In considering the cards we call the Magician/Popesse/Empress/Emperor/Pope of the Visconti PMBThe Order of the Stick (OOTS) is a comic that celebrates and satirizes tabletop role-playing games and medieval fantasy through the ongoing tale of the eponymous fellowship of heroes.
Taking place in a magical world that loosely operates by 'the rule' of Dungeons and Dragons, the comic follows the sometimes farcical exploits of six flawed adventurers as they strive to save the world from an evil lich.
I tried to find a connection outside the usual.
I looked first at the idea that the Emperor might be considered to be Sigismund the Emperor and his second wife Barbara of Celji. Apart from the physical resemblance, one connection with Francesco Sforza is the Order of the Dragon. Sigismund and Barbara wrote “The Rule” of this Order.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Dragon
If it is considered that the Popesse is Saint Clare and that this is a Babessa rather than a Papessa- that is an Abbess, you will find that Saint Clare wrote “The Rule” of her Order or congregation of Nuns.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clare_of_Assisi
If you look for a reason that the Pope card might be a dichotomy of the Popesse, then you look directly at Saint Benedict who wrote “The Rule” for monastic orders , especially the Cluniac orders- or white Monks like Cistercian, Carthusians and other Monastic Orders.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedict_of_Nursia
Now what if The Magician Card is Francesco Sforza and there he holds a pen in his hand?
What possible connection does this have with ‘Orders’ and ‘Rules’ ?
In Medieval times there were many ‘Orders’ some famous, some less so. Knighthood was an interwoven group that consisted of Monastic Orders, Military Orders, Religious Orders, Monarchical Orders, Confraternity and Fraternal Orders and Ceremonial Orders, plus Chivalric Orders. They all had at their core the idea "Protect the weak, defenseless, helpless, and fight for the general welfare of all". They also had the general concept of Faith, Loyalty, Courage and Honour. Mainly for Medieval men, there were three main employments- the Church, the Military or Commerce. Orders were the big networking theme within and without the Church.
So you have a sort of chain- the Order of the Templars- when annihilated went to the Order of the Sword- from there to the Order of the Fleur de Lys or the Order of the Crescent. In each area of Italy
There were Orders. In Naples and Sicily you have the The Order of the Ship for example.
There is a manuscript called ‘Concessione di Francesco Sforza alla Certosa di Pavia 1450’ that has the symbol of the Green Dragon above and around the Milan Serpent with the red man in it’s mouth. It thereby recognizes his membership of The Order of The Dragon.
http://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/int ... scopy.html
Scroll down to manuscript. It also explains other Visconti cards with Snake and Sword etc.
In 1445 he is shown as a member of the Order of Compagnie des Gerdames Ecossois. Each Order was modeled in Rule on another Order. The Order of the Dragon was modeled on the Order of Saint George of 1318 which Sforza’s father belonged to. Sigismund was also influenced by the Order of the Ship (Naples Order). They each had a motto.
The Poor Clare’s motto was that of Saint Benedict “Work and Prayer” and “Peace”(from Saint Francis)
Now when Francesco was in Milan he appears to be involved with The Order of the Node/Knot whose other common name was The Order of Holy Spirit and Desire to Right. It’s symbol was the Dove with radiating lines. It appears that he wrote ‘The Rule’ to Chevaliers de la Compagnie du Saint Esperit au Droit Desir 'Knights of the Company of the Holy Spirit of Right Desire'.( Cosimo d'Medeci belonged to the Order of the Golden Fleece and an Order of the Hat)
This order had Prayer, work, community, Virtue and Service at it’s heart and the Node which symbolized Unity. These Orders had an objective and it seems that Francesco Sforza’s objective was to build Church, Monastery, and Hospitals. The Hospitals he built were the the Magna Domus Hospitalis (Ca' Granda), a hospital dedicated to Annunciata (a municipality of the province of Brescia, Northern Italy). He did this primarily to gain the affection of its people who were followers of the Visconti family of Milan. He formed a charitable Order of the Annuciation and built the Ospedale Maggiore. He was involved in the cloister of Chiaravale the Home of the Cistercians and the Certosa of Pavia the Carthusians. He planned the Cloister of Abbiatgrasse, but his son built it. He built the Castle Sforza and here like all the others you see the Dove and radiating lines and the motto ‘Bon Droit’ which belonged to Visconti to start with. Chiaravalle has the Knot around it’s coloumns, Pavia has the Snake, Cremona has the Dove and other symbols of Francesca. Each order has founding members, a Rule, a Motto and symbols- a charter if you will. Live a Christian life, be Virtuous and gain your right to Heaven here on Earth. Looks just like The World Card.
Now we have The Order of The Tarot
~Lorredan