The World of Playing Cards Logo
Published January 09, 2023 Updated January 09, 2023

The Place of the Fool

This paper considers three questions relating to the Fool-card in the tarot-pack.

PDF Tarot Add to Collection
avatar
4 Articles

By Diane O'Donovan

Member since January 09, 2002

Retired university lecturer. Researcher into the origins of playing cards in Europe, the internal structure of the pack, court cards, the tarot symbols, etc.


Related Articles

Woodblock and Stencil Joker

Woodblock and Stencil Joker

A limited edition art print of the 1984 woodblock joker.

Woodblock and Stencil Queen of Clubs

Woodblock and Stencil Queen of Clubs

A limited edition art print of the Queen of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.

Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Clubs

Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Clubs

A limited edition art print of the Jack of Clubs 1984 woodblock joker.

Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Hearts

Woodblock and Stencil Jack of Hearts

A limited edition art print of the Jack of Hearts 1984 woodblock joker.

1800 Æsop’s fables tarot

Æsop’s fables tarot

French-suited Æsop’s fables tarot produced by Leipzig Industrie Comptoir, c.1800-1825.

1753 Animal Tarot by G. Larmoyer

Animal Tarot by G. Larmoyer

Flemish Animal Tarot deck by G. Larmoyer, Liège, 1753.

1968 Albano-Waite® Tarot

Albano-Waite® Tarot

Recoloured version of the Rider/Waite/Smith tarot produced by Frankie Albano, 1968.

1979 Morgan-Greer Tarot

Morgan-Greer Tarot

Based on the knowledge, wisdom and interpretation of Paul Foster Case and Arthur Edward Waite.

1996 New Palladini Tarot

New Palladini Tarot

“The New Palladini Tarot” by David Palladini published by U.S. Games Inc., in 1996.

1970 The Aquarian Tarot Deck

The Aquarian Tarot Deck

The Aquarian Tarot Deck illustrated by David Palladini, published by Morgan Press, Inc., 1970.

1967 Linweave Tarot

Linweave Tarot

The Linweave Tarot is actually an elaborate set of paper samples from the Pulp, Paper and Board Divi...

2021 Jack-O’-Lantern Tarot

Jack-O’-Lantern Tarot

Giuliano Costa's Jack-O’-Lantern tarot blends Rider-Waite symbolism with the rich and atmospheric th...

2019 Tarot of the Unknown

Tarot of the Unknown

Inspired by the Halloween Cartoon “Over the Garden Wall”.

1995 De Tarot in de herstelde orde

De Tarot in de herstelde orde

“De Tarot in de herstelde orde” (The Tarot in the restored order) a re-ordered Rider-Waite tarot dec...

2007 Marcel Ruijters Tarots

Marcel Ruijters Tarots

Two very remarkable tarots by the award winning Dutch cartoonist Marcel Ruijters.

1995 I Tarocchi del Cinema (di Sesar)

I Tarocchi del Cinema (di Sesar)

A set of Tarot trumps on the subject of the cinema, with designs by Sergio Sarri.

1979 Tarocco Indovino

Tarocco Indovino

Sergio Ruffolo’s “Tarocco Indovino” is an expanded version of his “Lo Zodiaco” cartomancy deck.

2021 Disney Villains Tarot Deck

Disney Villains Tarot Deck

The Disney Villains tarot deck by Insight Editions emphasises iconic villains, merging traditional t...

2022 Pixel Tarot

Pixel Tarot

This tarot deck pays tribute to the golden age of pixelated video games, drawing inspiration from th...

2005 Tarot of the Thousand and One Nights (1001 Nights Tarot)

Tarot of the Thousand and One Nights (1001 Nights Tarot)

This tarot deck captures the idealised Eastern world's magic from the eighteenth and nineteenth cent...

Natural History Tarocchi

Natural History Tarocchi

Natural History Tarocchi by Ferdinando Gumppenberg, Milan.

What can we learn from mini-booklet advertisements?

What can we learn from mini-booklet advertisements?

Over the years I have collected a large number of mini-booklets and pocket guides offering rules and...

1650 The Parisian Tarot

The Parisian Tarot

The “Parisian Tarot”, early 1600s, with imagery and design synthesizing several influences.

1788 Jeu de Cartomancie pour l’amusement des Dames

Jeu de Cartomancie pour l’amusement des Dames

Early French Cartomancy deck "for the amusement of Ladies" but also referred to as "Jeu divinatoire ...

1984 Bilder zum Tarot

Bilder zum Tarot

Detailed pen and ink drawings of the major arcana by the German artist Helmut Wonschick.

1975 English (or Rigel) Tarot Cards

English (or Rigel) Tarot Cards

‘Authentic English fortune telling’ Tarot cards said to be based on a 15th century original found in...

AI Tarot Reading

AI Tarot Reading

Try our AI-powered tarot reader, built to provide you with friendly insights on your most pressing i...

2016 Dungeons & Dragons “Curse of Strahd” Tarokka Deck

Dungeons & Dragons “Curse of Strahd” Tarokka Deck

Enhance your Dungeons & Dragons game with the Tarokka Deck, a tarot-inspired set of cards that bring...

1992 Joshi Bharát Tarot

Joshi Bharát Tarot

A set of the major arcana created by an Indian fortune-teller living in Hungary.

1997 Jeu de Tarot Astérix

Jeu de Tarot Astérix

A French Tarot game pack with Astérix and friends on all the trump cards.

1975 Sternenmädchens Wahrsagespiel Tarot

Sternenmädchens Wahrsagespiel Tarot

A colourful 1970s take on the major arcana designed by Peter Geitner, with titles in German.

2022 Dungeons and Dragons Tarot

Dungeons and Dragons Tarot

This 78-card officially licensed Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) tarot deck offers a visually appealing var...

2022 Tarot of the Everlasting Day - AI Generated Tarot

Tarot of the Everlasting Day - AI Generated Tarot

Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated tarot deck produced by Marcus Katz. Is this science fiction o...

The Place of the Fool

The Place of the Fool

This paper considers three questions relating to the Fool-card in the tarot-pack.

2022 TikTok Tarot

TikTok Tarot

TikTok Tarot is a unique tarot deck that puts a modern spin on the Rider-Waite format; with TikTok-i...

1820 Natural History Tarot

Natural History Tarot

Natural History Tarot published by G M, Germany, early 19th C.

1790 Animal Tarot by J. B Dubois

Animal Tarot by J. B Dubois

French-suited Bavarian Animal Tarot by J B Dubois, Liège, Belgium, late 18th C.

1790 Animal Tarot by Johann M Backofen

Animal Tarot by Johann M Backofen

French-suited ‘Bavarian Animal Tarot’ by Johann Matheus Backofen, Nürnberg, late 18th C.

1830 Animal Tarot by J. T Dubois

Animal Tarot by J. T Dubois

Early 19th century Animal Tarot pack produced by J T Dubois, Liège, Belgium.

1978 I Trionfi d’Amore

I Trionfi d’Amore

Tarot trumps designed by Juan Ballesta and inspired by 1970s pop culture, promoting Baci chocolates....

1980 Venetian Tarot

Venetian Tarot

Scenes from the history of Venice on a set of the major arcana.

1912 Kuhn Khan

Kuhn Khan

There is little information available about the early twentieth century card game Kuhn Kahn. It firs...

Poker Patience

Poker Patience

Poker Patience, according to an early 20th century author, was "introduced so recently as the autumn...

Piquet: the game and its artifacts

Piquet: the game and its artifacts

Piquet may be the oldest card game which is still played today with origins going back to early 16th...