000 coats of arms" at the page. And they say: "The phoenix is a mythological bird, which rose from its own ashes. It is thus often used in civic ...

hi Marco, actually I thought only of the critical passage ... but naturally, it's better this way. (edited to add: would you like to begin incorporating annotations to the text, like with the Germini poem? There are the Platonic references and the Gl'Ingannati comedy now...) Which Germini poem? Anot...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Quaterionenadler_David_de_Negker.jpg And now? It ... works ... :-) Voila, a German eagle, after he got two heads 1433 in Rome by Sigismondo. The groups of 4 present 4 of many others of similar rank, these are not all. It would make a nice playing c...

The 5x14 Theory: An Investigation, "part II" "Part I" happened in the Tarot History Forum of Aeclectic - more or less it had been a quite inspiring talk between MikeS and me (though some other also contributed). Mike followed my invitation to the History Forum, thank you for this...