From Propaganda to Product: The Arthurian Legend in Modern Tarot Decks

Authors

  • Melissa Ridley Elmes University of North Carolina at Greensboro

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11157/rsrr3-2-579

Keywords:

Cultural Studies, Religion, Reception History

Abstract

In Britain and the United States, the legend of King Arthur has long served as a tool of political propaganda; however, in contemporary tarot decks focusing on Arthuriana, the initially Christian Arthurian legend is reappropriated for a predominantly pagan consumer base. This essay explores the employment of the legend in tarot cards marketed to a New Age and Neopagan audience steeped in the Celto-Arthuriana tradition. A survey of online reviews and discussions by pagan users suggests that using a pagan version of the Arthurian legend to appeal to a broad Neopagan consumer base has met with some success.

Author Biography

Melissa Ridley Elmes, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Melissa Ridley Elmes is a doctoral candidate in English at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her primary concentration is in the medieval period, with a focus on post-Conquest through 15th century British literatures. Her secondary research fields are early modern and nineteenth/twentieth century Arthuriana and medievalism.

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Published

2013-08-27

How to Cite

Ridley Elmes, M. (2013). From Propaganda to Product: The Arthurian Legend in Modern Tarot Decks. Relegere: Studies in Religion and Reception, 3(2), 381–406. https://doi.org/10.11157/rsrr3-2-579

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 2 (2013): Special Issue: New Age and Neopagan Medievalisms

Section

Articles

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