The image of the “Hermit” found “Led Zeppelin IV,” the hard-rock band’s most successful album, has helped the band’s mysterious image over the years. After all, the decision to package the album with artwork that did not even mention the band’s name was a calculated risk.
As Jimmy Page, the architect of the band’s presentation, had in mind, these choices sparked intrigue. This is why I am looking at what we know of the “Hermit,” of the four symbols, and of the artwork of the old man found among the artwork for “Led Zeppelin IV.”
Symbolism of the “Hermit”
“Led Zeppelin IV” is certainly an album that set a template for future hard-rock releases. It is a balancing act of hard-rock pomp with songs like “Black Dog” and “Rock and Roll” and mysterious folk rock with “The Battle of Evermore” or “Stairway to Heaven.” Note that singer Robert Plant, a man fascinated with mythology and folklore, penned the lyrics for all the songs found on the band’s fourth album.
The record is also renowned for its enigmatic and iconic album cover art. The band’s name is not featured on the packaging. Four mysterious symbols represent the identity of the four members. The main sleeve presents the picture of an old man placed crookedly on a wall. The inner sleeve contains the Hermit figure, which Jimmy Page would be transformed as in the band’s quasi-fantasy music movie “The Song Remains the Same.”
Mystery played a big part in the success of 1970s hard rock bands. There were rumours that Black Sabbath‘s musicians practised dark magic. There might have been rumours that Deep Purple‘s Ritchie Blackmore was a veritable magician. But no other band created a greater mythology around itself than Led Zeppelin.
The “Hermit” and the Tarot
In recent years, new insights have emerged regarding the inspiration behind the “Hermit” on Led Zeppelin IV. Jimmy Page, the band’s guitarist and creative mastermind, has confirmed that the tarot card of the same name indeed inspired the figure.
The tarot card of the Hermit depicts a solitary figure cloaked in darkness, holding a lantern and a staff. This imagery represents the Hermit’s inward journey of self-discovery, seeking wisdom and enlightenment amidst the obscurity of the unknown.
Page’s fascination with the tarot, particularly the Hermit card, aligns with the album’s themes of personal growth, introspection, and the pursuit of deeper meaning. Naturally, this also helped Led Zeppelin distance themselves from some of the more meat-and-potatoes hard-rock bands of the day, such as Budgie or Grand Funk Railroad. These were groups that were also selling plenty of records.
The “Hermit” and Barrington Coleby
While the tarot card served as the primary inspiration for the “Hermit” on Led Zeppelin IV, a specific painting by English artist Barrington Coleby also shaped Page’s vision. Coleby’s drawing features a similar hooded figure standing atop a mountain peak, gazing pensively into the distance.
Page acknowledged the influence of Coleby’s painting, although some fans have speculated that this might be a pseudonym for Jimmy Page himself. The guitarist attended art school in his youth, and the theory isn’t entirely far-fetched.
The “Hermit” and the Occult
Page’s interest in the occult extended beyond the tarot, encompassing a range of esoteric traditions, including alchemy, astrology, and Kabbalah. The guitarist owned Equinox, a London store for esoteric books. He is also said to have been the biggest collector of works by magus Aleister Crowley and later bought Boleskine House, his former home.
The “Hermit”‘s hooded cloak, staff, and lantern can be interpreted as symbolic elements that align with the occult traditions that Jimmy Page was studying at the time. The hooded cloak could represent detachment from the material world and his focus on spiritual matters.
Figure Found on Artwork Finally Revealed
The main album sleeve design for “Led Zeppelin IV” is just as famous. It shows a framed picture of an old man carrying sticks on his back. The picture hangs in an old cottage with contrasts with urban buildings behind it. Debates over his identity and the image’s meaning have raged for years.
In 2023, 52 years after the release of the album, the original picture was finally tracked down. It’s a Victorian photograph. According to historian Brian Edwards from the Wiltshire Museum, the “stick man” picture was likely taken in rural Wiltshire in 1892. The picture comes from a photo album where the man is simply noted as a “Wiltshire Thatcher’.” However, Edwards’ extensive research found that the man in question is likely Lot Long from Mere in Wiltshire.
Jimmy Page spoke of the decision to incorporate this picture in the album’s design. He clarified in an interview how: “I used to spend a lot of time going to junk shops looking for things that other people might have missed. Robert was on a search with me one time, and we went to this place in Reading where things were just piled up on one another. Robert found the picture of the old man with the sticks and suggested that we work it into our cover somehow. So we decided to contrast the modern skyscraper on the back with the old man with the sticks – you see the destruction of the old, and the new coming forward.”
