Post by johnbc on Nov 30, 2020 22:56:17 GMT
The symbology of the pieces in the Dame’s wing, convey the idea of diplomacy, solidarity, care; and the pieces of the King's wing, convey his wealth, strength, and weaponry. In fact, the symbology is even consistent with the practice of the game: a game started by the Queen’s pawn leads (normally) to a slow, strategic, abstract game. While the games started by the King’s pawn, leads to a faster, tactical, concrete game.
Here it is an quote from Pope Innocent III (1198-1216):
"This whole world is like a chessboard: one house is white, another is black, and so it represents the double state of life or death, of grace or sin. The family that inhabits this board is made up of the men of this world, who — like the pieces all coming out of the same bag (sacculus) — all come from one maternal belly (sacculus). And, like the pieces, they take their places in different places in this world, each with its own name.
The first is the King, then the Queen, third the Tower (rocus), fourth the Knight (miles), fifth the Bishop (alphhinus) and sixth the pawn, which represents the idea of servitude, the etymology itself of the word refers to "walking on foot".
And the character of the game is such that one takes the other and, with the game over, just as everyone had left the same bag, they return to it. And then there is no difference between the king and the poor pawn, because the rich and the poor end up in the same way. And it often happens that when the pieces are returned, the King is underneath, at the bottom of the bag; and so it is with the great ones who, when they leave this world, are buried in hell; while the poor are taken to Abraham's bosom. (...) In this game, the devil says: check! inciting evil and wounding with the dart of sin. And if the victim does not leave quickly saying: free!, by the penance and compunction of the heart, the devil says to him: kill!
And just as the hunter has several dogs for different prey, so the devil and the world have different temptations to catch men, because everything in the world is lust of the flesh or lust of the eyes or pride of life."
Here it is an quote from Pope Innocent III (1198-1216):
"This whole world is like a chessboard: one house is white, another is black, and so it represents the double state of life or death, of grace or sin. The family that inhabits this board is made up of the men of this world, who — like the pieces all coming out of the same bag (sacculus) — all come from one maternal belly (sacculus). And, like the pieces, they take their places in different places in this world, each with its own name.
The first is the King, then the Queen, third the Tower (rocus), fourth the Knight (miles), fifth the Bishop (alphhinus) and sixth the pawn, which represents the idea of servitude, the etymology itself of the word refers to "walking on foot".
And the character of the game is such that one takes the other and, with the game over, just as everyone had left the same bag, they return to it. And then there is no difference between the king and the poor pawn, because the rich and the poor end up in the same way. And it often happens that when the pieces are returned, the King is underneath, at the bottom of the bag; and so it is with the great ones who, when they leave this world, are buried in hell; while the poor are taken to Abraham's bosom. (...) In this game, the devil says: check! inciting evil and wounding with the dart of sin. And if the victim does not leave quickly saying: free!, by the penance and compunction of the heart, the devil says to him: kill!
And just as the hunter has several dogs for different prey, so the devil and the world have different temptations to catch men, because everything in the world is lust of the flesh or lust of the eyes or pride of life."