The precise origins of the Tarot are still a mystery, however, one certainty is that by the second half of the Fourteenth century Tarot cards were documented in Italy, France, and Germany. One plausible theory suggests that the Tarot originated in Egypt within the Egyptian Mystery schools which reduced the doctrines of the universal truths of the Egyptian priests into hieroglyphic tablets. These secrets were concealed as images to protect and preserve them from the uninitiated. It is plausible that the word "Tarot" is derived from the pure Egyptian word, "Tar" meaning path and "Ro" meaning royal. Therefore, the two words together mean, "The Royal Path of Life." It is thought that Tarot cards were brought to Europe in later centuries by the gypsies who, it is believed, emigrated to Europe from Egypt.