Hebrew Alphabet & Tarot

Do you believe Tarot was originally based on the Hebrew alphabet?

  • Yes

    Votes: 5 5.7%
  • No

    Votes: 68 77.3%
  • It seems likely, even if unproven

    Votes: 4 4.5%
  • I don't know

    Votes: 11 12.5%

  • Total voters
    88

kwaw

Greg Stanton said:
Rosanne, I didn't say that early Jewish visual art doesn't exist, just that it is very, very rare.

I agree with Rosanne, this iconclast argument is based on a fallacy, there are many examples of visual art from both religious and secular jewish manuscripts of the place and period, many of which bear comparison with at least few examples of tarot trump imagery (fools and jugglers for example, shepherds under trees - examples of which I have given previously in other threads in response to the false iconoclast argument).

There are many parallels between the tarot and kabbalah (jewish, christian and hermetic) which can be further developed via exegesis; it is the existence of such parallels that allowed for an identification between them to be made by 18th century occultists on. Despite such parallels I doubt the two were directly connected originally, and therefore voted no.
 

kwaw

kwaw said:
Despite such parallels I doubt the two were directly connected originally, and therefore voted no.

However, I think it possible that the symbolism of the number 22 in Christian tradition (based on their being 22 letters of the hebrew alphabet and 22 books of the alexandrian cannon) such as may be found in the writings of the Christian fathers, and which for example probably influenced the division of revelations into 22 chapters, may well have been a consideration in terms of fixing the number of allegorical figures at 22, in reference to number symbolism but without reference to kabbalah and without implying a 1:1 relationship between cards and letters.
 

kwaw

Greg Stanton said:
I suppose one could theorize that early Christian Kabbalists created the tarot. The problem with this theory is we have never uncovered any evidence that the Kabbalah was an influence on European art or culture -- at least not until the late 18th century.

Gematria is older than kabbalah and has a diverse history outside of it, it has a long Christian history from the Greek, and there are also persian and arabic forms - there are also forms in western vernacular using numerical correspondences with the latin alphabet. Gematria was part of the curriculum in Medieval Oxford. So a connection with hebrew letters does not necessitate a direct relationship with kabbalah. Also Gematria was not soley connected with mystical, magical or metaphyical concerncs, but was also used playfully in verse and riddles (in turkish/persian the verse form including a number/letter riddle was called tarikh ). Poetry was popular in renaissance Italian courts, enigmatic and puzzle like plays including number play was included, and there were also hebrew poets such as the popular Leon Hebreo - so it is possible a connection may exist not through the kabbalah but though poetry puzzles and games.
 

kwaw

kwaw said:
Gematria is older than kabbalah and has a diverse history outside of it, it has a long Christian history from the Greek, and there are also persian and arabic forms - there are also forms in western vernacular using numerical correspondences with the latin alphabet. Gematria was part of the curriculum in Medieval Oxford. So a connection with hebrew letters does not necessitate a direct relationship with kabbalah. Also Gematria was not soley connected with mystical, magical or metaphyical concerncs, but was also used playfully in verse and riddles (in turkish/persian the verse form including a number/letter riddle was called tarikh ). Poetry was popular in renaissance Italian courts, enigmatic and puzzle like plays including number play was included, and there were also hebrew poets such as the popular Leon Hebreo - so it is possible a connection may exist not through the kabbalah but though poetry puzzles and games.

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=zD6xVr1CizIC&pg=PA300&lpg=PA300

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=8&ct=result

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result#PPA33,M1
 

BrightEye

I voted no. Tarot imagery is largely Christian. I also believe that Tarot began as a game and was, initially, not intended for esoteric use.
 

kwaw

BrightEye said:
I voted no. Tarot imagery is largely Christian. I also believe that Tarot began as a game and was, initially, not intended for esoteric use.

The influence and presence of Gematria was used in games and puzzle verse forms and trick writing (a chronogram in renaissance trick writing was called a Eteostich) - a gaming intention does not exclude the influence of gematria. And Christian gematria has a more diverse and longer established history than Jewish. It was used for such mundane purposes as chronograms, without implying esoteric mystical or metaphysical connections.
 

Moonbow

Teheuti said:
I agree that Mark did a masterful study, which I don't believe is available on the net anymore (great loss).

However, I believe that even Mark found that the closest analogies were with a 19th century tarot deck of the Della Rocca/Gumppenberg type (in which the Bagatto is a cobbler) rather than with the 15th century decks.

His work on an alephbet-base for the tarot is intriguing, but I surmise someone could find an equal number of items starting with other letters of the alephbet for at least some of the cards.

I have this link....

http://www.spiritone.com/~mfilipas/Masquerade/Essays/alpha.html

http://www.spiritone.com/~mfilipas/Masquerade/Essays/theta.html

I'm posting it for other others to enjoy because as already mentioned this was quite a feat and really gave me something to think about at the time. I understand the limitations that Mark likely came up against, but still think its worth posting for others to see.
 

gregory

conversus said:
I voted "I don't Know" because I don't ; and it seemed rude to just vote no!
That was what I did, too. But also I think we can never know - and does it matter ? (*ducks*)