Vikings Tarot [Cards]

Three words sum up this deck:1 "Beautiful" I cannot stress how wonderful these images are done. I believe watercolor and some other medium. That means soft, dramatic earthly tones that convey a sense of nature. The artist needs to be congratulated with producing one of the best "theme' decks I have ever seen!

2 "Viking"-This often misunderstood and little studied culture has a sense of drama and romance like no other. "Viking" is a loose term used to describe Scandinavian raiders who colonized northern Europe from Britain to Russia. Thier brand of mythology is either heroic or frightening to say the least! This deck is carefully reseached with much information regarding the 5 planes of existence in Norse mythology. Major trumps as Aesir-Celestial Gods with Thor and Odin. Cups as Vanir-Earth based God featuring Freya. Pentacles are Dwarves who work the Earth. Wands as Giants with fiery personailities. Swords as airy elves. Sound like an elaborate fairy tale?

3 "Tarot" being a tarot collector, student and reader this deck does not disappoint! All of the majors trumps are clever in concept. A little heavy, considering the bloodthirsty and barbaric theme they are dealing with here. There is also a sense of poetry and depth like one would expect from this beautiful and mysterious culture! All of the Major and Minor trumps are accurate as far as the correspondence to the traditional Rider -Waite system. I would use this for beginners as well as advanced students as this deck works on all levels.

Lo Scarabeo publishes many styles of decks it seems each month. Some not very successful. This one is one of the best, as the instruction book is thorough in its short descriptions. The only problem I have with this deck is the backs. The green Thor on his chariot is acceptable. This would have been my favorite deck from them had it not been for this slight flaw. Readers who like Norse Mythology and Tarot would appreciate this deck. I sure do!

I picked this up about a month ago as it was on sale for $5. I was stunned by the fierce beauty, magic and profound depiction of the "Viking" mind-set, poetry, beauty and religious beliefs. It is very in-depth. About 13 years ago I was very much into all the myths, legends and spritual practices of this Norse culture, so looking at the visuals and reading the LWB, which for once included some very detailed info on each card, brought a lot of it back.

If this culture and religion interests you, you will love this deck. Even if you know little or nothing about it, the stunning images might spark a search for knowledge and information on it, which is always a great thing!

The 2 groups of Gods are represented in the cards, Aesir and Vanir. The majors have some stunning choices. Frigg as the High Priestess is so gorgeous I would love a print. Norns depicting the Wheel, haunting and unsettling Valkyries as Death, the fall of Asgard for the Tower. But my favourite has to be The Stars represented by the Yggdrasill the Ash Tree. Breathtaking!

I really loved how the minor arcana was laid out with the The Giants in the wands suit (primeval forms of energy, fire, snow and ice: aspects of unbridled nature)....Vanir for the Chalices....Dwarves and elves for Pentacles...epic heros, wise magicians, heros and rulers for the swords.

All done in a wonderul watercolour. The Queen of Pentacles is a blueish Elf Queen, love it! 9 of Swords is a ghostly image of Svipdagr. I love all the Queens, but the Queen of Swords, set in this evocative Autumn setting is so beautiful.

Obviously, I was surprised at the power and depth of this deck, which is rarely mentioned and so overlooked! I am assuming because it is so Norse specific, which doesn't have loads of people interested in them or it's religion. It could be overwhelming to those not farmiliar to the whole culture.

This deck is nicely based on Norse mythology, which makes perfect sense. The deck arrived in fine shape, all cards accounted for. Standard size, easy to shuffle and handle. Art work looks like colored pencil, which is fine, but I kind of hoped it would be done in stronger colors. As a reader-in-training, am collecting a variety of decks so clients can choose which deck they'd like me to read from. Have collected a few male-oriented decks so any male clients wouldn't feel as intimidated as they would if I brought out, say, a deck with flowers and faeries on it. That's why I'd hoped for bolder colors--colored pencil tends to look soft and dreamy, not a usual masculine trait. Will probably use the Samurai and Pirates decks for this purpose more than this one, but it's still nice to have.