A Brief History of Playing Cards:
English playing-cards are known and used all over the world -
everywhere where Bridge and Poker are played. In England, the same
pack is used for other games such as Whist, Cribbage, Rummy, Nap and
so on. But in other European countries games such as Skat, Jass, Mus,
Scopa, and Tarock are played, using cards of totally different
face-designs many of them with roots far older than English cards.
The earliest authentic references to playing-cards in Europe
date from 1377. Playing cards were invented in China, where paper was invented.
The Cards had suits of coins and strings of coins - which Mah Jong players
know as circles and bamboos (i.e. sticks). Playing cards entered Europe from the
Islamic empire, where cups and swords were added as suit-symbols, as
well as (non-figurative) court cards. It was in Europe that these were
replaced by representations of courtly human beings: kings and their
attendants - knights (on horseback) and foot-servants. To this day, packs of
Italian playing-cards do not have queens - nor do packs in Spain, Germany
and Switzerland (among others). There is evidence that Islamic cards also
entered Spain, but it now seems likely that the modern cards which we call
Spanish originated in France, ousting the early Arab-influenced designs.
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