The Game of Hope Lenormand Original
Number of Cards: 36
Recommendation: Use Upright
《The Game of Hope》(German: Das Spiel der Hoffnung, meaning "Game of Hope") was designed by Johann Kaspar Hechtel and published in Germany in 1799 or 1800.
Originally, this deck was a game (gameplay similar to modern board games involving dice rolls; players start from Card 1, take turns rolling dice, land on different cards triggering various instructions such as moving forward, retreating, staying put, paying, or receiving tokens), while the accompanying booklet also mentioned its use as a divination tool.
《The Game of Hope》contains 36 cards. Existing before the appearance of Lenormand Cards, it is the earliest known 36-card deck consistent with the Small Lenormand. Its imagery is highly consistent with the Small Lenormand cards and is considered their prototype. Modern versions are often referred to as Ur-Lenormand, Lenormand Original, or The Primal Lenormand.
The oldest physical copies of《The Game of Hope》feature hand-colored etched engravings on the front and plain backs without decorative patterns. This deck is the Zhouxingquan High Definition Restoration Version.
Each card features a main image in the center (such as Knight, Tree, Coffin, etc.). On the top left and right corners are illustrations: one side shows the numbers 2, 6-10, Page, Queen, and King for each suit of German-style playing cards (Hearts, Acorns, Bells, Leaves); the other side shows the A, 6-10, Page, Queen, and King for each suit of standard playing cards (Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, Spades).
German Hearts correspond to Standard Hearts.
German Acorns correspond to Standard Clubs.
German Bells correspond to Standard Diamonds.
German Leaves correspond to Standard Spades.
German-style playing cards were popular in Central Europe, existing since the 15th century, and were standardized into 36 cards around 1470.
[Game Usage]
3 Ship: Move to Card 12, Birds.
4 House: Pay 2 tokens.
6 Clouds: Retreat to Card 2, Clover.
7 Snake: Pay 3 tokens.
8 Coffin: Stay on this card until double dots are rolled, or until another player lands on this card.
11 Whip: Pay 2 tokens and move to Card 13, Child.
14 Fox: Retreat to Card 5, Tree.
16 Stars: Receive 6 tokens.
19 Tower: Pay 2 tokens.
21 Mountain: Stay on this card until double dots are rolled, or until another player lands on this card.
22 Crossroads: Retreat to Card 20, Garden.
24 Heart: If you are female, move to Card 28, Woman; if you are male, move to Card 29, Man.
25 Ring: Receive 3 tokens.
26 Book: Retreat to Card 20, Garden.
27 Letter: Pay 2 tokens.
28 Woman: Move to Card 31, Sun. However, if you arrived here from Card 24 Heart, stay on this card.
29 Man: Move to Card 32, Moon. However, if you arrived here from Card 24 Heart, stay on this card.
33 Key: Receive 2 tokens.
34 Fish: Pay 2 tokens.
35 Anchor: You win the game, but arriving at this card via "overshoot and retreat" does not count as victory.
36 Cross: Stay on this card until an even number is rolled, or until another player lands on this card.
For other undefined cards, players may negotiate corresponding instructions themselves, such as dancing, singing, etc., to increase gameplay variety.
[Divination Usage]
Shuffle the 36 cards well and arrange them in 5 rows: the first 4 rows contain 8 cards each, and the last row contains 4 cards (you can find "Grand Tableau 36 Cards" in the Spread function). If the querent is female, start from Card 29; based on the surrounding cards, unfold a story around that figure. If the querent is male, start from Card 28; similarly, weave a story using the cards surrounding that figure.
Johann Kaspar Hechtel's original notes placed greater emphasis on entertainment and did not provide systematic symbolic meanings or fixed card definitions. Later researchers supplemented keywords and interpretations for it.
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Recommendation: Use Upright
《The Game of Hope》(German: Das Spiel der Hoffnung, meaning "Game of Hope") was designed by Johann Kaspar Hechtel and published in Germany in 1799 or 1800.
Originally, this deck was a game (gameplay similar to modern board games involving dice rolls; players start from Card 1, take turns rolling dice, land on different cards triggering various instructions such as moving forward, retreating, staying put, paying, or receiving tokens), while the accompanying booklet also mentioned its use as a divination tool.
《The Game of Hope》contains 36 cards. Existing before the appearance of Lenormand Cards, it is the earliest known 36-card deck consistent with the Small Lenormand. Its imagery is highly consistent with the Small Lenormand cards and is considered their prototype. Modern versions are often referred to as Ur-Lenormand, Lenormand Original, or The Primal Lenormand.
The oldest physical copies of《The Game of Hope》feature hand-colored etched engravings on the front and plain backs without decorative patterns. This deck is the Zhouxingquan High Definition Restoration Version.
Each card features a main image in the center (such as Knight, Tree, Coffin, etc.). On the top left and right corners are illustrations: one side shows the numbers 2, 6-10, Page, Queen, and King for each suit of German-style playing cards (Hearts, Acorns, Bells, Leaves); the other side shows the A, 6-10, Page, Queen, and King for each suit of standard playing cards (Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, Spades).
German Hearts correspond to Standard Hearts.
German Acorns correspond to Standard Clubs.
German Bells correspond to Standard Diamonds.
German Leaves correspond to Standard Spades.
German-style playing cards were popular in Central Europe, existing since the 15th century, and were standardized into 36 cards around 1470.
[Game Usage]
3 Ship: Move to Card 12, Birds.
4 House: Pay 2 tokens.
6 Clouds: Retreat to Card 2, Clover.
7 Snake: Pay 3 tokens.
8 Coffin: Stay on this card until double dots are rolled, or until another player lands on this card.
11 Whip: Pay 2 tokens and move to Card 13, Child.
14 Fox: Retreat to Card 5, Tree.
16 Stars: Receive 6 tokens.
19 Tower: Pay 2 tokens.
21 Mountain: Stay on this card until double dots are rolled, or until another player lands on this card.
22 Crossroads: Retreat to Card 20, Garden.
24 Heart: If you are female, move to Card 28, Woman; if you are male, move to Card 29, Man.
25 Ring: Receive 3 tokens.
26 Book: Retreat to Card 20, Garden.
27 Letter: Pay 2 tokens.
28 Woman: Move to Card 31, Sun. However, if you arrived here from Card 24 Heart, stay on this card.
29 Man: Move to Card 32, Moon. However, if you arrived here from Card 24 Heart, stay on this card.
33 Key: Receive 2 tokens.
34 Fish: Pay 2 tokens.
35 Anchor: You win the game, but arriving at this card via "overshoot and retreat" does not count as victory.
36 Cross: Stay on this card until an even number is rolled, or until another player lands on this card.
For other undefined cards, players may negotiate corresponding instructions themselves, such as dancing, singing, etc., to increase gameplay variety.
[Divination Usage]
Shuffle the 36 cards well and arrange them in 5 rows: the first 4 rows contain 8 cards each, and the last row contains 4 cards (you can find "Grand Tableau 36 Cards" in the Spread function). If the querent is female, start from Card 29; based on the surrounding cards, unfold a story around that figure. If the querent is male, start from Card 28; similarly, weave a story using the cards surrounding that figure.
Johann Kaspar Hechtel's original notes placed greater emphasis on entertainment and did not provide systematic symbolic meanings or fixed card definitions. Later researchers supplemented keywords and interpretations for it.