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| Wheel of Fortune Tarot Card Example (4) |
The first thing that usually comes to mind when people think of the Wheel of Fortune is the television show, with the next most known thing in relation is the Tarot card. In the modern day, this is the most common usage of the idea of the Wheel of Fortune or the fates itself. The design of this tarot card is almost always represented by a wheel and an otherworldly figure holding or spinning it, which represents fate. This card in an upright position means many positive things, from luck, happiness, achievement, and overall good fortune in the future. In a reversed position this card means bad luck and negative fortune in the future. It is almost best compared to two sides of a coin, were the idea of it is that fate is either positive or negative when looking into one's future. The Wheel of Fortune as a tarot card is about take a look at the up and downs in life, and that nothing is set in stone, that fate is always changing (4, 5).
History of the Wheel of Fortune
The idea of the Wheel of Fortune, also known throughout history as the Rota Fortunae, actually originated from the Chinese zodiac. The basis around its connection to the Chinese zodiac is that the zodiac believed in celestial spheres and depending on which of the eight spheres a person fell into, decided their fortune. Then in more medieval times, the Wheel of Fortune was beginning to be used as a form of religious instruction, with the secondary name for it being Rota Fortunae, belonging to the Roman goddess Fortuna, who was the goddess of fate. The lore of Furtuna in connection to the Wheel of Fortune was that she would spin it at random, while often being depicted as blindfolded. It was used as a medieval allegory and used to instruct others on their futures while partaking in many religious practices. Although it was more commonly used in written ways, The Wheel of Fortune was also depicted by many medieval artists, who used it as the basis of some of their works. When it came to these artistic depictions, The Wheel of Fortune was often used a representation of the four stages of life, each with a humanlike figure to depict each of these stages. The other most common way for this art to be depicted is of a ruler at the most upright portion of the wheel, showing the best fate, while other people are depicted at other stages of wheel, which represents a less valued fate for them. This art would have been most commonly found in medieval cathedrals, or places of religious value (3).
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| Medieval Artwork in Sienna Cathedral Depicting the Wheel of Fortune (6) |
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| Medieval Artwork Depicting the Wheel of Fortune (7) |
Medieval writers used the Wheel of Fortune as the basis of many of their works. For the authors of the time period, they focused on the tragic aspect of The Wheel of Fortune's predicted fate. Throughout all the texts, that are in some way in connection with the "Arthurian World", with all the different retellings and interpretations of the story, it is hard to nail down exactly how it will be related to the texts read in the future, but when it comes to integrating The Wheel of Fortune into literature itself, it is almost always introduced as a prophetic dream (1). It was, more often than not, used as a conflict plot device used against one of the main characters, with its role in the plot to be for it to act as a reminder that, especially during this time period, all earthly things are temporary. When the Wheel of Fortune was used in these medieval author's works, it was a lesson of ever-changing fate, and to weary of it, but most importantly, it was introduced by a higher power. The Wheel of Fortune in literature is not usually depicted as a consequence of a character's actions, but instead just a decision made by some higher power that influences the story (2).
Citations
(1) Echard, Siân. “King Arthur and Fortune.” King Arthur and Fortune,
faculty.arts.ubc.ca/sechard/fortune.htm
(2) “Fortuna & The Wheel of Fortune.” Exploratory Shakespeare, 14 July 2015,
journeys.dartmouth.edu/exploratoryshakespeare/2015/07/14/fortuna-the-wheel-of-fortune/.
(6)“Gothic Rose Windows & the Wheel of Fortune -- “Christ Is Our Center.”” SJA Table Talk , 2013,
sjatabletalk.typepad.com/my-blog/2013/09/gothic-rose-windows-the-wheel-of-fortune-christ-is
our-center.html. Accessed 14 Sept. 2023.
(3) Radding, Charles M. “Fortune and Her Wheel: The Meaning of a Medieval Symbol - JSTOR.”
JSTOR.Org, www.jstor.org/stable/42584434.
(4) Smith, Sherryl E. “La Ruota Della Fortuna/the Wheel of Fortune.” Tarot Heritage, 6 July 2022,
tarotheritage.com/from-trionfi-to-majorarcana/la-ruota-della-fortuna-la-roue-de-fortune-the-
wheel of-fortune/.
(5) “The Wheel of Fortune Meaning - Major Arcana Tarot Card Meanings.” Labyrinthos, 21 Nov.2022,
labyrinthos.co/blogs/tarot-card-meanings-list/the-wheel-of-fortune-meaning-major-arcana-tarot
card-meanings.
(7) Valentin, Nicol. “The Changing Role of Fortuna and Her Wheel in the Middle Ages.” Medium, 30
Dec. 2019, medium.com/lessons-from-history/the-changing-role-of-fortuna-and-her-wheel-of
fortune-in-the-middle-ages-5a50a814ac47.
I had no idea tarot cards had such a deep history in the Arthurian world. I also didn't know that the wheel of fortune was anything but the TV show. I find it interesting how the simple position of what direction the card is facing can change the meaning so drastically.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that the wheel of fortune had roots in the Arthurian world and that it was such an old concept. It's cool how shows and other media today get their inspiration from ancient ideas. It's also interesting how the wheel of fortune can be both a positive or negative thing.
ReplyDeleteThe wheel of fortune TV show must have been inspired by this concept through the medieval wheel of fortune's focus on luck. Also, I find it interesting that in the medieval world, a wheel could be spun to determine one's fate. It is just another unusual detail of Arthurian literature that fits within the realm perfectly.
ReplyDeleteI never knew how historic the concept of the Wheel of Fortune was. Never knew that the Wheel of Fortune was originally a Chinese Zodiac. Learning about this Chinese Zodiac makes it seem pretty cool, though very different from the way we use the Wheel of Fortune today.
ReplyDelete