Odin and the Hanged Man

[maya]

Do you feel like Hanged Man is meant to emulate Odin's hanging on the World Tree in order to gain the knowledge of the runes? Why or why not? If yes does this mean that this knowledge must always come through self-sacrifice (as Odin sacrficed himself to himself by his own spear)? If no, are there other bits of mythology you feel better related to this card?

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After having read the tale of Odin learning the runes the first thing I thought of was the Hanged Man card. I'm still in mental debate about whether it also indicated self-sacrifice but I think there is a connection between the stories.

~ Maya

[Azure]

Odin is certainly one of the archetypes that the Hanged Man suggests to me, but there are others. Depending on the placement in the reading, the Hanged Man also reminds me of the quests of the Arthurian knight Parsifal, St. Peter, and otehrs - in some of my readings, perhaps because I do them for my fellow actors, he is representative of the quintessential performer - making the difficult look effortless.

[maya]

Thanks, I'll look in to those others. Sounds interesting!

~ Maya

[Demeter]

Another archetype is Prometheus, who gave fire to Mankind, knowing the price he would have to pay. While the myth does not specifically state he was chained upside down, the circumstances of his "crime" and punishment certainly fit the bill.

[Azure]

A another, though not 100% positive one, for me is Hamlet.

[Silver Venus]

Great thread! Ive always thought this, and often give reference to Odin with the Hanged man in my readings if I know the querrant knows about him, but Hamlet and Prometheus are great classic examples too!! Ill have to remember those, thanks!

The hanged man to me represents any man or woman in history that had the courage to walk a differnet path, there own path, knowing that it would cause them some self sacrifice and possible harm, but stood for what they belived in against all odds!
& also resurrection and rebirth is very significant!

So this cleaver man ties in with many of our gods, goddesses and beliefs pagan or from any other religion ;)

[maya]

So is part of what you're saying that self-sacrifice is not necessary, just the willingness to do so if needed? I like that.

~ Maya

[Silver Venus]

Yeah I guess so :) Youve made me think now..
This card often comes up for me as a very giving card, to show the querrant that its not 50% vs 50% at all, but 100% you and then youll be suprised what you will receive ~ they will give 100% back.

[Azure]

In my personal readings, it also is a reminder to exercise a patience beyond Temperance - one that is perhaps exceptionally hard, with the promise that I 'll like the outcome better if I'm less impatient. . .

[Topazz]

Silver Venus said: "The hanged man to me represents any man or woman in history that had the courage to walk a differnet path, there own path, knowing that it would cause them some self sacrifice and possible harm, but stood for what they belived in against all odds!"


This is the way I read it, and of course when the card is reversed it means someone who is just following the crowd.

[Doctor Oakroot]

I have yet to hear an interpretation of the hanged man that didn't fit squarely into the mythology of Odin (or more accurately Woden, as he was known before he became a sky god).

[Earthcup]

I've heard the modern tarot was also used as a catechism for a Christian heresy. He is hung by the foot, which was sometimes used as a euphemism for a more fragile member and represents a martyr. There was also something about the position of his other leg that was significant but I've forgotton it.

For me the hanged man represents doing your own thing and seeing the world from a fresh perspective. He reminds me of hanging upside down on the monkey bars. :D

I also see him as an archetype of Prometheus, which is how he's presented in one of my decks.

[Happydog]

Since the Tarot didn't originate from the area of the world where Norse Paganism was practiced, I don't think The Hanged Man was created with Odin in mind. I think it's more of an archetype of the idea that there has to be a sacrifice sometimes in order to gain knowledge.

[zakzekezedd]

hmmm..very interesting. I normally read The Hanged Man as the necessity to make a sacrifice or let go of something in order to be able to move ahead again. Until you are willing to do that you will remain in a state of suspense and stasis, just waiting and waiting...hanging around going nowhere either a very real physical sense or in a spiritual or metaphysical sense. Sometimes just being willing to make the sacrifice is all that's required, other times, you do have to give something up, make some sort of sacrifice.
Most mythologies have stories like the Prometheus myth or the myth of Odin (Woden). It is a Universal archetype representing the need for personal sacrifice in order to attain transcendence. Martyrs are all examples of the Hanged Man taken to the extreme. Since it is a Universal archetype IMHO it is ok to interpret it in whatever frame of reference you feel comfortable with.

[Ben Trismegistus]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the possibility of the Hanged Man being an allegory of Jesus.

A lot of the early tarot imagery contains a fair amount of Christian symbolism (Rider-Waite in particular). And I've always thought that the Hanged Man is meant, at least in part, to symbolize Jesus's death, resulting in his eventual "transformation" through resurrection.

I'm sure that many modern tarot practitioners associate the Hanged Man with the archetype of Odin, but I think that any initial resemblance between the Hanged Man & Odin is simply because the death/resurrection mythology of Jesus bears so much resemblance to Odin's and many other pagan gods of the period.

[zakzekezedd]

Actually, a tarot deck came on the market last year called the Maters Tarot and it is the "journey of Jesus and his teachings" related through the Tarot. I haven't really looked at the deck, but it is an interesting idea. I have to wonder if it's designer didn't make the same connection as Ben?