unanswered question

BANDICOOT

heard this question on the radio a while ago, but it didn't get answered, so perhaps someone on here could try and answer it (google is not definitive on this ) so here goes

IN A STANDARD DECK OF CARDS THE KING OF HEARTS HAS NO MOUSTACHE WHILST THE CLUBS,DIAMONDS AND SPADES DO. WHAT IS THE REASON FOR THIS ?

elsadog

I did know this one but can't for the life of me remember the reasons. What I do remember is that the standard deck is taken from something like the 16th century and the picture cards all depict actual Kings and queens etc from history. There are other subtle differences too as I remember such as one has a sword etc. Wilki will know.

Tikay probably met some of them .....ask him. (This is where I need a nice emoticon to stave off a ban....I'll get me coat,  Again !).

BADBOY985

DONT KNOW WHY HE HASNT GOT ONE, BUT THE RUMOUR IS,  THATS WHY HE DIDDNT GET INTO THE VILLAGE PEOPLE

Kiwini4u

In Response to Re: unanswered question:

I did know this one but can't for the life of me remember the reasons. What I do remember is that the standard deck is taken from something like the 16th century and the picture cards all depict actual Kings and queens etc from history. There are other subtle differences too as I remember such as one has a sword etc. Wilki will know. Tikay probably met some of them .....ask him. (This is where I need a nice emoticon to stave off a ban....I'll get me coat,  Again !).
Posted by elsadog

Just to add to that thought, Tikay doesn't have a moustache either, could the picture possibly be based on HIM?

Now where's my hat and coat too:)

35suited

Ive also heard this before, but cant remember the answer, just spent 10 mins googling it but couldnt find anything there.

Doing my hea din now hope someone answers this soon

Gareth

elsadog

There you go..................................

There are many theories and ideas as to where the playing cards gamblers use today have their origins. Historians have a great deal to expand on as to whether playing cards originated from India, China, the Arab world or from Egypt. Regardless of how they came about, playing cards have emerged and evolved throughout the centuries on many different continents, and in many forms, they have entertained and intrigued people many times over for various reasons.

Playing cards didn’t reach Europe until around the 1300s. Most experts believe that playing cards originated from Central Asia during the 10th century, when the Chinese used paper dominoes for games. The four-suited deck originated in the Moslem world and was imported by the Europeans before 1370. At first, playing cards were hand-painted and only the wealthy could afford them, but with the invention of woodcuts in the 14th century, the Europeans began to mass-produce them. Still, even within Europe, playing cards were different. The original European cards originated in Italy and had four suits: cups, swords, coins and rods. Some hold that these four suits were a reflection of the four classes of people: the cup was for the chalice of the church and represented the clergy; the sword stood for the military; the coin represented the merchant; and the club stood for the farmer.

Thereafter, the Germans became the largest producers of playing cards and it is thought that because of them, the suits changed once again: The cup morphed into a heart while the club became an acorn. During the 19th century, Germany and Austria became known as chief producers of fanciful cards for polite society. Some of these cards show ornate designs and are a fine display of the talent of many artists over the centuries.

The French also made their changes to the imagery, most likely in the late 1400s by a knight named Etienne Vignoles. One theory is that the hearts were symbolic of the church; the diamonds were comparable with the arrowheads symbolizing vassels from which the archers were drawn; the clubs stood for husbandry; and the spades denote the points on the lances which were symbols of the knights themselves.

After learning some history on the suits of modern-day playing cards, some questions concerning the four face cards emerge, like “Why ace, king, queen, and jack and not peasants or knights, princesses or pirates?” A few details worth noting about today’s cards is that all the face cards are dressed in apparel from the 15th century, when the King Henry VII ruled England. Early decks in England also included a knight in decks but were later removed. Present in standard playing cards today are:

The Ace, once known in popular myth and folklore as the “death card,” actually comes from an old French word derived from Latin as “one unit” from the name of a small Roman coin. Even before that, it was the side of a die with only one dot. In Middle English, this simultaneously meant “bad luck,” since it was the lowest roll of the die, but the ace is of course now often the highest playing card in most games. The figures in a pack of playing cards have been associated with certain figures over the years. The Ace of Spades was once thought to represent James I of England, who passed a law requiring an insignia on that card as proof of payment of a tax on the local manufacture of cards.

The King is likened to historical figures: the King of Hearts reportedly represents Charlemagne, Julius Caesar is the king of diamonds, the king of clubs is Alexander the Great, and the king of spades is King David. The king of hearts has also been called the “Suicide King,” because he appears to be holding a knife in his head; originally, this king held an axe but the object was subsequently changed to a sword. Certain details have been omitted over the centuries: For instance, the King of Hearts lost his moustache, not in an attempt to make him cleaner shaven, but due to poor copying of the original design.

The Queen has been likened to other figures as well. The queen of diamonds represents Rachel from the Bible (Are you sure? I thought the Queen of Diamonds was Carolyn Jones! – Ed.); the queen of hearts is said to be Judith from the apocryphal book in the Bible; the queen of Spades represents Pallas, a.k.a, Minerva; and the queen of clubs the fictional Argine, whose name is an anagram of “Regina.”

The Jack has its own special history as well. This card was known as “the knave” in the mid-1500s, when “knave” meant “male servant of royalty.” The Knave became the Jack in 1864, thanks to an English card maker by the name of Samuel Hart. The jack has never been thought to represent anyone in particular, though in the French tradition knew the jack of spades as legendary hero Ogier the Dane, the jack of hearts a French warrior, the jack of diamonds Hector of Troy, and the jack of clubs was Lancelot.

The Joker is not considered a face card and functions in much the same way as The Fool does in the tarot deck. Generally a standard deck of cards comes with a pair of jokers, which, more often than not, are discarded for most games. The Fool in the tarot is also known as “The Lunatic”, “The Madman” or ''the ORFORD TIKAY COMBO' 'and is thought to be the idea behind the modern joker. In both the tarot and playing cards, the joker does not belong to a suit, just like The Fool has no number. The joker was first used in America during the second half of the 19th century for the playing of a particular game called euchre. In euchre, the joker was deemed the best bower, though standard euchre no longer uses the card.

Aside from symbology, numerology is another aspect considered when assessing the meaning of cards; some of numerology’s theories of playing cards have been interpreted in accordance with the cycles of the earth. The 12 faces or court cards have been known to be assigned to the 12 months and the 12 signs of the zodiac. The two colors in the deck, red and black, are thought to match the year in the summer solstice and winter equinox while the four suits match the seasons of the year. The 13 cards in each suit can be likened to match the 13 weeks of each season and the deck that holds 52 cars is equivalent to the 52 weeks in a year. Finally, it is claimed that all of the spots on the cards in the deck equal 365, the number of days in a year.

So ponder a little longer the next time you play that, even though the world has changed radically in the time between the 14th century and the era of 21st-century online casinos and poker rooms, playing cards remain a trademark of the human race, not just here and now, but for centuries and all over the planet. Cards have been used to entertain, make money, do tricks, bet and barter, bluff, forecast the future and display skill (or lack of it); one thing’s for sure, though: For the gambler, a good hand of cards is really all you need to know.

ps. Spot the edit :0)

beaujolais

The king of hearts is the only king without a mustache.This is true. "AT one time, the King of Hearts represented Charlemagne, the King of Diamonds Julius Caesar, the King of Clubs Alexander the Great and the King of Spades was King David from the Bible. According to John Berry’s book The Playing Card, the identities were given by the French who were instrumental in bringing the pleasures of card playing to people in Europe and the New World. According to the book, English playing cards are known and used all over the world — everywhere where Bridge and Poker are played.

The King of Hearts is the only king in the pack without a moustache. According to Berry, the king originally did have a moustache. The moustache was lost in the poor copying of the original     there you go !!!

Buistyboy

i understand gillette approached the king of hearts to front their 16th century advertising campaign for their shaving equipment, and it was at this time that "the best a man can get" slogan was coined.

nirvana29

interesting stuff. well done 4 findin te answer.

loonytoons

In Response to Re: unanswered question:

There you go.................................. There are many theories and ideas as to where the playing cards gamblers use today have their origins. Historians have a great deal to expand on as to whether playing cards originated from India, China, the Arab world or from Egypt. Regardless of how they came about, playing cards have emerged and evolved throughout the centuries on many different continents, and in many forms, they have entertained and intrigued people many times over for various reasons. Playing cards didn’t reach Europe until around the 1300s. Most experts believe that playing cards originated from Central Asia during the 10th century, when the Chinese used paper dominoes for games. The four-suited deck originated in the Moslem world and was imported by the Europeans before 1370. At first, playing cards were hand-painted and only the wealthy could afford them, but with the invention of woodcuts in the 14th century, the Europeans began to mass-produce them. Still, even within Europe, playing cards were different. The original European cards originated in Italy and had four suits: cups, swords, coins and rods. Some hold that these four suits were a reflection of the four classes of people: the cup was for the chalice of the church and represented the clergy; the sword stood for the military; the coin represented the merchant; and the club stood for the farmer. Thereafter, the Germans became the largest producers of playing cards and it is thought that because of them, the suits changed once again: The cup morphed into a heart while the club became an acorn. During the 19th century, Germany and Austria became known as chief producers of fanciful cards for polite society. Some of these cards show ornate designs and are a fine display of the talent of many artists over the centuries. The French also made their changes to the imagery, most likely in the late 1400s by a knight named Etienne Vignoles. One theory is that the hearts were symbolic of the church; the diamonds were comparable with the arrowheads symbolizing vassels from which the archers were drawn; the clubs stood for husbandry; and the spades denote the points on the lances which were symbols of the knights themselves. After learning some history on the suits of modern-day playing cards, some questions concerning the four face cards emerge, like “Why ace, king, queen, and jack and not peasants or knights, princesses or pirates?” A few details worth noting about today’s cards is that all the face cards are dressed in apparel from the 15th century, when the King Henry VII ruled England. Early decks in England also included a knight in decks but were later removed. Present in standard playing cards today are: The Ace , once known in popular myth and folklore as the “death card,” actually comes from an old French word derived from Latin as “one unit” from the name of a small Roman coin. Even before that, it was the side of a die with only one dot. In Middle English, this simultaneously meant “bad luck,” since it was the lowest roll of the die, but the ace is of course now often the highest playing card in most games. The figures in a pack of playing cards have been associated with certain figures over the years. The Ace of Spades was once thought to represent James I of England, who passed a law requiring an insignia on that card as proof of payment of a tax on the local manufacture of cards. The King is likened to historical figures: the King of Hearts reportedly represents Charlemagne, Julius Caesar is the king of diamonds, the king of clubs is Alexander the Great, and the king of spades is King David. The king of hearts has also been called the “Suicide King,” because he appears to be holding a knife in his head; originally, this king held an axe but the object was subsequently changed to a sword. Certain details have been omitted over the centuries: For instance, the King of Hearts lost his moustache, not in an attempt to make him cleaner shaven, but due to poor copying of the original design . The Queen has been likened to other figures as well. The queen of diamonds represents Rachel from the Bible (Are you sure? I thought the Queen of Diamonds was Carolyn Jones ! – Ed.) ; the queen of hearts is said to be Judith from the apocryphal book in the Bible; the queen of Spades represents Pallas, a.k.a, Minerva; and the queen of clubs the fictional Argine, whose name is an anagram of “Regina.” The Jack has its own special history as well. This card was known as “the knave” in the mid-1500s, when “knave” meant “male servant of royalty.” The Knave became the Jack in 1864, thanks to an English card maker by the name of Samuel Hart. The jack has never been thought to represent anyone in particular, though in the French tradition knew the jack of spades as legendary hero Ogier the Dane, the jack of hearts a French warrior, the jack of diamonds Hector of Troy, and the jack of clubs was Lancelot. The Joker is not considered a face card and functions in much the same way as The Fool does in the tarot deck. Generally a standard deck of cards comes with a pair of jokers, which, more often than not, are discarded for most games. The Fool in the tarot is also known as “The Lunatic”, “The Madman” or ''the ORFORD TIKAY COMBO' ' and is thought to be the idea behind the modern joker. In both the tarot and playing cards, the joker does not belong to a suit, just like The Fool has no number. The joker was first used in America during the second half of the 19th century for the playing of a particular game called euchre. In euchre, the joker was deemed the best bower, though standard euchre no longer uses the card. Aside from symbology, numerology is another aspect considered when assessing the meaning of cards; some of numerology’s theories of playing cards have been interpreted in accordance with the cycles of the earth. The 12 faces or court cards have been known to be assigned to the 12 months and the 12 signs of the zodiac. The two colors in the deck, red and black, are thought to match the year in the summer solstice and winter equinox while the four suits match the seasons of the year. The 13 cards in each suit can be likened to match the 13 weeks of each season and the deck that holds 52 cars is equivalent to the 52 weeks in a year. Finally, it is claimed that all of the spots on the cards in the deck equal 365, the number of days in a year. So ponder a little longer the next time you play that, even though the world has changed radically in the time between the 14th century and the era of 21st-century online casinos and poker rooms, playing cards remain a trademark of the human race, not just here and now, but for centuries and all over the planet. Cards have been used to entertain, make money, do tricks, bet and barter, bluff, forecast the future and display skill (or lack of it); one thing’s for sure, though: For the gambler, a good hand of cards is really all you need to know. ps. Spot the edit :0)
Posted by elsadog

zzzzzzz i only got half way through it lol, any chance you cluold of just put the moustache bit in in under 30 words lol

Buistyboy

thanks to you posting it again, I've now read it all twice loonytoons lol

Kiwini4u

If we are not careful Sky will start charging us by the word lol

achill

Hi ELSADOG

Not alot on today??

Hi BEAUJOLAIS

Nice photo but liked the other one better.

elsadog

In Response to Re: unanswered question:

Hi ELSADOG Not alot on today?? Hi BEAUJOLAIS Nice photo but liked the other one better.
Posted by achill

Lol...it was a cut and paste job, I didn't write it. Anyone spotted the reference to Mssrs Orford and Tikay in that article. I can assure you it is authentic and un-tampered.