PROPHETICAL, EDUCATIONAL AND PLAYING CARDS
Prophetical, Educational and Playing Cards
By MRS. JOHN KING VAN RENSSELAER
Author of "The Devil's Picture Books," Etc.
LONDON HURST & BLACKETT, Ltd. PATERNOSTER HOUSE 1912
PRINTED BY THE GEORGE H BUCHANAN COMPANY PHILADELPHIA, U. S. A.
THE ORACLE OF ISHTAR AND NEBO UTTERED BY A WOMAN BAYA (OR WITCH) A NATIVE OF ARABELA
"I proclaim it aloud--What Has Been Will Be--I am Nebo--The Lord of the Writing Tablet--Glorify Me."
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I--PROPHETICAL AND OTHER CARDS 27-57
Divining cards--Tablets of fate--Tarots--Gambling cards-- Their difference--Persian cards--Oldest emblems--Standard packs of Tarots--German designs--French designs--Rouge et Noir--Persia and Sweden--Writers on cards--The three gods--Derivation of name--Mercury and his predecessors-- Writer of E-Sigalia--Fortune-telling--The priest of Thoth--Speech--Italian Tarots--L'Ombre--From leaves to cards--Attributes of Mercury--Atouts--de Gebelin--From arrows to cards--Gambling sticks of King Qa--Rods-- Devices--Argiphontes--Cyllenius or Agoneus--Caduceator-- Chthonius--The study of cards--Rods--Many authorities-- Papus--Temple at Baiæ--Book of Thoth--Addha-Nari-- Heraldry--Tradesmen's signs--Lady Mary Wortley Montagu-- Terminus--Cestus--Pigs and tongues--Gazelle--Number Thirteen--Joker.
CHAPTER II--THE BOOK OF THOTH, HERMES, AND NEBO 58-71
Its leaves--Mercury's attributes--Il Matto--Nebo--Tablets of fate--The Atouts--Their significance--de Gebelin-- Egyptian deities--Parchment records--Thoth the framer of laws--Bible of the gypsies--Attributes of Mercury-- Interpretation--Balaam--The "baru"--Tête-á-Tête mysteries--The pack--L'Ombre--Skus--Pagat--Austrian Taroks--The romance of a pack of Tarots--Austrian games-- Austrian game books--A clergyman on cards.