The Game of Tarot

The Game of Tarot is a comprehensive historical study of tarot card games published in 1980 by Oxford professor Michael Dummett. The book traces the development of tarot cards from their origins in 15th century Italy through their evolution and spread across Europe. Dummett examines the rules and variations of tarot games played in different regions and time periods, supported by extensive primary source research. His analysis covers both the gaming traditions and the later occult interpretations of tarot, clearly separating their distinct historical trajectories. The work includes detailed descriptions of card designs, playing techniques, and scoring systems from Italian, French, Austrian, and other European traditions. Technical appendices provide game rules and regional variants in systematic detail. This foundational text established new standards for the academic study of playing cards and challenged many prevalent assumptions about tarot's origins. The book demonstrates how careful historical research can illuminate the transmission of cultural practices across societies.

Readers describe this as a dense academic text focused on tarot history and game rules rather than divination. Several reviewers note it corrected misconceptions about tarot's origins but found the writing style dry and technical. Liked: - Comprehensive research and documentation - Detailed rules for historical tarot games - Debunks occult origin myths with evidence - Clear explanations of regional playing traditions Disliked: - Complex academic language - High price and limited availability - Too much focus on game mechanics - Lack of illustrations - Paper quality in some editions One reader called it "exhaustively researched but exhausting to read." Another noted it "demolished my previous assumptions about tarot history." Ratings: Goodreads: 4.24/5 (17 ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (6 ratings) LibraryThing: 4.5/5 (4 ratings) The book remains out of print and copies often sell for $200-500, which several reviewers cited as a barrier to access.

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📚 The Game of Tarot is considered the first comprehensive academic study of tarot card games, published in 1980 after 15 years of research. 🎓 Author Michael Dummett was not only a tarot historian but also a renowned Oxford philosopher and Professor of Logic who made significant contributions to the study of language and mathematics. 🌍 The book reveals that tarot cards were originally created for gaming in Northern Italy around 1425, not for divination or occult practices as commonly believed. 🃏 Through meticulous research, Dummett documented over 200 different tarot game variations played across Europe, particularly in France, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland. 🔄 The work sparked a revolution in tarot scholarship, effectively separating the historical study of tarot as a card game from its later occult associations, which only began in the 18th century.