Cult of Tarot Forum

We all have heard by now the origin of the Hanged Man card (which early 20th century deck designers seemed not to know): It’s based on a traditional and/or Renaissance Italian punishment for traitors. And if the offender escaped punishment by skipping town, he was featured in a "shame painting," that is he was painted in the position of being hanged upside down to show everyone that he is indeed a traitor and deserving that punishment.

The contemporary meanings for the Hanged Man, on the other hand, are suspension, being hung up, restriction, waiting, stillness, spiritual surrender, and sometimes a reversal of perception.

Knowing about the background of the card’s imagery, would you ever in a reading read it as a traitor, betrayal, punishment, deserving of punishment, or maybe in jail (a combination of punishment and restriction)?

What say you?

Rachelcat wrote: ↑10 Jan 2020, 17:34 We all have heard by now the origin of the Hanged Man card (which early 20th century deck designers seemed not to know): It’s based on a traditional and/or Renaissance Italian punishment for traitors. And if the offender escaped punishment by skipping town, he was featured in a "shame painting," that is he was painted in the position of being hanged upside down to show everyone that he is indeed a traitor and deserving that punishment.

The contemporary meanings for the Hanged Man, on the other hand, are suspension, being hung up, restriction, waiting, stillness, spiritual surrender, and sometimes a reversal of perception.

Knowing about the background of the card’s imagery, would you ever in a reading read it as a traitor, betrayal, punishment, deserving of punishment, or maybe in jail (a combination of punishment and restriction)?

What say you?

I'd never heard of these "shame paintings". In a thread on CoT that's called something like Strength and her Weirdness the subject of shame masks was brought up. Do you have any good references to this ? It' sounds most interesting indeed.

Ah yes, the Tarot must also be practical.

It's a fascinating topic you've brought up, Rachelcat. Thank you. I believe that yes. I would read it in such a manner. For instance, he could most definitely be the thief. In the Charles VI/Gringonneur tarot, he's still holding two bags of coins. In the Oswald Wirth, there are coins falling from these same two bags. Also, as he's the only one who is tied up, incarceration of some sort is indeed apparent. I'd never thought of that! He's a Great Deceiver this one. The Houdini of the Tarot - he liked tying himself up and getting out of places in which he was entrapped.


I remember a very striking Hanged Man reading I did for a woman once. It's not really anything to do with the aspect you brought up. But it's just to illustrate how literal the Tarot can be sometimes. She told me that her husband had heard from his family that his brother had died in a car accident. He found the whole story suspicious. Maybe it was the way they wrote it that made him think it sounded odd. So she came to ask me. I pulled just one card and it was the Hanged Man. I told her that I think that her brother-in-law had hanged himself. And it turned out that it was the case. So a guy being tied up by a rope unable to manoeuvre.... that's pretty literal for incarceration or internment.

Thanks for your reply. Wow, literal readings always give me the chills.

Here are some links. Although I think I heard this first from one of Robert Place's books. I'll be back later to discuss!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittura_infamante

https://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=93338

Oh thank you so much ! Yes, I remember vaguely now with your references but if you (or someone else) hadn't reminded me I wouldn't have remembered for a long time to come. Am very grateful therefore. Will read all thoroughly this weekend. (I've got a full weekend to myself - yeah!!!!)

Literal readings are spooky sometimes. Yesterday I did one for myself for an important issue and it was so literal that I nearly jumped out of my skin. I went out to smoke a cigarette to calm my nerves !! And then I smoked a second one.