The Trumps And The Hebrew Alphabet By Mark Filipas

The Tarot of Marseilles bears a demonstrable parallel to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, in that its allegorical subjects can be found in alphabetical order within the medieval Hebrew lexicon(1):

Trump I � Jugglery, Magic tricks (AChYZTh OYNYM) � aleph

Trump II � Sibyl (BDQ, BOLH, BOL HZYH) � bet

Trump III � Queen (GBYRH) � gimel

Trump IV � Duke (DKS, DVS) � dalet

Trump V � Pontiff (HGMVN) � he

Trump VI � Love (VDO) � vav

Trump VII�� Triumph (ZKH, ZKY) � zayin

Trump VIII � Judgment (ChYThVK) � chet

Trump IX � Time (TMPV) � tet(3)

Trump X � Iynx, or Oracle Wheel (YNQS) � yud

Trump XI � Strength (KCh, KChCh) � kaph

Trump XII � Traitor (LYTYRYN) � lamed

Trump XIII � Death (MVTh, MYThH) � mem

Trump XIV � Temperance (NThChSM, NZYRVTh) � nun

Trump XV � Satan (STN) � samech

Trump XVI � Flash of light (ODY(2)) � ayin

Trump XVII � Pleiades (PLYDVTh), Paradise (PRDS) � peh

Trump XVIII � Conjunction (TzRVP) � tzaddi

Trump XIX � Summer (QYTz) � qoph

Trump XX � Sounding of the trumpet (RVO, RAOThA) � resh(4)

Trump XXI � Portal of Heaven (ShOR HShMYM) , Heaven (ShMYM) � shin

The unnumbered card � Folly (ThHLH, ThPLH) � tav

(The Hebrew words above are transliterated in parenthesis, followed by the name of their initial Hebrew letter.)

An even closer look at the lexicon reveals that virtually all of the iconographic details of a given card can be found beginning with the same corresponding letter.

The first Hebrew letter aleph, for example, begins the words for magician (Hebrew: AMGVSh, AShP), to juggle, to perform magic tricks (AChZ OYNYM), bench (ATzTBH), coin (AGVRH), cup (ANBG), balls (ASQRYTY), dagger (AVGRTh, ARRN), pouch or money bag (ARNQ), thin hollow tube (ABVB), hat (APYLYVTh), festive suit (ASTLYTh), and young shoot of a plant (AB). The eighth letter chet begins the words for lawgiver (ChQQ), the verdict (ChYThVK), sword (ChRB), scales (ChRSPYThYN), sun (ChMH, the symbol on Justice�s headdress), solar columns (ChMNYM), screen partition (ChYTz), and rope around the neck (ChNQA).

The thirteenth letter mem begins the words for reaper (MQTzRH), corpse (MTh), scythe (MGL), head (MVCh), crown (MKLLThA), and king (MLK). The eighteenth letter tzaddi begins the words for heavenly bodies (TzBA HShMYM; early iconography shows the Sun and Moon conjunct), hyenas (TzBVOYM), thirst (TzYCh, TzHH, TzMA), droplets (TzChTzVCh), pincers (TzBTh), water (TzNYNYM), and the Castle or Rook (TzRYCh) in the game of chess. In like manner, virtually every pictorial element of the Marseilles can be found in alphabetical order within the lexicon, as demonstrated here.

Like a visual encyclopedia, the Marseilles designs incorporate a variety of influences, such as Biblical and literary allusion, mythological figures, alchemical imagery, and even the game of Chess�all in alphabetical sequence. Each chess piece, for instance, can be found on the card which corresponds to the initial of its Hebrew name:

Trump III � the Queen (GBYRH)

Trump IV � the King (no apparent match)

Trump V � the 2 Bishops (HGMVN)

Trump VII � the 2 War Horses (ZRZYR MThNYM)

Trump XII � the Checkmate or Capture (LKD)

Trump XVI � 2 Pawns (ORBVN)

Trump XVIII � the 2 Rooks (TzRYCh)

The game of Tarot thus depicts the popular allegories of its time arranged in a sequence that is both hierarchic and alphabetic.

----[]----

Was the Marseilles pattern-based intentionally upon the lexicon? The following evidence requires us to examine this possibility in detail:

A) The Marseilles subjects can be found in alphabetical order within the Hebrew lexicon, yet cannot be found in such order when the letters and trumps are correlated arbitrarily. This body of correspondences argues against (but does not rule out) coincidence.

B) Virtually every element in the designs can be found in alphabetical order, yet cannot be found in such order when the letters and trumps are correlated arbitrarily. This singular body of links is presented here as well as in An Alphabetic Masquerade.

C) The majority of Marseilles trumps show visual similarities to the shape of its corresponding Hebrew letter, yet a majority of similarities do not appear when the letters and trumps are correlated arbitrarily.

D) The majority of Marseilles trumps illustrate the literal meaning of its corresponding Hebrew letter. These meanings are not those presented in any Tarot books to date but can be found only in medieval Hebrew sources, as presented here.

There are also points of historical context which support the thesis that the trumps were designed as alphabetic images, two of the most important being: E) the interest in Hebrew lexicography at the time of the Tarot�s appearance, and F) widespread traditions of alphabetic imagery at that time. These pursuits (explored in the following pages) existed right alongside those of cardmaking within the print shops and art studios of early Renaissance Europe.

----[]----

Just as significant are the details added by the Italian artist Carlo Dellarocca into his 1835 Tarot designs. Whereas the Marseilles� iconography appears crude to modern eyes, the Tarocchino Milanese is more intricately engraved, and its pictorial elements, therefore, are more easily identifiable within the lexicon. Dellarocca�s designs are also distinguished by their inclusion of many unique objects. I submit that these objects are the key to the Tarocchino Milanese. Why? Because both their abundance and their singular position within the Hebrew lexicon argue convincingly that they are alphabetic allusions.

Dellarocca�s La Luna, for example, depicts a banquet dish (TzOH, TzLChTh), a plate of fried fish (TzChNH), baying at the moon (TzOQ HY VQYM), the landmark or pillar (TzYVN) on the far shore, its conical roof (TzRYP), and the ship (TzY, TzYM) in the distance. The entire list of Dellarocca correspondences can be found here.

It is possible that the Tarocchino Milanese represents the clarification of an earlier alphabetic tradition among cardmakers. Or, it may simply represent Dellarocca�s own alphabetic creativity. It should also be noted that his 1835 designs appeared after the earliest known account (by the esotericist Court de Gebelin in 1781) asserting a link between the Tarot and the Hebrew alphabet (although de Gebelin�s correspondences are not those evident in Dellarocca�s trumps). It is therefore possible that the writings of de Gebelin were known to Dellarocca. In any case, Dellarocca was presumably following the traditions of Italian artists who had long been incorporating alphabetic allusion into their designs.

In the following pages, we will show that the Tarot emerged from a culture well-versed in alphabetic imagery.

----[]----

Continue to Art as Linguistic Allusion - Part 1

examples of Latin and Italian linguistic imagery

Back to the Index

Image of The Trumps And The Hebrew Alphabet By Mark Filipas