Tarot Decks: Belgian Pattern

From Tarotpedia

[edit] The Style

First of all, the geographical region where the so-called Belgian Tarot originated in the 18th century is larger than the borders of what we now call Belgium, also including part of northern France.

The order of the cards in the Belgian tarot is the same as in the Marseille Tarot, apart from The Fool, who receives the number 22 and thus has a fixed place in the deck. There are many stylistic differences with the Marseille: as with the Besançon type, The Popess and Pope have been replaced in this deck by the figures of The Spanish Captain Fracasse (Le'Spagnol Capitano Eracasse) and the Roman god Bacchus (Bacus) respectively, the latter seated astride a barrel, naked except for leaves and grapes around his waist.

Other differences include Temperance receiving an extra attribute, namely a torch, The Tower receiving the title Lightning (La Foudre) and being represented by a tree struck by lightning, The Moon showing a figure with a distaff, and The Sun depicting the now famous image (thanks to the Waite-Smith Tarot) of a naked child riding a horse.

Known printers of this kind of deck are:

• Nicolas Bodet, Brussels (1743-1751) [1]
• Jean Galler, Brussels (1738-1760)
• Sarton (1756-1767)
• Jean Gisaine, Dinant (c.1750)
• Martin Dupont, Brussels (1766)
• Vandenborre, Brussels (1762-1803) [2]

[edit] The Decks

• Vandenborre Bacchus Tarot [3] (U.S. Games, Inc.)
  Vandenborre Tarot Flamand (Carta Mundi)