Posted in History & Literature

Playing Cards

Playing cards are the basis of so many games due to their diversity and adaptability. It can be used for any game from poker to the Eleusis game, from house of cards to magic tricks.
One thing that is often overlooked is the long history of cards and the various symbolisms hidden within. For example, the suits may have the following symbolism:

Spades            Nobility, swords, war
Hearts             Church, cups, love and romance
Diamonds    Merchants, coins, wealth
Clubs               Peasants, clubs/batons, agriculture

Although there are many debates regarding this issue, there is substantial evidence that the court cards (Kings, Queens and Jacks/Knaves) are based on historical or mythical heroes and heroines, at least for the French deck that is commonly used nowadays. The following is the list of presumed models for each card:

King of Spades                David (biblical hero)
King of Hearts                Charlemagne (great king of Franks)
King of Diamonds        Julius Caesar (great Roman emperor)
King of Clubs                   Alexander the Great (the king of Macedon)

Queen of Spades             Joan of Arc (the French heroine) or Athena (the goddess of war)
Queen of Hearts             Judith (either the biblical heroine or the tragic queen of Bavaria)
Queen of Diamonds    Rachel (wife of Jacob in the bible – he waited 14 years for her)
Queen of Clubs               Argine (anagram of regina, Latin for queen) or Hera (queen of gods)

Jack of Spades                Holger Le Danois (knight of Charlemagne)
Jack of Hearts                La Hire (comrade of Joan of Arc, member of Charles VII’s court)
Jack of Diamonds       Hector (the hero of the Trojan War or the knight of Charlemagne)
Jack of Clubs                  Lancelot (King Arthur’s most trusted knight)

Although the models for the Kings and Jacks are quite clear, the Queens are still subject to many discussions. As modern playing cards originate from France circa 15th century, the above models (official names for each card back then) appearto be valid.
This also explains the ordering of suits (spades/nobility first, clubs/peasants last, hearts/church second and diamonds/merchants third) and how the Ace sometimes trumps the King (possibly symbolising how peasant hold the power, as in the French Revolution).

Sometimes, knowing the history behind a game can make it even more fun.