Publication Facts and Rating (0 to 5 stars) "At-a-Glance"

Publisher: Grimaud (France)
Publication Year: 1999 (?)
Number of cards: 78
Quality of artwork -- 4 stars
Usefulness for meditation/pathworking -- 2 1/2 stars
Readability (Divination) -- 2 1/2 stars
Symbology -- 2 stars
Value to Collectors -- 3 stars

General Commentary
The Tarot du Roy Nissanka is, for me at least, a tarot full of surprises. When I first heard of this deck, I assumed that "Roy Nissanka" was the designer and/or illustrator of the deck, and thus was expecting another "artist's interpretory tarot." And certainly, as with all tarots, this is the case to some degree. When I finally saw some pictures of the cards, however, I next came to the conclusion that the deck was focused on the culture and/or mythology of India. Turns out that once again, I was close... but not quite right yet...

In fact, the word "Roy" is yet another variation of the word roi / rey / rei -- meaning, of course, "king." So as it turns out, the concept for this deck -- by artist Maria Mestre -- is centered loosely around the mythology of King Nissanka, who was a 12th century king of the island now known as Sri Lanka.

Now, I know very little about Sri Lanka -- and even less about its history. So my next assumption was that the cards in this tarot contained images and characters from Sri Lankan history and/or mythology. In order to confirm this suspicion, I began to research the historical period around the time of Nissanka's reign while simultaneously attempting to translate the deck's pamphlet from French (which is *not* a second language for me by any stretch of the imagination). The results of my efforts were the discovery of a number of apparent incongruities (none of which I will swear that I am presenting completely and correctly).

First, a brief summary of some of the relevant historical facts: King Nissanka, also referred to variously as Kirthi Nissanka, Nissanka Malla, and Nissankamalla, reigned from 1187 - 1196. He ascended to the throne after the assassination of his cousin, Vijayabhu II, who had succeeded Nissanka's father, Parkramabhu, only a year earlier. Despite an extended history of conflict on the island, Nissanka's reign was a relatively peaceful one. His notable contributions to Sri Lankan history include a great amount of documentation (inscriptions) that provide an extensive written record of much of the times, and the construction of a vast number of fine temples and other wondrous structures, many of which are still standing today. However, the inscriptions made during Nissanka's time may have been largely propaganda, and his unceasing construction work managed to ultimately bankrupt the kingdom.

In contrast, Mestra's tarot incorporates none of these actual historical facts of Nissanka's life. Instead, she appears to have loosely based her work on some sort of myth (or perhaps some of the aforementioned propaganda?) about Nissanka's wise and joyous reign. As mentioned earlier, I have made the attempt to translate the background information from the French booklet included with the deck, and have summarized the important points below. But as I know a number of fellow tarot enthusiasts who are often frustrated by the fact that they cannot read the text of many foreign (read: non-U.S.) published decks, I have provided my own feeble-but-complete translation on a separate page, accessible by clicking here.

According to Mestre (or the author of the booklet, in any case), Nissanka was a wise and just king that was widely loved and respected. His wisdom came, in part, from a magical book presented to him by a sorceress named Shandra. The "book" was a series of pictures (i.e., a tarot) whose colors revealed many secrets and thus made its reader wise. Her description of the colors and their significance is somewhat reminiscent of the qabbalistic "four worlds" that are a part of the basic teachings of many esoteric traditions, including that of the Golden Dawn.

And, indeed, it is the colors that are the centerpiece of this deck -- vibrant blues, yellows, and reds, trimmed frequently with a shiny gold that I found myself repeatedly checking in order to ascertain that it was *not* actually foil-stamped. But as to the parallels between the deck's imagery and Sri Lankan history or mythology, well... there seems to be little correspondence, if any. The figures and their costuming do appear to be roughly accurate renditions of the fashion and artistic style of the Near East (although not necessarily those of the correct time period). But there are also obvious incongruities. For example, the major arcana card 5 remains with the traditional title of "Le Pape" (the Pope), and depicts a figure that is clearly adorned with the clothing and apparatus of the Christian clergy; however, Nissanka himself, and the overwhelming number of the island's people of the time, were Buddhists.

As long as one isn't looking for some sort of cultural or historical accuracy, however, the Tarot du Roy Nissanka doesn't fail to please. It is a beautiful example of a Marseilles-style deck -- one that is unusual in that it primarily uses non-European characters in its imagery. As with other Marseilles-type decks, the pips are not illustrated as in the Waite/Smith tradition. However, Mestre manages to make many of these cards interesting nonetheless, by including differing vine and lotus blossom flourishes as space permits.

For those who are used to reading with Marseilles decks, the Tarot du Roy Nissanka should not pose any unusual obstacles. The images are bright and appealing, with many of the traditional and "expected" elements. The cards' size and construction make them easy to handle and shuffle.

If you a collector, the decision to include a copy of Mestre's deck in your library may depend on whether you collect based on the subject matter and quality of artwork of a deck, or if you are more concerned about a deck's current or possible future dollar value. While most of us who collect probably take both of these factors into account to some degree, they are not weighted equally in this deck. The subject matter, despite the fact that it doesn't *entirely* fit with the deck title, is nonetheless uniquely rendered, and the quality of the artwork and printing is outstanding. But this is no limited-edition offering; it is one of Grimaud's usual "mass market" titles. So while this deck is not one that you're likely to ever find on the shelf of your local Waldenbooks store, it is easily obtainable (and should be for some time to come) through "the usual collector sources" -- for example, as of 7/21/00, both Alida and R. Somerville list it in their on-line catalogs.

In the final analysis, the Tarot du Roy Nissanka is a beautiful and slightly unusual, if not completely "internally consistent," deck that would make a fine addition to the inventory of any collector, and possibly some readers as well. The next time you plan to make a tarot purchase, it's certainly worth considering whether this deck should be included on your "shopping list."

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Guest review copyright 2000 by Jeannette Roth
Used with permission