kapoore
reply to Bernice
Hi,
Thanks for your reply.
I collect information on Tarot history and then I start cleaning out my files and these things remain unresolved for me--such as the 22 Trumps and the Hebrew alphabet. It always seemed odd that someone would immediately think of the the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet in relation to a game of bridge. Probably the association between the Trumps and Hebrew alphabet existed prior to the "occult revivals." This connection, though, is tenuous and won't be found in Agrippa, Trithemius, or Reuchlin. We have no way of knowing whether they associated Tarot cards with Kabbalah. But there is a way of circling the problem. Reuchlin, and possibly Trithemius might have been associated with a "fraternity" whose chosen saint was a Kabbalist, that is St. Jerome (4th Century translator of the Bible into Latin, the Vulgate). St. Jerome is an unlikely choice for a favored saint on his personality alone because he apparently was very grumpy and unpopular. But he did have some Kabbalistic ideas about the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, gematria, and so on. His name has come up before with other Tarot historians and I have to find those to post the remarks. What hasn't been explored so much is the artistic tradition around St. Jerome. It was fashionable for people who were humanists and possibly members of this fraternity to pose as St. Jerome. Every major painter of the Renaissance has a painting of St. Jerome. Maybe the Hermit card is a reference to St. Jerome. He also often has a lion with him. I know all this is vague, but it's a thought. Maybe someone else has something more concrete. Warm regards
Hi,
Thanks for your reply.
I collect information on Tarot history and then I start cleaning out my files and these things remain unresolved for me--such as the 22 Trumps and the Hebrew alphabet. It always seemed odd that someone would immediately think of the the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet in relation to a game of bridge. Probably the association between the Trumps and Hebrew alphabet existed prior to the "occult revivals." This connection, though, is tenuous and won't be found in Agrippa, Trithemius, or Reuchlin. We have no way of knowing whether they associated Tarot cards with Kabbalah. But there is a way of circling the problem. Reuchlin, and possibly Trithemius might have been associated with a "fraternity" whose chosen saint was a Kabbalist, that is St. Jerome (4th Century translator of the Bible into Latin, the Vulgate). St. Jerome is an unlikely choice for a favored saint on his personality alone because he apparently was very grumpy and unpopular. But he did have some Kabbalistic ideas about the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, gematria, and so on. His name has come up before with other Tarot historians and I have to find those to post the remarks. What hasn't been explored so much is the artistic tradition around St. Jerome. It was fashionable for people who were humanists and possibly members of this fraternity to pose as St. Jerome. Every major painter of the Renaissance has a painting of St. Jerome. Maybe the Hermit card is a reference to St. Jerome. He also often has a lion with him. I know all this is vague, but it's a thought. Maybe someone else has something more concrete. Warm regards