What is the story behind the face cards?

They’re no random royalty, in fact face cards—also known as court cards—are inspired by mythical and historic figures you may already know. Given that playing cards were introduced to Europe during the male-centric, early 1400s, face cards initially featured only Kings, Knights and ‘Knaves’ (now known as Jacks).

Why are playing cards designed the way they are?

Some historians have suggested that suits in a deck were meant to represent the four classes of Medieval society. Cups and chalices (modern hearts) might have stood for the clergy; swords (spades) for the nobility or the military; coins (diamonds) for the merchants; and batons (clubs) for peasants.

What is the history of a deck of cards?

Some scholars believe that playing cards were invented in China during the Tang dynasty around the 9th century AD. Some have suggested that the playing cards first functioned as “play money” and represented the stakes used for other gambling games, and later became part of the games themselves.

Where did the suits of cards come from?

Cards suits were born in France The original card suits were based on classes and can be traced back to France around 1480. Suits included: spades (royalty), clubs (peasants), hearts (clergy), and diamonds (merchants). In some European countries, some decks contained a fifth suit called Greens or Leaves.

What does each suit of cards represent?

The four suits can also be read as symbols of society and human energy: clubs representing both the peasantry and achievement through work; diamonds, the merchant class and the excitement of wealth creation; hearts, the clergy and the struggle to achieve inner joy; spades, the warrior class institutionalised into the …

What do the Kings on playing cards represent?

Many believe the four kings in a deck of cards represent great rulers of the past. King of Hearts: Charlemagne, King of France and the first Holy Roman Emperor, who lived from 747 to 814 AD. King of Diamonds: Roman Caesar Augustus. Some sources say the king of diamonds is Julius Caesar, not Augustus.

Who first invented playing cards?

Chinese
PLAYING cards were invented by the Chinese before AD1000. They reached Europe around 1360, not directly from China but from the Mameluke empire of Egypt. The history of suitmarks demonstrates a fascinating interplay between words, shapes and concepts.

When was the standard deck of cards invented?

PLAYING cards were invented by the Chinese before AD1000. They reached Europe around 1360, not directly from China but from the Mameluke empire of Egypt.

What is a face card in a deck of cards?

Definition of face card : a king, queen, or jack in a deck of cards.

Who invented playing cards and why?

PLAYING cards were invented by the Chinese before AD1000. They reached Europe around 1360, not directly from China but from the Mameluke empire of Egypt. The history of suitmarks demonstrates a fascinating interplay between words, shapes and concepts.

What are face cards in a deck?

A face card is any of the twelve cards in a deck which has a picture of a face. The face cards are kings, queens, and jacks.

What were the original suits in a deck of cards?

National decks. The international deck evolved in Europe from the original 52-card Mamlūk deck, of which some specimens are still extant. The original suits were swords, polo sticks, goblets, and coins, each containing ranks 1 to 10 and three court cards.