The modern theory about the appearance of the first deck of playing cards in China at the turn of the X-XI centuries looks quite well-reasoned and does not raise any questions.
However, it is still not known for certain how and from where the first decks of playing cards came to medieval Europe. It can be assumed that, exported from the East along with numerous trade flows, Islamic conquests, and then the crusades, playing cards had reached Europe by the end of the XIII century. And by the 1360s, they had become so popular in many European countries that gambling with them was banned, as evidenced by numerous historical chronicles of that time.
One of the convincing confirmations of this theory is the deck of Mamluk cards, which is currently kept in the museum at the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. It dates back to about the XV century and consists, like a standard modern deck, of 52 (including the lost copies) cards of four suits.
As it should be in the Muslim tradition, the Mamluk cards do not contain images of people or animals but have an ornate Arabesque surface and short accompanying inscriptions. The same inscriptions are typical for Chinese playing cards of the same historical period.
Thus, the «Egyptian» theory of the origin of Tarot cards, first put forward by Antoine Coeur de Gebelin at the end of the XVIII century in his «Primitive World» («Le Monde primitif analysé et comparé avec le monde moderne», 1773-1782), which became the basis for many generations of occultists, turned out to be correct in many ways, although it is not as mystical as stated by the author.
The first decks of playing cards could indeed have come to Europe from Egypt, but not from Ancient Egypt, as Cours de Gebelin thought, followed by Etteile (Jean-Baptiste Allietta, 1738-1791) and Aleister Crowley, but from medieval Egypt.
Based on this fact, it also makes no sense to look for an encrypted trace of the «ancient Egyptian mysteries» in the images on the Senior Arcana of the Tarot, which Etteile found and even recorded in his work «The system of predictions on Tarot cards» («Manière de se récréer avec le jeu de cartes nommé Tarots»).
Firstly, because the very first mentions of the game of cards in the official chronicles of China date back approximately to the X-XI century, but not to the ancient world, as Coeur de Gebelin states in his work.
Secondly, the strict prohibition for Muslims to depict people or animals anywhere, and even more so on playing cards, which are also prohibited by the Koran , completely excludes the Islamic or «Egyptian» origin of the Senior Tarot Arcana.
Thirdly, the difficulties with the production of suitable material for playing cards and its high cost, both in ancient Egypt and in medieval Europe before the invention of paper and the printing press, also in turn refute the theory of Coeur de Gebelin.
As an additional argument, one can cite a large number of not only written, but also material evidences of the existence of various mantic systems practiced in the ancient world (for example, the bronze liver of the Haruspices from Piacenza, II century BC). But, at the same time, there is not a single, even indirect mention of the practices of fortune-telling on Tarot cards or similar systems .
And finally, both the «Egyptian» Mamluk deck and the oldest European deck of playing cards known to us (the Flemish «Hunting» deck of cards of the XV century, the Cloisters, USA) completely lack 22 Senior Arcana, or «Triumphs». But they are the key symbols of all the occult Tarot systems known to us.
For the first time, the «Triumphs», trumps or senior Arcana of the Tarot in the form and quantity familiar to us appeared only in the XV century in Italy in a series of disparate handmade playing cards, united today under the collective name of the Visconti-Sforza deck. But, even in it, they are very different from those twenty-two Senior Arcana that modern practitioners are used to dealing with.
The images of the Visconti-Sforza deck rather resemble paintings by artists of the XIV-XV centuries with images of Petrarch's «Triumphs», popular at that time, or engravings from the Tarocchi Mantegna series, with some of which they are almost identical.
Modern scholars view the Visconti-Sforza deck of cards solely in terms of its occult and philosophical-mystical content, despite these pronounced correspondences. The same happens with the interpretation of the «Tarocchi Mantegna» engravings, to which they attribute hermeticism, a humanistic model of the cosmos and a reflection of Dante's ideas , while overlooking its obvious similarity to its Chinese gaming counterparts.
In China, since the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the practice of «Wine or table order» (jiulin) was widespread. It was widely used at festivals and feasts, where the «orders» served as a cultural pastime, helping to facilitate relaxed communication between guests.
The Chinese «Wine Order» was a kind of literary game, based on a certain «alcoholic» system of penalties and involving various tools: domino dice, dice, tags and cards.
Usually special decks of cards were made for such «Wine Orders» on which literary and historical heroes were depicted, their quotations or names were given, and the "price" of the fine was indicated. The game itself was usually based on guessing literary associations, quoting the authors or heroes of the works depicted on the card chosen by the player.
Over time, «Wine Orders» divided into two categories: «orders» for commoners and «orders» for elites. Accordingly, the «elite» variant of the game implied more complex tasks and more in-depth knowledge of history, religion, philosophy and literature .
One can find a great number of really interesting details if one looks at Mantegna's Tarocchi from this point of view, as cards designed for intellectual play.
For example, the poses of some figures in the engravings exactly duplicate each other (for example, «Mercury», «Erato» and «Servant»), in some images some small, hidden objects are repeated (for example, a circlet in the images: «Craftsman», «Urania», «Prudence») or fragments of images (the mask on the head of «Prudence» and «Theology»).
Some cards «hide» a number of identical images on them (on the card «Strength» it is three lions: on the left of the figure, on her head and on the armor on her chest).
The image on the «Emperor» card is completely identical to the image on the «Jupiter» card, only it has a different size.
The empty and filled circles on different cards, as well as the images of small animals, which are also repeated from time to time, require special attention.
Thus, the more you look at the images of «Tarocchi Mantegna», the more you find interesting details and riddles on them, reminiscent of modern puzzles and games like «Find 10 Differences» or «Picture in Picture».
If we add to this set of «encrypted elements» the principle of the Chinese literary game of «Wine Orders», we get a highly sophisticated and imagination-grabbing set of medieval intellectual games for the elites.
The assumption about encrypted intellectual puzzles, «sewn» into the images on Tarot playing cards, though in a more simplified form than on «Tarocchi Mantegna», confirms the deck of cards «Visconti-Sforza». Probably, exactly with the purpose to add a game to the game and to complicate the standard deck, trumps something similar to engravings of «Tarocchi Mantegna» were initially added to it.
If you look closely at the images in the Senior Arcana of the «Visconti-Sforza» deck, you may also notice some interesting details.
For example, a pair of green gloves on the hands of the «Empress» and only one green glove on the hand of the lady from the «Lovers» card. Part of the «High Priest» card has been moved to the top of the «Judgment» card. Men in the arcana «Emperor» and «Hermit» have the same face, and the pose of a man from the card «Power» exactly repeats the pose of an angel from the card «Sun». And such interesting coincidences at careful consideration of the Senior Tarot Arcana can be found a large number.
However, starting with the deck «Visconti-Sforza» clearly visible and the general trend towards a clear simplification of drawings on the Senior Arcana of the Tarot, which already by the middle of the XVI century in the deck «Marseilles Tarot» takes the form of the most simplified folk lubok. And together with the simplification of images, the puzzles encrypted in them earlier go away.
What was the reason for such a strange transformation of drawings on the Elder Arcana of the Tarot?
There are several simple and quite rational reasons for this.
Firstly, purely technically simplified drawings are easier to print on paper, and such printing is much cheaper than the author's work of primed pressed cardboard, hand-painted with tempera gold leaf and silver as, for example, on the deck «Visconti-Sforza».
Secondly, the game of «Tarocchi» with trumps or Senior Arcana by this period of time became popular among all segments of the population, leaving the purely elitist circles of aristocrats, and became popular.
And, finally, thirdly, in the game «Tarocchi», which is still widespread throughout Europe, the pictures on the trumps do not carry any semantic load. During the game, only their numerical value is taken into account.
The last statement can be supported by the existence of various variants of sets of "Trumps" in different European decks of Tarot cards. For example, in the deck of «Flemish Tarocchi» («Tarocco fiammingo», «Tagosso di Bacco» or «Tagosso van den Borre») instead of the «High Priestess» arcana there is a card with the figure of the Spanish captain Fracassi, and instead of the «High Priest» arcana - the card «Bacchus».
The «Tarocco Siciliano» deck consists of 64 cards, 22 of which are trumps. Numerical values in this deck begin with sixes, and 20 trumps are numbered with Arabic numerals. Moreover, the two Senior Arcana do not have numbers - this card «Poverty» and «Fugitive». Also, the arcana «Devil» is replaced by «Ship», and under the number 4 appears the card «Permanence». In the court figures, too, there are interesting changes: «Pages» replaced by «Maidens» or «Princesses».
Finally, the card game «Minciate» («Minciate al cigno»), which is a type of Tarot cards, the first mentions of which can be found in literary works of the mid-16th century in such authors as: Petro Aretino; Agnolo Firenzuola (1493-1543); Angelo Bronzino (1503-1572). This deck consists of 97 cards: numerical, courtly, 21 standard trumps, 12 Zodiac signs, 4 Christian Virtues trumps, and four Elements trumps.
Also, in the deck «Minciate» the card «High Priestess» is replaced by the card «Faith», and is among 4 trumps of «Christian virtues». And arcana: «Empress», «Emperor» and «High Priest» are replaced by cards: «Grand Duke», «Emperor of the West» and «Emperor of the East».
And these are only some of the existing varieties of Tarot card decks with «non-standard» Senior Tarot Arcana. In fact, there are many more.
Thus, it is not surprising that Etteile in turn tried to create his own set of the Senior Arcana of the Tarot, radically different from the «Marseilles Tarot». It is likely that the trumps of the «Marseilles Tarot» or, more precisely, the deck of cards of Jean Noble (1650), republished in 1701 by Claude Jean Dodal, he was not satisfied with its simple lubok graphics.
Such a simplified style of cards did not fit with the theory of their ancient Egyptian sacred origin. Although such rough stylization of drawings on the Senior Arcana of Tarot «Marseilles deck» is quite justified historically, as in this period of time lubok sheets were widespread in society and were a kind of «books» for the poor.
Lubok sheets or fun sheets were known in China and India since the VIII century. In Europe they appeared in the XV century and were not only entertaining books for illiterate people, but also performed informational and even agitational (political leaflets) functions.
Usually, lubok sheets were characterized by rough hand-drawn pictures, which in time began to be printed on sheets of paper, colored and supplemented with explanatory texts. Uncomplicated bright lubok pictures and short texts were well remembered and attracted the attention of others, so they were used even for educational purposes.
For example, Russian historical chronicles of the XVI-XVII centuries mention the teaching of history, geography and natural history to royal children with the help of «fryazh sheets» (i.e. Italian sheets). In this case, the lubok pictures were placed directly on the walls of their rooms, like modern posters or visual aids, or were previously nailed on wooden frames .
This practice of placing lubok paintings on the walls of rooms explains to some extent the holes on many of the cards in the «Visconti-Sforza» deck. It is likely that they were used for the same purpose - for artisanal interior decoration.
However, not only the style, but also the very symbolism of the Senior Arcana Tarot «Marseilles deck» also clearly did not suit Etteile, who relied in the development of his mantic system on the «Egyptian» theory of Cours de Gebelin. Too simple, not sacred, in many ways even everyday images were depicted on them, so in his deck, he also tried to maximize their transformation and embellish them.
Of course, such a bold statement sounds somewhat phantasmagorical for a modern person. And it is understandable, because such figures of the «Marseilles Tarot» as «The Magician», «Death» or «The Hanged Man» already in themselves seem to us something mystical, occult and very far from reality. But we live in the XXI century, and the deck of Tarot cards appeared in the XV century and, in fact, just reflected the current events that occurred in the society of that historical period.
As an example, confirming this theory, let's take a closer look at the arcana «The Hanged Man», which is perhaps one of the most ambiguous and mystical arcana of the modern Tarot, and in the system of Aleister Crowley is the key .
In order to understand why the man in this arcana is depicted in such an exotic pose and what it really means, we need to make a small excursion into the history of Northern Italy, in the cities of which, from XIII to XVI century was widespread practice of so-called «shameful images» (pitture infamanti). By decision of the authorities, such inscriptions were painted directly on the walls of public buildings, as an analog of modern graffiti.
The «dishonorable images» usually depicted deposed tyrants, traitors to the fatherland, deceitful merchants, unscrupulous debtors and other violators of social norms and order, but only men, and mostly from the nobility. Because public dishonor concerned only those who, according to the ideas of the time, had honor (honor) and good name (fama), so could suffer from such a social attack.
Shameful images also depicted criminals who had been executed, banished, or those who had escaped punishment. In this case, the image served as a means of pressure on the criminal and his relatives, showing that the punishment would sooner or later catch up with him anyway.
One striking example of such «shameful images» is that of the condottiere Rodolfo da Varano, Signor of Camerino, who served Florence during the War of the Eight Saints and then defected to its enemy. As a result, in 1377 the city authorities ordered the painting of Rodolfo's «shameful portrait» on the wall of the Palazzo del Podesta.
On this commissioned «portrait» Rodolfo was depicted hanging on the gallows by his left leg (see the arcana «The Hanged Man»). On either side of him are demonic animals: a siren and a basilisk. The fingers of the traitor in the image were folded into a figure (e fa la fi ca), his throat was squeezed by a drawn demon, and his head was crowned with a shameful «mitre».
A related genre of «shameful images» (Schandbilder) in the XV-XVI centuries. existed in the Germanic lands. With the help of «shameful images» the victim sought to punish his offender, informing everyone that he was not worthy of trust, and tried to force him to repay a debt or compensate for other damage.
Both the Italian «pitture infamanti» and the German «Schandbilder» used a variety of visual techniques designed to injure and dishonor the person depicted. The only difference was that these «shameful images» were drawn on paper instead of on the walls and then hung as a leaflet or poster on the house of the offender.
The heroes of the «shameful images» on such posters were represented as being executed: quartered on a wheel or hanged, most often by one leg and head down. Such a death was not only very painful, but also particularly shameful. Together with the «executed», in order to strengthen the blow to his honor, his inverted family coat of arms was depicted, which was also very humiliating .
This genre had its own grammar of dishonor, a certain set of visual techniques that were designed to destroy the good name of the person depicted. For example, perpetrators were likened to Judas Iscariot and often painted with a purse hanging around their neck as a symbol of greed, bribery, and financial dishonesty.
Apparently, it is because of this Biblical reference we often see bags of money in the hands of the man on the card «The Hanged Man». And in Etteile's deck of cards, where the 12th arcana is replaced by the 18th, and is called «Capuchin» or «Judas», it directly means betrayal and treason, and clearly has the same leitmotif as «shameful images».
From this we can conclude that Etteile was well acquainted with the domestic and historical symbolism of this image and therefore tried to maximally change the visual image of the card «The Hanged Man», while leaving its deep essence.
However, and the deck of cards «Grand Etteile» publisher Baptiste Paul Grimaud 1790 is difficult to call the author. The structure of the deck itself and some of the Senior Arcana in it is very similar to the engravings of «Tarocchi Mantegna» (for example, arcana 12 «Virtue» in the deck Etteile and 35 «Prudence» in «Tarocchi Mantegna») or combine several of its positions in one card (for example, arcana 6 «Sky» from the deck Etteile combines the cards of section 5 of «Tarocchi Montaigne» - «Planets and Spheres»).
Even the very principle of Etteile's Tarot layouts, given by Papus in his 1889 book «The Predictive Tarot», based on the consideration of three levels of being (soul, spirit and body) is very consonant with the general structure of the series of engravings «Tarocchi Mantegna» .
Nevertheless, it is Etteile, and not the ancient Egyptians can be safely considered one of the main originators of mantic and occult direction of work with a deck of Tarot cards. And his, in many respects purely intuitive, interpretations of the meanings of the Senior Arcana of the Tarot are relevant to this day.
And despite the fact that his followers returned from the complex system of «Grand Etteile» cards to a more simplified «standard» system of «Marseilles Tarot», they were already sufficiently «charged» with occultism. The system of Etteile, his attempt to systematize and give a certain theoretical basis for a deck of Tarot cards, as an occult system, gave development to other esoteric directions and became the basis for many occultists and tarologists who became his followers.
And, perhaps, the most important thing is that, despite many inconsistencies and bugs, this esoteric system really works.
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