Origins of the Tarot

An absorbing and richly illustrated examination of the Asian and Islamic influence behind the creation of the Tarot's Minor Arcana. This volume highlights the symbolic and ludic contributions leading up to the invention of the basic ingredients for playing cards: paper, printing, and formal games. Set against the backdrop of humankind as Homo symbolicus (symbolic man) and Homo ludens (playful man), Ben Hoshour illustrates how the gradual evolution of symbolic expression and the creation of formal games gradually led to the formation of pre-European playing cards, specifically the Chinese money cards and the Mamluk pack. Following a detailed examination of both landmark packs, Hoshour illustrates the way in which they provided the foundation for European playing cards, to include the Tarot. There has never been a more accessible guidebook to these landmark packs or the early history of the Minor Arcana.