About this item
- The Ship of Fools Tarot is a pen-and-ink tarot blending classical tarot symbolism with the illustrations and ideas of
- Das Narrenschiff (The Ship of Fools), a satiric medieval German poem warning against over 100 vices and follies.
Specifications
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Name
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Ship of Fools Tarot
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Creators
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Brian Williams
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Publisher
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Llewellyn 2002
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Deck Type
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Tarot Deck
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Cards
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78
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Major Arcana
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22
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Minor Arcana
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56
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Deck Tradition
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Rider-Waite-Smith
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Minor Arcana Style
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Unique Scenes Without Suit Symbols
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Staves, Cups, Swords, Coins
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Court Cards
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Page, Knight, Queen, King
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Major Titles
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The Fool
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is 0
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Strength
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is 11
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Justice
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is 8
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Card Size
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3.13 x 4.63 in. = 7.94cm x 11.75cm
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Card Language
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English
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Card Back
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Reversible
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Back Design
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Cream background with the 4 suit symbols in sepia arranged symmetrically.
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Companion Material
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240+ page companion book by creator Williams explaining the history, context, and creation process
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Reviews
ene a curious equality - there is no difference of hue or tone to draw the eye, no distractingly loud or clashing colours, which seems to make the subject of the card seem more prominent.
Several of the illustrations from The Ship of Fools parallel the traditional tarot trumps so well that Narrenschiff illustration was copied in its entirety. (The Empress and Justice are examples of these.) Othe illustrations needed only minor alterations, such as those used for High Priestess (or Papess, as she is known in this deck) and the Five of Coins, while the cards that fit less closely have been constructed from combined elements of various Narrenschiff drawings. The few tarot archetypes that had no plausible Narrenschiff equivalents - Temperance, the Eight of Coins, the Five and Nine of Swords - are directly Rider-Waite or Marseilles inspired.
The companion text, the Book of Fools is aimed at a more knowledgeable tarot reader than the usual Llewellyn book. Divinatory meanings are sketchy, there's no
potted tarot history, explanation of how to use the cards or multiple tarot spreads (just Williams' Celtic Cross variation, just before the bibliography). The card explanations that make up the bulk of the book are more comparative than advisory. Williams spends much time jusitifying his choice of symbolism, comparing and contrasting the Narrenschiff image and the folly it originally described with the Rider-Waite or Marseilles tarot archetype. Pictures of the corresponding image from the Narrenschiff, the Tarot de Marseille, and/or the Rider-Waite Tarot, also accompany the explanation.
The strong Narrenschiff flavour and the lack of bright colour in this deck may not be to everyone's taste, but for readers with an interest in tarot history and a desire for an artistic deck with solid symbolism (that isn't uniquely personal to the creator), this 'foolish' tarot would be a wise choice.
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