Ross G Caldwell
Early French lists of trumps
Although the game of Tarot was known in France since at least 1500, descriptions of the cards, the rules, and names for the trump cards are not attested before about 1622.
The following witnesses to the French names for the trumps occur between 1622 and 1659. The main points of interest are the names for the Fool and Magician, which vary between the Italianizing “Ma”, “Math”, etc. from Italian “Matto”, and “Baga”, “Bagat” from Italian Bagatto, Bagatella, etc., versus the French term which is descriptive of the figure on the card, a “bateleur” or table-top conjurer, juggler or magician; and the name for the “Tower” card, between the “Foudre”, for a thunderbolt, reflecting the Italian “saetta” (thunderbolt) and “fuoco” (fire – from the skies), and the unusual French name “Maison (de) Dieu”.
1.François Garasse, Les recherches des recherches et autre œuvres de M. Etienne Pasquier (Paris, 1622, page 222) :
« Je dirois que le Jeu des Tarots represente une Republique mieux que les Eschecs ne representent la Cour d’un Roy : Aux Tarots il y a de tous estats comme dans une Republique, il y a des deniers pour recompenser les bons, il y a des espées pour la defense de la patrie, il y a des Chevaliers, des Sergens, des Basteleurs, des Triomphes, des Empereurs, des Papes, & des fous. Qui voudroit moralizer cela, feroit un Livre plus gros que les Recherches de Maistre Pasquieer. »
I would say that the game of Tarot represents a Republic better than Chess represents the Court of a King: In the Tarots there are all the estates as in a Republic, there are coins for buying goods, there are swords for defending the country, there are Knights, Commanders, Jugglers, Triumphs, Emperors, Popes and fools. Whoever would moralize this, would make a much bigger book than the Recherches of Master Pasquier.
Fous
Basteleurs
Empereurs
Papes
Triomphes
2. Michel de Marolles, Regles du jeu des Tarots (Nevers, 1637). Marolles only gives three trumps by name:
« La beauté de ce jeu est d’avoir force triomphes & principallement les hautes avec le Monde, Math, & le Bagat, & quelques Roys… »
The beauty of this game is to have many trumps, especially the high ones including the World, Fool and the Bagat, and some Kings...
Math (Matto, Fool)
Bagat (Bateleur, Juggler, Magician)
Monde (World)
Note the Italian names “Math” and “Bagat”
3. Anonymous cardmaker, “Tarot de Paris”, mid-17th century:
-LE FOUS
I. LE BATELEVR
II. LA PAPESSE
III. LIN PERATRICE
IIII. LAN PEREVT
V. LE PAPE
VI. LAMOVREVS
VII. LE CHARIOT
VIII. IVSTICE
IX. LER MITE
X. LA ROVE DE FOVRTVNE
XI. FORCE
XII. LE PANDVT
XIII.LA MORT
XIIII. ATREMPANCE
XV. LE DIABLE
XVI. LA FOVLDRE
XVII. LESTOILLE
XVIII. LA LVNE
XIX. LE SOLEIL
XX. LE IVGEMENT
XXI. LE MONDE
Note Fouldre (foudre, thunderbolt, lightning), also the name Vieville knows it by.
4. Tarot of Jacques Viéville, mid-17th century. Most of the trumps are named or alluded to in an inscription contained on the Ace of Deniers and the Two of Cups, but no names appear on any of the trump cards themselves:
-. MA
I. BAGA
II. LA PAPESSE
III. LINPERATRYCE
IIII. LANPEREVR
V. LE PAPE
VI. AMOUREUX
VII. YUSTICE
VIII. (not named, perhaps « prins » (taken) « a force »)
IX. FORCE
X. (not named, perhaps « trannay » (dragged))
XI. VIELART (old man)
XII. PENDV
XIII. (not named)
XIIII. (not named, perhaps « CESTE DAME » (this Lady))
XV. LE DYABLE
XVI. LA FOVDRE
XVII. LES ETOILLES
XVIII. LA LVNE
XIX. LE SOLEIL
XX. TROMPE
XXI. MONDE
Note Ma (for Math, Matto) and Baga (for Bagat), and Foudre again, indicating Italian influence.
5. Jean Noblet Tarot, mid-17th century.
-LE FOV
I. LE BATELEVR
II. LA PAPESSE
III. LEMPERATRISE
IIII. LEMPEREVR
V. LE PAPE
VI. LAMOVREVX
VII. LE CHARIOT
VIII. IVSTICE
VIIII. LERMITE
X. LA ROVE DE FORTVNE
XI. FORCE
XII. LE PENDV
XIII. LAMORT
XIIII. LEMPERANCE
XV. LE DIABLE
XVI. LA MAISON DIEV
XVII. LESTOILLE
XVIII. LA LVNE
XVIIII. LE SOLEIL
XX. LE IVGEMENT
XXI. LE MONDE
Note that, like in the Anonymous Parisian Tarot, card number XIII is named « Death “. The superstition against naming the card appears in the Tarot of Jean Dodal, about 1700, and is followed by many cardmakers thereafter.
6. Jean Pinson de la Marinière (=Martinière?), La Maison Academique : contenant les jeux du picquet, du hoc, du tric-trac, du hoca… tarot, triomphe… (Paris, 1659)
1. Le Basteleur.
2. La Papesse.
3. L' Empereur.
4. L' Imperatrice.
5. Le Pape.
6. L' Amoureux.
7. Le Chariot.
8. La Iustice.
9. L' Hermite.
10. La rouë de fortune.
11. La Force.
12. Le Pendu.
13. La Mort.
14. La Temperance.
15. Le Diable.
16. La maison de Dieu.
17. L' Estoile.
18. La Lune.
19. Le Soleil.
20. Le Iugement.
21. Le Monde.
Although the game of Tarot was known in France since at least 1500, descriptions of the cards, the rules, and names for the trump cards are not attested before about 1622.
The following witnesses to the French names for the trumps occur between 1622 and 1659. The main points of interest are the names for the Fool and Magician, which vary between the Italianizing “Ma”, “Math”, etc. from Italian “Matto”, and “Baga”, “Bagat” from Italian Bagatto, Bagatella, etc., versus the French term which is descriptive of the figure on the card, a “bateleur” or table-top conjurer, juggler or magician; and the name for the “Tower” card, between the “Foudre”, for a thunderbolt, reflecting the Italian “saetta” (thunderbolt) and “fuoco” (fire – from the skies), and the unusual French name “Maison (de) Dieu”.
1.François Garasse, Les recherches des recherches et autre œuvres de M. Etienne Pasquier (Paris, 1622, page 222) :
« Je dirois que le Jeu des Tarots represente une Republique mieux que les Eschecs ne representent la Cour d’un Roy : Aux Tarots il y a de tous estats comme dans une Republique, il y a des deniers pour recompenser les bons, il y a des espées pour la defense de la patrie, il y a des Chevaliers, des Sergens, des Basteleurs, des Triomphes, des Empereurs, des Papes, & des fous. Qui voudroit moralizer cela, feroit un Livre plus gros que les Recherches de Maistre Pasquieer. »
I would say that the game of Tarot represents a Republic better than Chess represents the Court of a King: In the Tarots there are all the estates as in a Republic, there are coins for buying goods, there are swords for defending the country, there are Knights, Commanders, Jugglers, Triumphs, Emperors, Popes and fools. Whoever would moralize this, would make a much bigger book than the Recherches of Master Pasquier.
Fous
Basteleurs
Empereurs
Papes
Triomphes
2. Michel de Marolles, Regles du jeu des Tarots (Nevers, 1637). Marolles only gives three trumps by name:
« La beauté de ce jeu est d’avoir force triomphes & principallement les hautes avec le Monde, Math, & le Bagat, & quelques Roys… »
The beauty of this game is to have many trumps, especially the high ones including the World, Fool and the Bagat, and some Kings...
Math (Matto, Fool)
Bagat (Bateleur, Juggler, Magician)
Monde (World)
Note the Italian names “Math” and “Bagat”
3. Anonymous cardmaker, “Tarot de Paris”, mid-17th century:
-LE FOUS
I. LE BATELEVR
II. LA PAPESSE
III. LIN PERATRICE
IIII. LAN PEREVT
V. LE PAPE
VI. LAMOVREVS
VII. LE CHARIOT
VIII. IVSTICE
IX. LER MITE
X. LA ROVE DE FOVRTVNE
XI. FORCE
XII. LE PANDVT
XIII.LA MORT
XIIII. ATREMPANCE
XV. LE DIABLE
XVI. LA FOVLDRE
XVII. LESTOILLE
XVIII. LA LVNE
XIX. LE SOLEIL
XX. LE IVGEMENT
XXI. LE MONDE
Note Fouldre (foudre, thunderbolt, lightning), also the name Vieville knows it by.
4. Tarot of Jacques Viéville, mid-17th century. Most of the trumps are named or alluded to in an inscription contained on the Ace of Deniers and the Two of Cups, but no names appear on any of the trump cards themselves:
-. MA
I. BAGA
II. LA PAPESSE
III. LINPERATRYCE
IIII. LANPEREVR
V. LE PAPE
VI. AMOUREUX
VII. YUSTICE
VIII. (not named, perhaps « prins » (taken) « a force »)
IX. FORCE
X. (not named, perhaps « trannay » (dragged))
XI. VIELART (old man)
XII. PENDV
XIII. (not named)
XIIII. (not named, perhaps « CESTE DAME » (this Lady))
XV. LE DYABLE
XVI. LA FOVDRE
XVII. LES ETOILLES
XVIII. LA LVNE
XIX. LE SOLEIL
XX. TROMPE
XXI. MONDE
Note Ma (for Math, Matto) and Baga (for Bagat), and Foudre again, indicating Italian influence.
5. Jean Noblet Tarot, mid-17th century.
-LE FOV
I. LE BATELEVR
II. LA PAPESSE
III. LEMPERATRISE
IIII. LEMPEREVR
V. LE PAPE
VI. LAMOVREVX
VII. LE CHARIOT
VIII. IVSTICE
VIIII. LERMITE
X. LA ROVE DE FORTVNE
XI. FORCE
XII. LE PENDV
XIII. LAMORT
XIIII. LEMPERANCE
XV. LE DIABLE
XVI. LA MAISON DIEV
XVII. LESTOILLE
XVIII. LA LVNE
XVIIII. LE SOLEIL
XX. LE IVGEMENT
XXI. LE MONDE
Note that, like in the Anonymous Parisian Tarot, card number XIII is named « Death “. The superstition against naming the card appears in the Tarot of Jean Dodal, about 1700, and is followed by many cardmakers thereafter.
6. Jean Pinson de la Marinière (=Martinière?), La Maison Academique : contenant les jeux du picquet, du hoc, du tric-trac, du hoca… tarot, triomphe… (Paris, 1659)
1. Le Basteleur.
2. La Papesse.
3. L' Empereur.
4. L' Imperatrice.
5. Le Pape.
6. L' Amoureux.
7. Le Chariot.
8. La Iustice.
9. L' Hermite.
10. La rouë de fortune.
11. La Force.
12. Le Pendu.
13. La Mort.
14. La Temperance.
15. Le Diable.
16. La maison de Dieu.
17. L' Estoile.
18. La Lune.
19. Le Soleil.
20. Le Iugement.
21. Le Monde.