Jeu de tarot

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 30 Apr 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Dakini	30 Apr 2003
I recently got this deck from ebay. It has 4 cards with instructions written in french that I was able to get translated online. After reading these instructions I realised that the instructions are for a game. No card interperations at all. I wonder if this is the game people use to play with tarot cards, they do appear to be old, but I believe they are a reproduction of a 1890 deck. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2923895831&ssPageName=ADME:B:BN:US Is anyone familiar with this deck or know anything about it? Thanks Dakini

Kiama	30 Apr 2003
I couldn't see any pictures on the site, but it does sound familiar to a deck I bought in France when I was about 13... Do the Minors look like a normal pack of playing cards, only with an extra court card? Do they have hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs on them? And do the Majors have two different scenes on them: One upright, one reversed... The scenes I remember didn't actually correlate to the meanings of the cards, but they were pretty, and seemed to show people, usually quite rich ones, dressed in late 19th century clothing. The ones I'm thinking of also didn't have the titles on the Majors, only the number. If this is the deck you have, you do indeed have a French Tarot playing deck. There are dozens of different versions of the game of Tarocchi, so I'd be interested to see the rules given with the deck. Does it talk about playing in pairs, or two people in the game playing against the other? And does it talk about 'le chien': Dog, or in our modern card playing terms, 'kitty'? If so, this game is French Tarot. It is one of my favourite versions of Tarocchi. If you ever come across the book 'Twelve Tarot Games' by Michael Dummet, get it! It has the rules for 12 Tarocchi games from around Europe. Kiama

baba-prague	30 Apr 2003
Hi Dakini, Well, being into old "Taroky" cards (the ones used to play the game of Taroky with) I took a look, but the photos have gone now. There is certainly a game - a bit like Bridge - which is still played in parts of Europe. I call it Taroky as that's the name usually used here in Czech. However, the name of the game has variants (Tarocchi for example) in the different European countries. The number of cards in the deck also varies. The early cards were almost certainly developed for game playing only, long before anyone used them for divination. This page is a good place to start to look for information: http://l-pollett.tripod.com/cards28.htm Our website has one page on Czech taroky if you are interested (www.tarotofprague.com - then hit the "taroky" button) but is does sound like you have a French set. They sound like nice cards, and I don't see why you can't read with them if you want to. Best wishes, Karen

Dakini	30 Apr 2003
Kiama, It does sound like the exact deck you are talking about. It speaks of dog rather than kitty. Here is the instruction translated that I found. http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.bric-a-brac.org/tarot/regles.html&prev=/search%3Fq%3Djeu%2Bde%2Btarot%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DG Thanks Baba-Praque I'll look into that site. Blessings Dakini

Rose	30 Apr 2003
Hi Dakini, Here is a link to a card game site that has the rules for the game of French Tarot (in English). The site also has sections on the game of Tarot in other countries. The Encyclopedia of Tarot (Kaplan) has listings for a fair number of French Tarock Packs. If you want more info on the particular deck you have and can supply more information I'll see if it's listed (as you already know the pictures on Ebay are gone). http://www.pagat.com/tarot/frtarot.html Rose

Dakini	30 Apr 2003
Thanks Rose, that site explains it better than the one I found. Pictures of the cards are on the site baba praque gave above. They are the first ones shown under the french section, courts are on the right side on page.

baba-prague	30 Apr 2003
Nice cards, but maybe I'll take back what I said about reading with them - if the "trumps" not the ones we are used to I suppose it would be almost impossible (I bet someone somewhere has tried it though :-) ) If you ever do try, it would be interesting to know how you get on. Karen

Dakini	30 Apr 2003
No I don't think one could read with this deck with 2 different pictures on 1 card for the trumps. I think it would be fun to learn how to play the game though, barring I can get my boyfriend interested. He has no interest in tarot at all.

jmd	01 May 2003
The two decks around when I was quite young were Marseilles and the one you mention. Whereas the Marseille was considered for its esoteric aspects, this one was used for the game (and for gambling, I should add). In order to play the French version of the game (which I haven't played for around 20 years), a minimum of three and maximum of six players are needed - though this is probably mentioned in the rules previously linked which I haven't perused... My copy of this deck, which is still, by the way, standardly available in France, is well worn from many games I engaged in when I did my (compulsory) French military service in the late-ish 1970s. As a French deck, the suits are, of course, the 'standard' Diamonds, Clubs, Hearts and Spades - in addition to having the Major Arcana with its royal court-like half-scenes duplicated in reverse.

Kiama	01 May 2003
Dakini: A quick glance of the rules (Hey, it's early still! ;)) leads me to think the game you have the rules for is either Mitigati, or French Tarot. They're both very similar, but veeeerrry fun! I've spent many an evening playing French Tarot and Mitigati with my boyfriend and a friend... Good thing we weren't playing for money though, because I would be so poor by now! ;) baba-prague: Yep, I'm the one who's tried to read with these cards! When I got them when I was 13, I didn't know about Tarot as a game. I had only heard of it as a divinatory tool... So I spent about a year reading with these cards. It was hell, but I certainly got creative! In the end I got another reading deck (One that is meant to be read with) and threw the French deck away... Now I'm kicking myself, because I can't find them anywhere in the UK! Maybe I'll go to France specifically to buy a bunch of these decks! (They were cheap when I was last over there... Around 99p in English money. Same price as a deck of playing cards, which makes sense really!) I highly recommend the games of Mitigati (The title relates to 'Making Excuses'... Since that is technically what you do at an early stage in the game!) and French Tarot. They are extremely fun. Kiama

Aerin	01 May 2003
I've got a French 78 card tarot deck for gaming, it is an Asterix one :D and is what is being described. All the trumps have Asterix cartoons on, two related but different scenes are shown, one is upright and one upside down as you view a card. I suppose that one could see these as upright and reversed meanings. Sadly, all the instructions are in French so I still can't play :D although if anyone can translate I could scan the stuff in... I'll look at the site mentioned. Kiama, R Somerville have a wide selection of game tarot cards all pretty cheap. They are based in France no, this is where I got my Asterix deck from - I ordered over the 'net. Aerin

Dakini	01 May 2003
I used the google search engine to find the translation for the game rules that I have. I typed in the card name, the search came up in french , then I clicked on the option translate this page. I found these sites: http://www.gamecabinet.com/sumo/Issue7/Asterix.html http://www.uk-gamerz.com/board/board_a/astrix_m.shtml Hope this helps, Dakini

Kiama	01 May 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Aerin Kiama, R Somerville have a wide selection of game tarot cards all pretty cheap. They are based in France no, this is where I got my Asterix deck from - I ordered over the 'net. Aerin Oh dear dear dear Aerin! Look what you've made me do! I've never ever ordered something off the internet with a credit card before, but I've just done it... I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry. Thing is, I can feel myself going to that site again and buying more decks, since they're all so cheap, and their selction of gaming decks is amazing... No, I mustn't! Well, the good news is, I have a French Tarot game deck on it's way to me for only £6.25 incl. postage, packaging, and deck... Thanks for the link Aerin! I have a feeling I will find it invaluable! Kiama

raeanne	01 May 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Kiama Oh dear dear dear Aerin! Look what you've made me do! I've never ever ordered something off the internet with a credit card before, but I've just done it... I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry. Kiama, Laugh! Join the "I'm in debt until I die" crowd. Shopping online is ssssooooooo easy. A little plastic and a few keystrokes and the WORLD is at your feet! :D

The Jeu de tarot thread was originally posted on 30 Apr 2003 in the Tarot Decks board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Decks, or read more archived threads.