Tarot History Forum

Is this the place for me to post it ? Looking at this critter on under a cornice in the Eglise Sainte Radegonde in Poitiers (not to be confused with Ragondin) I think I see a fool's cap, a spoon, a walking stick ending in a face. The sculpture would have created early 1200's, if not earlier.

All reactions welcome ...

Hi Firemaiden,

First. HOW GREAT TO SEE YOU!

Second... Great image. Jean-Michel has been following this same trail for years, looking at the carvings on old churches and matching them to the iconography of the tarot, but I don't think he's seen this one yet.

To my untrained eye, the figure looks German, like it is based on one of the characters from Das Narrenschiff. His "bowl" looks odd to me.. what is it?

HI Robert ! So nice to see this forum up and running and full of intelligent people. Yes, I remembered Jean-Michel was hot on this trail of possible French stone sources for the tarot images, so I thought of him and hoped he'd like this critter.

I took this photograph. The sculpture is not German, but French. The little guy is holding up a cornice in Church of Saint Radegonde, in Poitiers, France. (The church also houses the Saint's bones). This figure is one of about 100 others which support the cornices of the inner walls. This one comes from the left wall of the nave. The nave is the part of the church which was entirely rebuilt in the early 1200's, so the figure was probably carved early XIII century.

Having done a little more exploring on your site, I have seen repertories of medieval clothing that showed this kind of cap with the long donkey-like ear thingies.

What do you think of the spoon ? There was a thread on Aeclectic ages ago, where we discussed the fool and his spoon. my husband's reaction is that it is a beggar's spoon.

Oh , I see you think the spoon is a bowl. Well perhaps it is a bowl after all. Perhaps it is a bowl with gruel in it, or coffee and bread in it. Or wine and bread. The french are famous for dunking.

Examples of a similar hat, but these are fourteenth century.

http://www.3owls.org/sca/costume/jester.htm

I answered at AT- but yes it could be a little trickster- but I think he has taken the mythological 4th nail of the cross.
Hare is what I said on AT.

I think that is a nail from the cross.
Saint Radagonde was a German princess who (long story)....collected relics and was famous for her pieces of the true cross and nails. There is this idea that the four nails were used, against the idea that three nails were used. The three nails were like the Trinity as the shamrock was like the Trinity. I think the little hare eared demon? has nicked the 4th nail so to show.....um... the Trinity.

Cheek little minx!

~Lorredan