Various Sibilla Decks

[akiva]

On 2/1/2025 at 4:57 PM, katrinka said:

I have a whole laundry list of things to say:

You're reading my mind too, that's a good laundry list. 

 

On 2/1/2025 at 4:57 PM, katrinka said:

Yes, but the Fenwood Asylum stories are entertaining. Patrick doesn't expect anyone to actually believe that stuff. It's all in fun.

As for Merlin, that's not a bad idea! I'd go with weird old alchemical illustrations. Something like these.

No of course, and I think that's the direction publishers should go in. Rather than using some culture they have zero connection with to push sales. 

 

Those illustrations are great (and now bookmarked) 😄

[Mi-Shell]

I just received as a gift An old Sibilla deck:

The Parlor Sibyl 

B.P.Grimaud

printed in France

Copyright J.-M Simon 1969

It has very thick, sturdy cardboard-like cards. The box is a bit worn, but the cards are in very good condition,

It has a blue checkerboard background and un-rounded corners. 

 

 

I do know NOTHING about Sibilla decks and would love some input. 

The booklet has quite a few pages that state the meaning of the individual cards and a very confusing array of the meaning of all kinds of card combinations. 

I think I am a bit tooooo old to learn all these.. 😞

 

[Scandinavianhermit]

1 hour ago, Mi-Shell said:

I just received as a gift An old Sibilla deck:

The Parlor Sibyl 

B.P.Grimaud

printed in France

Copyright J.-M Simon 1969

It has very thick, sturdy cardboard-like cards. The box is a bit worn, but the cards are in very good condition,

It has a blue checkerboard background and un-rounded corners. 

 

 

I do know NOTHING about Sibilla decks and would love some input. 

The booklet has quite a few pages that state the meaning of the individual cards and a very confusing array of the meaning of all kinds of card combinations. 

I think I am a bit tooooo old to learn all these.. 😞

 

The word "Sibilla" may be applied in a wider and a more narrow sense. 

 

The deck in your photograph is a Sibilla only in the wider sense, in so far that it uses the word "sibyl" in any language as a marketing device. It follows one of the French methods of reading ordinary playing cards (of which there are a handful different, but often related, ones), but with additional illustrations. The Italian version of your deck is called Sibilla Indovina. 

 

In the more narrow sense, a Sibilla deck is based upon the ordinary playing card deck and has illustrations, but follows a particular Italian method of reading cards. This method began to emerge in the 1850s, I believe, but the most famous deck following that particular method, Vera Sibilla, was first printed in the 1880s or 1890, I believe. It would be nice to hear from the Sibilla experts about all peculiars.

 

Even within Italy, there are a few self-proclaimed "Sibilla" decks, which doesn't follow the more narrow method of interpretation, so the "Sibilla" world is a complicated one. In Central Europe, and without usually using the word "sibyl" in marketing, the idea of combining playing cards for the Bête game or Bavarian Tarock with illustrations gave rise to separate families of decks such as the "Petit Lenormand" (later popular in Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark) and the "Traditionelle Wahrsagekarten" (later popular in Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and the Balkan peninsula). 

Edited Monday at 02:11 PM by Scandinavianhermit
exact dating? Sibilla Indovina

[Mi-Shell]

8 hours ago, Scandinavianhermit said:

The word "Sibilla" may be applied in a wider and a more narrow sense. 

 

The deck in your photograph is a Sibilla only in the wider sense, in so far that it uses the word "sibyl" in any language as a marketing device. It follows one of the French methods of reading ordinary playing cards (of which there are a handful different, but often related, ones), but with additional illustrations. The Italian version of your deck is called Sibilla Indovina. 

 

In the more narrow sense, a Sibilla deck is based upon the ordinary playing card deck and has illustrations, but follows a particular Italian method of reading cards. This method began to emerge in the 1850s, I believe, but the most famous deck following that particular method, Vera Sibilla, was first printed in the 1880s or 1890, I believe. It would be nice to hear from the Sibilla experts about all peculiars.

 

Even within Italy, there are a few self-proclaimed "Sibilla" decks, which doesn't follow the more narrow method of interpretation, so the "Sibilla" world is a complicated one. In Central Europe, and without usually using the word "sibyl" in marketing, the idea of combining playing cards for the Bête game or Bavarian Tarock with illustrations gave rise to separate families of decks such as the "Petit Lenormand" (later popular in Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark) and the "Traditionelle Wahrsagekarten" (later popular in Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and the Balkan peninsula). 

@Scandinavianhermit!!!Whouw! That is wonderful information!

Thank you! ♥

I can read with "ordinary playing cards" and also tried my luck with Lenormand - did a course with it... but my much preferred reading decks are Tarot.

For now I will see, what I think about these cards and participate in the "Deck of the Week" group with them.

 

[Scandinavianhermit]

1 hour ago, Mi-Shell said:

@Scandinavianhermit!!!Whouw! That is wonderful information!

Thank you! ♥

You are welcome! 

 

1 hour ago, Mi-Shell said:

I can read with "ordinary playing cards" and also tried my luck with Lenormand - did a course with it... but my much preferred reading decks are Tarot.

In another sub-forum, I would have answered something lengthy about this, but not here in the Cartomancy sub-forum.