September 23, 2008
The History Of Tarot Cards
Tarot cards were invented in the fifteenth century in northern Italy. It was created for a new type of card game that is very similar to bridge. The deck was similar to the playing cards of the time with four suits and number cards from one to ten. There were also court cards that included a king, knight and page. The queen was not included in playing cards at that time. With the tarot, came the addition of the queen. There were also twenty-two other cards added to the deck that had pictures that had special meaning and symbols.
The tarot deck was used for a game called Triumphs and it was a big hit among the elites of the time period. During this time, cards were hand painted so the cost of the cards was quite high and only the very rich could afford to own them. As the cards were taken to different geographic areas they began to take on new pictures and symbols for the tarot cards.
It is theorized that the game was invented for the Duke of Milan. There is a book that was created to accompany the deck, but interestingly, it does not give the rules of the game. The only information that is contained in the book is the meanings behind the symbols and their ranking in the game. It also does not give any prophetic or divination meaning to the cards.
When the cards were first introduced, the divination meanings that we associate with the cards today were not ever mentioned. No one during this time attributed these cards to any other purpose than the playing of a game. It was only centuries later that the cards began to be seen in this light.
The cards changed in their look as they moved from country to country. Every region added their own touch to the designs on the tarot deck. In the time when the cards were created, playing cards, as well as the tarot deck, were hand painted. If the cards exist today, they are artistic masterpieces and very valuable relics from a time gone by.
Interestingly, the book that accompanied the deck does not contain any of the rules for the game. Its pages are filled with the meaning and representation of the pictures on the cards and the ranking of each card in the deck. This book is currently in Paris in the Bibliotheque Nationale.
The tarot has also evolved to include many different spreads of the cards. Each spread of the cards is more suited toward a specific type of reading. For example, if you are interested in knowing the state of your relationship, there is a spread that will work best for this type of question.
It is interesting to do some research on tarot cards and look at all of the evolutions that the cards have gone through in the centuries since they were invented. You will find that they are creatively artistic and wonderful to look at whether they are being used for divination purposes or not. Take a look at the history of the tarot and you will find yourself immersed in the many cultures that have left their mark on the decks of today.