The art of playing cards is believed to have originated from China and spread around the world in the 14th Century. The tradition of this gaming activity transcends geographical, social, cultural and political boundaries. As a result, there are many different versions of playing cards with their own set of rules. Playing cards has been a favourite pastime for centuries around the world.

Beyond being a widely loved indoor activity, playing cards have also been more than just for games. They carry various layers of symbolism and history. The suits, the numbers, the face cards - all carry deep meaning and significance. We will explore the meaning behind these symbols of playing cards through a historical as well as a sociological perspective.

The first playing cards

  • It is believed that the first playing cards were invented in China during the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD). They were originally used for various games, these early cards differed significantly from the standard deck we know today. While gambling wasn't their sole purpose, it eventually became a popular use. The original Chinese playing cards featured currency denominations as suits like coins, strings of coins, myriads (tens of thousands), and myriads of strings.
  • Following China, the activity of playing cards spread across Asia and Europe, reaching India and Persia by the late 14th century.
  • The 52-card deck that is still in use today, with the suits of spades, clubs, diamonds, and hearts and a ranking system from King to Ace, was finally standardized by the French. The 15th and 16th centuries saw the beginning of this standardization, which swiftly expanded throughout Europe and its colonies.
  • Over the ages, designing and manufacturing of playing cards have also undergone substantial evolution. The 15th century saw the invention of woodblock printing, which made it possible to produce cards in large quantities. In the 19th century, playing cards became more convenient to use with the invention of corner indices and double-headed court cards.

History and meaning of the symbols of playing cards

  • The symbolism in European playing cards evolved alongside the continent's socio-economic landscape. Early decks reflected social classes with suits like coins (merchants), swords (warriors), cups (clergy), and clubs (peasants).
  • "Face cards," or cards having pictures on them, have not altered much over the years, although suits may have. One of the major developments can be traced to when the queens were replaced in Spain by caballeros, or knights. The Germans replaced all queens in their card decks with kings, upper men (Obermann), and lower men (Unterman), giving rise to the current "jack" card. Jacks emerged from the lower men cards.
  • The tradition of playing cards travelled from China to different continents like Europe. These cards originally entered western society through Spain and later spread to the Americas. There are multiple versions of decks available during this time. Most popular amongst them were the Spanish deck, the French deck and the English deck.
  • The symbolism of playing cards evolved greatly after arrival in Spain as they got assimilated into local cultures. When these cards arrived in Germany, the changes became more noticeable. The swords were replaced by leaves. These changes impacted not only the symbols but also the imagery used in the cards. Eventually, as mentioned before, the French standardized the deck with the four suits as we know today – diamonds, clubs, hearts and spades. Let’s look at what each of these suits mean.
    1. Diamonds: Representing the upper class of society, this suit signifies material prosperity and luxurious lifestyle. Diamonds are considered the premium symbol amongst the four suits. This symbol reminds us of the attraction of wealth in the world we live in and encourages us to consider the implications while pursuing material gains.
    2. Clubs: Clubs signify nature’s cycles, agriculture, and growth. This suit represents the lower classes of the society like peasants. This symbol makes us value the traits of nurturing, farming and gratitude. Clubs encourage us to welcome life as it comes and pursue healthy progress in life.
    3. Hearts: Hearts are recognized globally as a symbol of love, affection and emotional well-being. It signifies the value of love and care in life and acts as an equalizer in a divided world. Hearts encourage us to pursue selfless companionship even in the face of competition.
    4. iv. Spades: Spades signify valour and bravery because of its representation of sharp shapes. It is linked with conflict, war, and military. This suit symbolizes feelings of patriotism and respect towards soldiers. Spades encourage us to be brave and pursue discipline in game and life.

Tarot and Divination

Beyond just being used for games, playing cards have also been used for divination; this is particularly true with tarot cards, which date back to the 1440s in Italy. Additional suits and trumps were included in tarot decks to represent more general topics like destiny, spirituality, and the journey of life.

  • The category of Tarot card games was invented when some decks in Italy around 1440 included an additional 22 cards. In games like Tarot (Britain and France), Tarrocco (Italy), or Tarock (Germany), these cards were utilized as "trump cards.”
  • These cards entered the field of divination in the late 1700s, leaving the gaming table behind. The suits of spades, diamonds, clubs, and hearts were transformed into pentangles, swords, wands, and cups, respectively.
  • There were two categories for tarot cards: minor and major arcana. In the latter, all the picture cards consisted of images of death, the magician, the high priestess, the lovers, the hanged man, and so on, in place of kings, queens, and jacks.
  • The earliest known tarot divination system was created in the eighteenth century, with contributions by French occultists. Jean-Baptiste Alliette, in 1785, produced the first book dedicated to using tarot for divination. This was a momentous occasion as it transformed the usage of tarot from a simple card game to a tool for fortune-telling and esoteric rituals.
  • Antoine Court de Gébelin, a fellow French magician argued that tarot cards contained mystical meaning and ancient Egyptian wisdom. Despite being historically incorrect, this viewpoint played a significant role in creating the mystical and divine reputation of tarot cards.

Sociology of playing cards

  • The sociological aspect to playing cards is an intriguing concept. They have been employed for teaching, for social bonding, and even for gambling. Card games were a common past time that crossed social classes in European courts throughout the Renaissance. Due to the universality of card games, games like bridge and poker are popular around the globe.
  • Cards have also been used in satire and social commentary. Political cartoonists in France and England throughout the 18th century exploited images from playing cards to protest the governing classes. The Joker, a more recent inclusion to the deck, represents social unrest, chaos and confusion depicting the political circumstances of the European societies.
  • The history, philosophy, and sociology of playing cards are all interwoven within the symbology of the deck. Throughout history, playing cards have acted as a window into human society, reflecting social structures, values, and beliefs from their inception in ancient China to their current iterations. Playing cards have a timeless and global appeal, whether they are employed for game, divination, or social commentary. They continue to attract and intrigue.

Unveiling the Rich Tapestry of Playing Cards

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