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Bicycle Celtic Symmetrical Deck

Displaying the Sword of Nuada design from the Ace of Spades on the front of its tuck case and the Nine Cauldrons design from the cards’ backs, this Bicycle branded deck features one figure from early Irish mythology on each face card along with specific icons from their personal symbolism. The distinctive red design on the cards’ backs recalls the nine cauldrons of the Celtic otherworld with eight cauldrons depicted on the card and the ninth suggested by the central spiral pattern. One of the richest and most prolific symbols in Celtic culture, the cauldron shows up time and again as a symbol out of which flow notions of authority, poetry, wealth and social cohesion. Every element of the cards’ iconography is hand-drawn from medieval Irish literature and classical Celtic traditions, from the style of decoration on Earnmbás’ headpiece to the knot work around Lugh.

The traditional suits have been transformed into the four magic items of the Tuatha Dé Danann: club, spade, diamond, and heart corresponding to the magical spear, sword, stone and cauldron that the Irish faeries brought from the magical cities of the North. This deck is one of a triad alongside the Bicycle Celtic Asymmetrical Deck and the Bicycle Celtic Gaelic Deck.