(Neo-)Latin names for the trumps

Ross G Caldwell

Hello Ross, thank you for posting your list of sources. So Senftleben's list does not come from Volterranus but from Garzoni, sorry for misinterpreting that. I guess this is off topic, but does Volterranus say anything about tarot, or does he only mention card games in general?

Hi Marco -

As far as I know, Garzoni was mistaken to think that Raffaele Maffei Volterrano wrote anything about Tarot cards. The most I and many others before me have found in Volterrano's writings is the (nevertheless interesting) statement that "Chartarum vero & sortium & divinationis ludi priscis additi sunt ab avaris ac perditis inventi"
(Commentaria Urbana (Rome, 1506), I. xxix (f. 421v))
(To the ancient games have been added those of cards and of lots and of divination, invented by covetous and dissolute men - trans. Dummett, Game of Tarot, p. 389 note 2).

I learned since I wrote this list that Garzoni's actual source was Citolini, Tipocosmia. I'll get that up shortly.
 

Ross G Caldwell

Here is the passage from Citolini, La Tipocosmia (Venice, 1561), p. 482:

Alcuni altri sono giuochi da taverne; e sono la morra, le piastrelle, le chiavi, e poi le carte, o communi, o terrocchi; e con le communi sono i dannari, le spade, le coppe, i bastoni, i 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 l’asso, il Re, la Reina, il cavallo, il fante; co i terrocchi è il mondo, la giustizia, l’angelo, il sole, la luna, la stella, il fuoco, il diavolo, la morte, l'impiccato, il vecchio, la ruota, la fortezza, l’amore, il carro, la temperanza, il papa, l’imperadore, la papessa, la imperatrice, il gabbatella, il matto, e con le carte fine, i cuori, i fiori, è le piche, e poi giuocar a carte a terrochi, a primiera, a trionfi, a trappola, a flusso, a flussata, a la basseta, a cricca, a trenta e quaranta, a minoretto, al trent’un per forza, o per amore, a raus, a gielè, a la carta del mercante, a l’andar a pisciare, a cede bonis, a sequenzia, a tre, due, asso, dar cartaccia.
http://books.google.com/books?id=K5...d=0CFMQ6AEwCDgK#v=onepage&q=terrocchi&f=false


Garzoni has taken this directly, adding only the phrase "of recent invention, according to Volterrano."
 

DoctorArcanus

Thank you Ross. So it was Andreas Senftleben who translated the list into Latin. It's interesting that he was mislead by “fortezza”, which can mean both “fortitude” and “fortress”, and picked up the second meaning (“propugnaculum”). Probably he had never seen a pack of tarot cards, or maybe he though that the “fortress” was the Tower. Who knows :)
 

Ross G Caldwell

Gerard van Rijnberk, Le Tarot: Histoire, Iconographie, Esotéisme (Lyon;Paul Derain, 1947; reprinted Guy Trédaniel, Editions la Maisnie, 1981), pp. 227-261 (Tarot de Marseille order):

I. Summa = Infima
II. Anima mundi
III. Via Vitae
IV. Stabilia Instabilit
V. Sacra inflat
VI. Bivium Vitae
VII. Impera tibi
VIII. Aequilibratio Rerum
IX. Secreta investigat
X. Omnia redeunt
XI. Vincit virtus
XII. Suspensus inservit
XIII. Disjungit discrepantia
XIV. Virtatem Infcondit (Virtutem infundit)
XV. Simia Dei
XVI. Cave Superbiam
XVII. Superum Influx
XVIII. Regina animarum
XIX. Pater Spirituum
XX. Verbum vivificans
XXI. Mundus mendax
XXII or 0. Sanctus Innocens

(I. Highest = Lowest
II. The Soul of the world
III. The Way of Life
IV. Disrupting stability
V. Breathing upon the sacred things
VI. The Crossroads of Life
VII. Command yourself
VIII. The Balance of Things
IX. Searching out the Secrets
X. Everything returns
XI. Virtue conquers
XII. Sowing in suspense
XIII. Separating the different
XIV. Infusing Virtue
XV. The Ape of God
XVI. Beware of Pride
XVII. Influx of the Highest
XVIII. The Queen of souls
XIX. The Father of Spirits
XX. The Word that restores life
XXI. The lying World
XXII or 0. Holy Innocence)

These names appear to be van Rijnberk's own creations. I can find them nowhere else mentioned, except in two books by Basil Ivan Rakoczi: The Painted Caravan (Boucher, 1954), and Fortune Telling: A Guide to Foreseeing the Future (MacDonald, 1970).

Interestingly, Rakoczi corrects a garbled printing of the title of trump XIV - Temperance - which I have put in parentheses.

If anyone has Rakoczi's books, it would be interesting to know if he cites his source for the card titles. Either he knew Latin well enough to correct van Rijnberk, or both depend on another source.

Can anyone help me here?
 

Ross G Caldwell

(Note: I have since discovered that these Latin titles are probably due to Gregory Ottonovich Mebes, who published them in 1912
http://psylib.org.ua/books/gomeb01/index.htm
His work is discussed here -
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=58483
- they are Latin translations of the titles given to the cards by Papus in 1909, based on the teachings of the Martinist order he founded, with the Tarot theory based on Paul Christian, again ultimately going back to Levi. But Mebes seems to be the first to translate them into Latin - Papus and Christian only give French titles. Sadhu's work is essentially an English version of Mebes' lectures, with some expansions of his own. Although Gerard van Rijnberk had connections with Martinism, his Latin titles (given in the previous post) seem to be his own.)

Mouni Sadhu, The Tarot: A Contemporary Course of the Qunitessence of Hermetic Occultism (1962)
(Tarot de Marseille order, Fool=Shin)

"Scientific titles"

I. Magus
II. Gnosis
III. Phisis
IV. Petra Cubica
V. Magister Arcanorum
VI. Sigillum Salomonis or Bifurcatio
VII. Curriculum Hermetis
VIII. Themis
IX. Lux Occulta
X. Rota Fortunae
XI. Leo Domitatus
XII. Sacrificium
XIII. Mors
XIV. Ingenium Solare
XV. Typhon
XVI. Turris Destructa or Turris Fulgurata
XVII. Stella Magorum
XVIII. Crepusculum
XIX. Lux Resplendens
XX. Resurrectio Mortuum
XXI or 0. Furca
XXII. Corona Magica or Corona Magorum

Along with the scientific name of the trump, Sadhu further subtitles the cards with three Latin epithets "on the planes of the Archetype, Man, and Nature", and also, for some cards, the "Theosophical Ternary" of the "Mental", "Astral" and "Physical" planes, respectively.

(translation below; most of them are Sadhu's own)

I. Magus
- Divina Essentia
- Vir
- Natura Naturans
II. Gnosis
- Divina Substantia
- Femina
- Natura Naturata
III. Phisis
- Divina Natura
- Partus
- Generatus
IV. Petra Cubica
- Forma
- Auctoritas
- Adaptatio
V. Magister Arcanorum
- Magnetismus Universalis or Scientia Boni et Mali
- Quintessentia
- Religio
VI. Sigillum Salomonis or Bifurcatio
- Methodus Analogiae
- Pentagrammatica Libertas
- Medium
VII. Curriculum Hermetis
- Spiritus Dominat Formam
- Victoria
- Jus Proprietatis
VIII. Themis
- Libratio
- Lex
- Karma
IX. Lux Occulta
- Protectores
- initiatio
- Prudentia
X. Rota Fortunae
- Testamentum
- Quabbalah (sic)
- Fortuna
XI. Leo Domitatus
- Vis Divina
- Vis Humana
- Vis Naturalis
XII. Sacrificium
- Messia
- Caritas
- Zodiacus
XIII. Mors
- Immortalitas et Permanentia in Essentia
- Mors et Reincarnatio
- Transmutatio Virium
XIV. Ingenium Solare
- Deductio
- Harmonia Mixtorum
- Reversibilitas
XV. Typhon
- Logica
- Serpens Nahash
- Fatum
XVI. Turris Destructa or Turris Fulgurata
- Eliminatio Logica
- Constrictio Astralis
- Destructio Phisica
XVII. Stella Magorum
- Spes
- Intuitio
- Divinatio Naturalis
XVIII. Crepusculum
- Hierarchia Occulta
- Hostes Occulti
- Pericula Occulta
XIX. Lux Resplendens
- Veritas Fecunda
- Virtus Humana
- Aurum Philosophale
XX. Resurrectio Mortuum
- Atractio Divina
- Transformatio Astralis
- Mutationes in Tempore
XXI or 0. Furca
- Radiatio
- Signum
- Materia
XXII. Corona Magica or Corona Magorum
- Absolutum
- Adaptatio Operis Magni
- Omnipotentia Naturalis

I. The Magician
- Divine Essence (God's Being)
- Man (Personality)
- Nature's Activity (Nature in Itself)
(Spinoza - "nature naturing", nature in the active sense)
II. The Door of the Sanctuary (The Priestess)
- Divine Substance
- Woman
- Nature Natured ("objects realized by Nature" (p. 158))
(Spinoza - "nature already created", nature in the passive sense)
III. Nature (The Empress)
- Divine Nature
- Birth
- Generation
IV. Cubic Stone (The Emperor)
- Form
- Authority
- Adaptation
V. Master of the Mysteries (The Great Hierophant)
- Universal Magnetism or The Knowledge of Good and Evil
- Quintessence
- Religion
VI. The Seal of Solomon, Temptation (the Enamoured One)
- Great Law of Analogy
- Freedom of Human Will
- Environment
VII. Chariot of Hermes, The Conqueror (The Chariot)
- Spirit Dominating Form
- Victory
- Law of Property
VIII. Themis, Justice
- Balance
- Law
- Karma
IX. Occult Light (The Hermit)
- Protectors
- Initiation
- Carefulness
X. The Wheel of Fortune, The Sphinx
- Testament
- The Kabbalah
- Fortune
XI. The Conquered Lion, Strength (Force)
- Divine Force
- Human Force
- Natural Force
XII. The Sacrifice
- Messiah
- Charity (Love)
- Zodiac
XIII. Death
- Immortality and Permanency in the Essence
- Death and Reincarnation
- Transmutation of Forces
XIV. The Solar Genius, Temperance
- Deduction
- Harmony of the Mixed Elements
- Reversibility of Processes
XV. Typhon, The Devil
- Logic
- The Serpent Nahash (which tempted Eve)
- Fate
XVI. The Destroyed of Fulminated Tower, The Tower
- Logical Elimination
- Astral Constraint
- Physical Destruction
XVII. Star of the Magi, The Star
- Hope
- Intuition
- Natural Divination
XVIII. Twilight, Dusk, Luna The Moon
- Occult Hierarchy
- Hidden Enemies
- Hidden Dangers (in general)
XIX. Resplendent Light, The Sun
- Fruitful Truth
- Human Virtue
- Gold of the Philosophers
XX. Resurrection of the Dead, The Judgement
- Divine Attraction
- Astral Transformation
- Changes in Time
XXI or 0. The Fork, The Fool
- Radiation
- Sign
- Matter
XXII. The Magic Crown or Crown of the Magi, The World
- Metaphysical Absolute
- Adaptation of the Great Operation
- Omnipotence of Nature
 

Ross G Caldwell

Gerard van Rijnberk, Le Tarot: Histoire, Iconographie, Esotéisme (Lyon;Paul Derain, 1947; reprinted Guy Trédaniel, Editions la Maisnie, 1981)...

These names appear to be van Rijnberk's own creations. I can find them nowhere else mentioned, except in two books by Basil Ivan Rakoczi: The Painted Caravan (Boucher, 1954), and Fortune Telling: A Guide to Foreseeing the Future (MacDonald, 1970).

Interestingly, Rakoczi corrects a garbled printing of the title of trump XIV - Temperance - which I have put in parentheses.

If anyone has Rakoczi's books, it would be interesting to know if he cites his source for the card titles. Either he knew Latin well enough to correct van Rijnberk, or both depend on another source.

Can anyone help me here?

I have just seen that I overlooked something - van Rijnberk gives the correct Latin for the title of Temperance - "Virtutem infundit" - in his table of contents.

So there is no need to presume that Rakoczi corrected the Latin or that he had another source.
 

Ross G Caldwell

Another modern one, devised by Sigurd Agrell in 1936, in Die pergamenische Zauberscheibe und das Tarockspiel, Bulletin de la Société Royale des Lettres de Lund, 1935–1936, IV; Lund: Gleerup, 1936.

I haven't seen Agrell's original work. The following table is based on that of Stephen Edred Flowers, Hermetic Magic: The Postmodern Magical Papyrus of Abaris, Weiser, 1995, p. 123.
There is also a page at Tarotpedia dedicated to it -
http://www.tarotpedia.com/wiki/inde...thagorean_Letter-Number_Origins_of_the_Trumps

Agrell gives Latin names in a 22-letter Latin alphabet order (ABCDEFGHIKLMNOPQRSTVXZ), which correspond to the Tarot de Marseille order.

0. Apis (Mithraic Bull)
I. Bacatus-Typhon (clearly a form of bacchatus, "inspired by Bacchus", rather than a more common "bacatus"="bejewelled")
II. Caeles-Isis
III. Diana
IV. Eon (also spelled "Aeon")
V. Flamen (High Priest of Rome)
VI. Gaudium (joy)
VII. Hamaxa (Greek ἅμαξα, "wagon", "cart", "chariot"; name for the Big Dipper asterism)
VIII. Justitia
IX. Kronos
X. Libera
XI. Magnitudo
XII. Noxa (calamity, fault, crime)
XIII. Orcus (god of underworld)
XIV. Pluvia (rain, pouring)
XV. Quirinus ("wielder of the spear", important Roman god)
XVI. Ruina
XVII. Stellae
XVIII. Trina (triple goddess)
XIX. Victor-Unus
XX. Xiphias (sword (for judgment))
XXI. Zodiacus

If anyone can get Agrell's original, please contact me.
 

Ross G Caldwell

"Serena's Guide to Divination" gives translations of the trump names into 48 languages (including Esperanto and Klingon!)

http://www.serenapowers.com/tarotlang4.html

Here is the Latin list, fairly straightforward literal translations of the Tarot de Marseille-Western esoteric names -

0. Scurra
1. Magus
2. Antistita/Papissa
3. Imperatrix
4. Imperator
5. Antistes/Papa
6. Amantes
7. Currus
8. Iustitia
9. Homo solitarius
10. Rota fortunae
11. Vires
12. Homo suspensus
13. Mors
14. Temperantia
15. Diabolus
16. Turris/Domus Dei
17. Stella
18. Luna
19. Sol
20. Iudicium
21. Mundus

All I would argue with is that "homo" is not necesary in 9 or 12, since the gender of the word is masculine and therefore implied. More traditional is "senex" (old man) or "monachus" (a monk, originally meaning a hermit or solitary (monas)).

Also "suspensus" is not as descriptive as "pendulus" or "pendutus", the hanged man, which is actually used for people hanged (usually by the neck - I don't know that there is a specific single term for someone hanged by a foot; the punishment is hardly ever "on the books", and it has to be described, as for instance "per pedem unum furcis laqueo suspendatur" (hanged tied by one foot from the gibbet) in the Milanese edict of 1393).

Finally the Cardinal Virtue should be "Fortitudo" rather than mere physical "strength" (of which vires is a good translation, but that is not what it means).
 

Wooden Nickel

Interesting thread! I wish I'd seen it earlier.
I can contribute.

For #12 "Hanged Man" may I suggest simply pendens? In Classical Latin it means 'a hanging / suspended person,' and pendēre is the verb used of people who hang themselves as a mode of suicide. I also thought of laqueatus 'a man caught in a noose' but that seems too specific.

And in case anyone still cares about this one:

Quadriga - Four Horse Chariot
OK. What is the best Neo-Latin word for a Two Horse Chariot? ;-)


A two-horse chariot is bigae.
But I'd go with the more generally applicable Currus, myself.
 

blue_fusion

Indeed a very interesting thread (on my part, from a deck creator's perspective). Any thought's on the minors' titles? :)