THERE are many theories relating to the origin of the Tarot. Amongst many occultists there is a widely held belief that the Tarot originated in Ancient Egypt. Others suggest the Mahatmas of Tibet or the Cabalists of Medieval Spain as candidates for their invention. Some suppose that they were introduced into Europe by travelling Gypsies. (The name Gypsy is a corruption of the word 'Egyptian' and reflects the belief, once held, that the travelers originated in that country.) Many theorist bases his opinion on a single facet of similarity between the cards and a particular culture - for example, the four elemental symbols of the Tarot occur in Hindu mythology as the deity Ardhanari, an androgynous being uniting male and female forces. Ardhanari is shown in Hindu art with four arms holding a cup, sceptre, sword and ring. The Hindu monkey god, Hanuman, is also depicted with the same symbols. However, these items have never appeared on Indian playing cards throughout their long history. Similar symbols also occur in Celtic myth as the four Graal Hallows.

It is only when one comes to noble families of Northern Italy in the early fifteenth century that one finds solid facts upon which conclusions may be drawn. For to consider the history of the Tarot, one must distinguish between playing cards and Tarot cards. In some parts of the world the full Tarot deck is still used for playing games. It is common in Italy, Czechoslovakia, France, Switzerland, Yugoslavia and North Africa, whilst in many others places it has been diminished to become the standard deck of 52 playing cards. (It has been claimed that the Joker in this pack is descended from the Fool, being the last remnant of the Major Arcana. This belief is, regrettably, unfounded - the Joker was created as an advertising novelty by a North American card maker in the 1850s.)

One of the earliest references to cards is by the Italian author Covelluzzo who (writing in 1480) stated that in the year 1379 cards were introduced to Italy from North Africa by the Arabs. The Arabs had occupied parts of Spain for over 700 years until their expulsion in 1492. They gave the cards the name 'naib', which became in Spanish 'naipes'. During the medieval period, Arabs also settled in France, Switzerland and Belgium. If they were the source, then it would have been easy for them to disseminate the cards throughout the continent. Unfortunately no indication is given in these early references to whether playing cards or Tarot cards are being referred to.

The oldest existing decks of Tarot cards are all decks originating in Northern Italy. The hand painted Tarot designed for the Visconti family has been dated at about 1440. Around this time decks were also made. for other wealthy North Italian families. In Italy the cards are known by the name 'Tarocco', the plural of which is 'Tarocchi'. (It may or may not be relevant that a river in the area was named Taro.) These Tarot cards were hand painted and so were a costly purchase making them beyond the reach of the vast majority of the population - only a Noble family could afford such an extravagant luxury. However, with the introduction to Europe of printing and paper making, there came cards produced using woodblock printing techniques. The availability of these relatively inexpencive printed cards would have helped to encourage the spread of their use. Although examples of early printed cards have survived, it is not always possible to date them with accuracy. An exception is an Italian card, the Two of Disks, which actually bears the date 1499 (although it could have been printed after this date). This is the earliest known printed card.