A fair deal
Originating in China over 2,000 years ago, Cyprus is believed to beone of the places the playing card was first introduced
The deck of playing cards has been around for more than 2,500 years and Cyprus was one of the first countries where their use was introduced. Around the time of the Crusades, in the 12th century, the island was introduced to playing cards by Chinese caravan traders on their way to the Middle East.
Most playing card historians agree that the cards originated in China and many believe they stemmed from dice or dominoes. However Peter Stammers a local playing card historian likes the idea that women could have invented them.
“Around 300 years BC, when the Chinese came up with the idea of block printing, the ladies of the Emperor’s harem would make small plaques out of bamboo and print or draw various designs on them. It is said that they used to use them to see who would satisfy the Emperor for the night!” said Peter.
It was not until about 1540 that the cards reached Britain, one of the last countries to get them, or at least for the use by the common people.
“When they first came to Britain playing cards were only for the aristocracy and noblemen. It was most unfortunate if you didn’t belong to the upper classes and were caught playing cards because the penalty was death!”
But the landed gentry didn’t have it their own way all the time. In the 19th century playing cards were banned in the Houses of Parliament. This was due to a gambling debt and an affair involving the Prince of Wales and a leading minister!
“However, the playing of cards became so prolific that the British government couldn’t control it so they decided to tax it,” Peter said. When you bought your pack of cards they were without the aces and you had to buy the four aces separately from a tax shop. The tax stamp was put on the ace of spades as was the name of the card maker.
It was once said that if you were to knock on any door in the UK you would have more chance of finding a deck of cards than a bible! And today perhaps you may not find a real pack of playing cards, but there’s no doubt the home computer keeps the playing card to the fore. How many of us play solitaire and spider solitaire?
It’s amazing to think that for all the wonderful games that have been invented over the years, the simple pack of cards certainly has held its own. Without a doubt if you visit any village in Cyprus you are sure to see a group of men outside the Kafenion banging their cards on the table with great energy and enthusiasm. Omar Sharif once said that if you know how to play bridge you will never be a stranger in any city.
There are two general sizes of playing cards poker and bridge. The bridge card is slightly narrower than a poker deck. In poker you hold only five cards but in bridge the number rises to 15. Although the size may differ, what is on the cards remains the same. “In 1938 the USA Playing Card Company tried to introduce another suit which was the Green Eagles. It was mainly directed at the gambling industry but it never caught on. However it was the Americans who invented the Joker. The aim was to create a ‘wild card’, again for the gambling fraternity,” said Peter.
The heyday of playing cards worldwide was in the first part of the twentieth century. At this time their use for advertising by companies was widespread. Tobacco and alcohol were the main advertisers as were holiday resorts with their souvenir packs. The advertising on playing cards reflects industry and progress of countries and the world in general.
Today souvenir packs are produced for main events such as the Olympics and major theme parks. Even film companies will publish packs to promote their new films – Batman and James Bond are two that immediately come to mind.
At one time the King of Hearts represented Charlemagne, the king of Diamonds was Julius Caesar, the King of Clubs was Alexander the Great and the King of Spades was King David from the Bible.
As well as card players there are two more groups that are playing card enthusiasts. The first is the Cardician, a title given by magicians to fraternity members who perform only magic tricks with cards. What this group can do with 52 pieces of pasteboard is amazing. The other group is collectors of packs of playing cards.
Peter, however, collects single cards. “I had about 33,000 singles during my time of collecting. This is modest compared to many of the ardent collectors,” he said. A lot of card collectors base their collection on themes such as trades, flowers scenes, animals etc. Others collect transformation cards, whereby suits have been imposed into a drawing or event. For example the hearts in a Two of Hearts might become the wings of two cherubs. The diamonds in a six of Diamonds might become six windows in a castle wall. So you never know the pack of cards stuck away in a back of a drawer might just be a collector’s item.
There are 364 pips almost equalling the days in a year.
52 cards equalling the weeks in a year.
13 cards in a suit equalling the weeks in a quarter.
And finally 4 suits equalling the four seasons.
Can a deck of cards really tell the future?
The popularity of that other type of card, the tarot is evident in the number of magazine ads pushing their use; there is destiny tarot where you can find out about love, health and money, tarot to find out what your future holds and even psychic tarot.
So what is tarot? Tarot is the name given to certain decks of cards which are usually used to look into the future. The modern tarot deck has been traced back to 15th century Italy. They are also said to have first appeared in medieval Europe, but frequently encountered legends suggest that they were brought from India by gypsies or are a remnant of the ancient Egyptian Book of Thoth.
Whatever their actual origin, a true tarot decks contain 78 cards split into two sections. One section is similar to the modern playing cards but with different suits, such as cups, which relate love and friendship; wands your social life and travel; pentacles for money and material things; and swords for your career or business. There is also an extra court card, a knight in each suit, known as the Minor Arcana cards. The remaining 22 cards are the Major Arcana cards that most people associate with tarot; cards such as the Lovers, the Star and Death.
One of the most misunderstood cards is the Death card. People hate when they get it in a spread and automatically associate it with death where all it means is that there’s the end of something and a new beginning. One of the luckiest cards is the Star. If this one appears in your reading it is said that if you make a wish it is more than likely it will come true.
The cards are shuffled before being handed to the person having the reading done. That person will then split them with your left hand, as this represents the subconscious, thinking side of the brain. The clients will then indicate which half of the pack is to be worked with. Spreads vary in number from about ten cards. There is even a three-card spread, used to answer a particular question. Each card not only has a basic meaning but this can change according to how it is laid out with other cards.
A lot of people question whether tarot works and that depends on what you expect tarot to be or do. Certainly, a good tarot reading, thoughtfully considered can be helpful working through problems and weighing up decisions.
Many people though use tarot to try and glimpse the future. The idea that, through some unknown mechanism, the fall of the cards foreshadows eve
nts to come is held by many. Those who have worked with tarot over a period of time often vouch for the fact that the cards do seem, subjectively at least, to be uncannily accurate about future events. Of course there are those who argue that such ideas are mistaken, that correct predictions happen only by chance and those that do not come to pass are conveniently forgotten.
For all the claims of self-proclaimed “psychics” there is no objective evidence that the cards can reveal anything meaningful about the future. But whatever the truth of the matter there is no doubt that tarot can be an invaluable tool for self-discovery in intelligent hands.
Find out for yourself. Tel: 99 096406
