Antoine Court de Gebelin's Le Monde primitif, published by the author in Paris in 1781, with an essay by the Comte de Mellet in the same eighth volume, is the primary text that invented the esoteric reading of the tarot: Court de Gebelin asserts an Egyptian priestly origin for the deck, and the Comte de Mellet is the first to match its twenty-one trumps and the Fool to the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Its historical importance is as the founding document of an entire later occult tradition rather than as a reliable account of the tarot's actual origin, which modern card history scholarship places in fifteenth century Italy as a playing card game with no Egyptian or Hebrew connection. Cite it for what it originated, never for what it claims about the tarot's real history.
Facts
Assessment
Reliability Tier3
Antoine Court de Gebelin's Le Monde primitif, self published in Paris in 1781 with an essay by the Comte de Mellet, the lower tier reflecting that it is the primary text that invented the esoteric reading of the tarot rather than a reliable account of the tarot's actual origin, which modern card history scholarship places in fifteenth century Italy with no Egyptian or Hebrew connection, notwithstanding its genuine historical importance as the founding document of an entire later occult tradition, cited for what it originated rather than for what it claims about the tarot's real history. NotesThe volume that invented the esoteric tarot. Court de Gebelin asserts an Egyptian priestly origin; the Comte de Mellet, in the same volume, first matches the twenty-one trumps and the Fool to the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Both claims are historically unfounded and both became foundational to every later occult system.
Citation
AuthorAntoine Court de Gebelin, with an essay by the Comte de Mellet
PublisherPublished by the author (Antoine Court de Gebelin), Paris
Issued by subscription directly from the author, Paris, across the work's 1773 to 1782 run; per Wikipedia's sourced account and the Wood Library-Museum's own catalogue description of a companion 1783 letter to Court de Gebelin's subscribers. Publication Year1781
Source Typebook
Connections
Associated With
This source names Italy directly: "places in fifteenth century Italy as a playing card game with no Egyptian or Hebrew connection."
Source Le Monde primitif, analyse et compare avec le monde moderne, Volume VIIIAntoine Court de Gebelin, with an essay by the Comte de Mellet
Paris, Cities This source names Paris directly: "primitif, published by the author in Paris in 1781, with an essay by the Comte de Mellet in the same eighth volume, is the primary text that invented the esoteric reading of the tarot: Court de..."
Source Le Monde primitif, analyse et compare avec le monde moderne, Volume VIIIAntoine Court de Gebelin, with an essay by the Comte de Mellet
Claims Backed By This Source (14 claims)
This source backs 14 claims across the atlas. As facts: 9 well-attested. As cited relationships: 2 holds. Plus 3 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.
Disposition By Topic
- Sources, 9 claims: 7 well-attested, 2 holds.
- Historical Figures, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.
- Tarot, 2 claims: 2 general references.
- Articles, 1 claims: 1 well-attested.
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