There’s no denying that everyone has played cards at some point – it could be playing snap during their childhood or while commuting groups at work. It is worth mentioning that the growing age of information and technology has failed to answer the true origin of the playing card and one must be aware about face card meaning.
Historians have continued to argue that either the Chinese or the Arabs have first introduced their respective versions of cards to the world somewhere during the fourteenth century. However, a tiny section believes that India kicked off the game with their fortune-telling cards. Know in detail about the face card on GetMega by clicking here.
Overview
Whoever might be the originator, there’s no surprise that the ancient world completely embraced the concept of playing cards, especially with the innovative introduction of printing presses – since they made it less complicated to produce the cards. For an astute understanding, it is essential to mention that players can divide the cards into “suits.”
Suits
The modern-day iteration of the cards game involves four particular suits- diamonds, hearts, spades, and clubs. But looking back into the timeline, suits can also comprise swords, clubs, cups, and coins. Moreover, the cards will also bear several “pips.” The pips are nothing but symbols that denote the card’s suit and value. For example, any card with five pips would equate to five points.
Furthermore, it’s noteworthy to mention that people still argue over the exact significance of the previous and existing suits. To put it simply, some experts believe that the symbols could represent a social hierarchy.
- Swords For The Military Or Nobility
- Cups For The Clergy
- Coins For The Merchants
- Batons
Face Cards
While the change of time has seen suits evolve, face cards meaning cards that come with displays or illustrations, have survived unchanged. As per some reliable sources, all the king cards in French and British decks have represented Caesar, the Great Alexander, Charles, and David for a long time. However, there was a lack of representation with Queens since they were not so long-term. Over in Spain, the four kings were swapped by “Caballeros” or the knights.
It is essential to mention that the present-day “jack” card came into existence with the Germans who chose to do away with queens from the playing card. Instead, they put kings with lower men (Unterman) and upper men (Obermann). It was the lower men’s cards that became jacks.
When it comes to the ace, it took the political route to enter the picture. Back in the mid-1760s, the English forced a tax on playing cards. According to legends and popular folklore, King James I of Scotland ordered all publishing and printing houses to compensate for a new stamp tax for printing cards. This was when the ace of spades was printed to indicate the tax imposition on a single card.
Since the insignia of the printing houses needed to be confined within the emblem, the iconography often comes off as bolder and more prominent than the other cards. Although the tax got rescinded, later on, the tradition has managed to carry on with time.
Additional Noise
Moving on, the card aficionados continued to fiddle with the same fragment and core principles of the game to make it more competitive and entertaining. This sentiment was in full swing during the introduction of letters and numbers in the top corners of cards. This change meant that players could now tell the suit and value of each card while holding the cards in a fan in their hands.
Additionally, it is essential to admit that cards have had their fair rub of controversy despite being primarily associated with pleasure and pastimes. The traditional stance on wagering or betting has predominantly pushed the church into denouncing card games as “the Devil’s picture book.” As per their thought-process, any individual who chooses to indulge in entertainment would only inch closer towards depravity.
Branching Out
Finally, it is essential to mention that the much-cherished cards deck game branched out into a new direction. To put it simply, some card decks opted for adding 22 other cards during the mid-1400s to invent tarot games in Italy. These cards would be used as “trump cards” to play tarock (Germany), tarocco (Italy), or tarot (Britain and France).
It’s worth mentioning that these cards transitioned from the betting table to the territory of divination in the 1700s. The change also witnessed popular suits of spades, hearts, clubs, and diamonds get new lives as swords, cups, wands, and pentangles, separately.
In conclusion, it only fits to mention that no one can truly determine the origin of playing cards due to its illustrious history. The scarcity of legitimate data and evidence-based information further add to the confusion. These games has undergone multiple changes, thereby making it a socially relevant and adaptive game for entertainment.
