Tarot
Playing cards used for games and divination since the 15th century.
Tarot, originally called *trionfi* and later *tarocchi* or *tarocks*, is a type of playing card used both for trick-taking games and for fortune-telling. By the mid-1400s, it was already being employed in games like Tarocchini. Starting in Italy, these games spread across much of Europe, giving rise to variations such as German Grosstarok, French Tarot, and Austrian Königrufen. In English- and Spanish-speaking countries, where tarot games are less common, the cards are mostly found as specially designed decks for cartomancy—reading the cards for divination or other non-gaming purposes.
The tarot deck consists of four suits that vary by region: French suits are used in western, central, and eastern Europe, while Latin suits are found in southern Europe. Each suit contains ten pip cards, numbered from one (or Ace) to ten, and four face cards: King, Queen, Knight, and Jack, Knave, or Page. Beyond these, the deck includes a separate 21-card trump suit and a single card known as the Fool. Depending on the game, the Fool may serve as the highest trump or be used to avoid following suit. The earliest tarot decks appeared in northern Italy, in cities such as Ferrara and Milan, where the Fool and 21 trumps (then called *trionfi*) were added to the standard Italian pack of batons, coins, cups, and swords. These Italian suits, still used in traditional Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese decks, also appear in modern occult tarot decks that emerged in the late 18th century.
The use of tarot for trick-taking games was once widespread across Europe, excluding the British Isles, the Iberian Peninsula, and the Balkans. By the 20th century, these games had declined, but they later experienced a renaissance in some regions. French Tarot, for instance, was largely confined to Provence in the 18th century but gained such popularity in the 1950s that the French Tarot Association was formed in 1973, making it the second most popular card game in France. Tarock games like Königrufen have grown significantly in Austria, with international tournaments involving nations such as Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Denmark is the only Scandinavian country still playing tarot games, with Danish Tarok derived from historical German Grosstarock. The game of Cego has revived in southern Germany’s Baden region, while Italy continues regional games like Ottocento in Bologna and Sicilian
- first_appeared
- mid-15th century
- region_of_origin
- northern Italy (Ferrara and Milan)
- original_name
- trionfi (later tarocchi)
- primary_uses
- trick-taking card games and divination
Lore & Background
Tarot cards, then known as tarocchi, first appeared in Ferrara and Milan in northern Italy, with the Fool and 21 trumps (then called trionfi) being added to the standard Italian pack of four suits: batons, coins, cups and swords. The oldest surviving tarot cards are the 15 or so decks of the Visconti-Sforza Tarot painted in the mid-15th century for the rulers of the Duchy of Milan. A typical tarot deck contains 78 cards: 56 cards in four suits (each suit having ten pip cards numbered one to ten, plus four face cards—King, Queen, Knight, and Jack), and a separate 21-card trump suit plus a single Fool card. The suits vary by region; French suits are used in western, central, and eastern Europe, while Latin suits appear in southern Europe. Originally designed for trick-taking games, tarot packs spread from Italy across most of Europe, evolving into regional variants such as German Grosstarok, French Tarot, and Austrian Königrufen. By the late 18th century, French occultists began using specially designed decks for divination, leading to two distinct types of packs in circulation today: those for card games and those for cartomancy. Older patterns like the Tarot de Marseille and Swiss 1JJ Tarot, originally intended for play, are also used for fortune-telling.
Reader's Guide
Tarot holds significance as a dual-purpose set of cards: used for trick-taking card games across much of Europe and, from the late 18th century, for divination and cartomancy after French occultists made elaborate but unsubstantiated claims about their history and meaning. The emergence of custom decks for divination created two distinct types of tarot packs in circulation: those used for card games and those used for divination. However, some older patterns, such as the Tarot de Marseille and the Swiss 1JJ Tarot, originally intended for playing card games, are also used for cartomancy. Tarot games experienced a renaissance in some countries and regions in the 20th century; for example, French Tarot became the second most popular card game in France, and Tarock games like Königrufen have seen significant growth in Austria with international tournaments. The legacy of tarot includes its continued use in regional games in Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, and Germany, as well as its widespread association with fortune-telling in English- and Spanish-speaking countries.
Did You Know?
- The oldest surviving tarot cards are the Visconti-Sforza Tarot decks painted in the mid-15th century.
- Tarot has four suits that vary by region: French suits are used in western, central and eastern Europe, and Latin suits in southern Europe.
- The emergence of custom decks for divination began after French occultists made elaborate, but unsubstantiated, claims about their history and meaning in the late 18th century.
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