BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Naming The Blind Banker

**Posted by tykobrian** December 31, 2014 11:57 am

I've read a lot of posts discussing the influences behind this episode. But where do they get the name for it?

Every Sherlock episode title is derived from either the canon stories (ASiP, ASiB, THoB, TEH, TSoT, HLV) or things related (TGG, TRF, MHR) to the Holmes stories. But it looks like this episode is based on one of ACD's other work.

Turns out Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote a poem in 1898 named The Blind Archer and can you guess what it’s about? In a nutshell, the poem basically says that you can’t help who you fall in love with. Here the blind archer is obviously Cupid. What I found interesting in the poem is that among other 'unfortunate' victims of Cupid one is a veteran who can’t believe that he is falling in love. Then there’s this isolated man who feels that he must not fall in love because he’s planning a celibate vow and has duties to do. Remind you of anyone?

So what do you think? Just yet another happy coincidence in the so very lazy Sherlock universe?

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Full poem from online-literature.com:

Little boy Love drew his bow at a chance,
   Shooting down at the ballroom floor;
He hit an old chaperone watching the dance,
   And oh! but he wounded her sore.
      'Hey, Love, you couldn't mean that!
      Hi, Love, what would you be at?'
         No word would he say,
         But he flew on his way,
For the little boy's busy, and how could he stay?

Little boy Love drew a shaft just for sport
   At the soberest club in Pall Mall;
He winged an old veteran drinking his port,
   And down that old veteran fell.
      'Hey, Love, you mustn't do that!
      Hi, Love, what would you be at?
         This cannot be right!
         It's ludicrous quite!'
But it's no use to argue, for Love's out of sight.

A sad-faced young clerk in a cell all apart
   Was planning a celibate vow;
But the boy's random arrow has sunk in his heart,
   And the cell is an empty one now.
      'Hey, Love, you mustn't do that!
      Hi, Love, what would you be at?
         He is not for you,
         He has duties to do.'
'But I AM his duty,' quoth Love as he flew.

The king sought a bride, and the nation had hoped
   For a queen without rival or peer.
But the little boy shot, and the king has eloped
   With Miss No-one on Nothing a year.
      'Hey, Love, you couldn't mean that!
      Hi, Love, what would you be at?
         What an impudent thing
         To make game of a king!'
'But I'M a king also,' cried Love on the wing.

Little boy Love grew pettish one day;
   'If you keep on complaining,' he swore,
'I'll pack both my bow and my quiver away,
   And so I shall plague you no more.'
      'Hey, Love, you mustn't do that!
      Hi, Love, what would you be at?
         You may ruin our ease,
         You may do what you please,
But we can't do without you, you dear little tease!'

**Posted by SusiGo** December 31, 2014 12:03 pm

Wow, this is an absolutely amazing find, tykobrian! I am sure nobody has ever commented on this, not even on tumblr. You should write a meta about it.

**Posted by Harriet** December 31, 2014 12:19 pm

Yes, brilliant! Thanks so much for sharing!

**Posted by Vhanja** December 31, 2014 12:27 pm

Thanks for this, really interesting!

**Posted by Lazarus** December 31, 2014 1:23 pm

Wow and...wow! Yes please write some meta on this! I haven't stumbled across anything about this during my time in fandom. Great find!

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** January 2, 2015 12:41 pm

Yeah, that's definitely new!

**Posted by Harriet** January 2, 2015 3:15 pm

The finding of Anteros might even support your reasoning - what do you think?
Anteros is not Cupid, though, not blind and appears in ASiP already, then in TBB.

http://gosherlocked.tumblr.com/post/105996188731/hello-i-just-re-watched-the-pilot-episode-and-i

**Posted by Schmiezi** January 2, 2015 7:31 pm

Harriet wrote:
The finding of Anteros might even support your reasoning - what do you think?
Anteros is not Cupid, though, not blind and appears in ASiP already, then in TBB.

http://gosherlocked.tumblr.com/post/105996188731/hello-i-just-re-watched-the-pilot-episode-and-i

Requited love? I think I like that.

**Posted by Whisky** January 19, 2015 11:46 pm

wow, that's cool!
It's a nice little poem, I didn't know it.

**Posted by BrettHolmes** January 27, 2015 4:36 pm

I always thought that The Blind Banker was inspired by The Dancing Men, since both the episode and the short story are mysteries involving ciphers. Instead of drawings of stick figures, they are using chinese lettering in spray paint, which in both stories had carried messages. Anyway, that's just me.

Last edited by BrettHolmes (January 27, 2015 4:49 pm)

**Posted by tykobrian** February 4, 2015 9:29 am

The plot of the blind banker is inspired partly by the cryptographic techniques of the dancing men and the valley of fear. But here I was talking about the inspiration behind the name of the episode.

**Posted by ukaunz** March 13, 2015 6:32 am

Cupid is frequently shown as being blindfolded...

There wasn't a specific cipher-related reason why the line representing "one" had to be painted across the painting's eyes, was there? So it could be a reference to Cupid?

Last edited by ukaunz (March 13, 2015 6:45 am)

**Posted by Harriet** March 13, 2015 8:36 am

I like that idea even though I felt that the painting across the eyes means to represent the upcoming annihilation. Convince me, anyone?

**Posted by tykobrian** March 13, 2015 9:14 am

ukaunz wrote:
Cupid is frequently shown as being blindfolded...

There wasn't a specific cipher-related reason why the line representing "one" had to be painted across the painting's eyes, was there? So it could be a reference to Cupid?

*Shrug* well, ACD'S poem (the apparant inspiration of this episode) is called The Blind Archer which was enough of a reference to cupid. And like you I can't find any specific cipher-related reason the line representing "one" had to be painted across the painting's (or the statue's) eyes.

Nice shot of Sherlock in your snap, BTW.