Old Playing Card References: England

[Huck]

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=QnEEAAAAQAAJ&pg=RA1-PA112&dq=chartaceus+ludus#PRA1-PA110,M1

The Annual Register, Or, A View of the History, Politics, and Literature for the year 1786
(1788, London) Edmund Burke, Benjamin Franklin Collection (Library of Congress), John Davis Batchelder Collection (Library of Congress)

The earliest mention of cards that I have yet stumbled upon, is in Mr. Anstis's History of the Garter (vol. II. p. 307), where he cites the following passage from the Wardrobe Rolls, in the sixth year of Edward the First. "Waltero Sturton ad opus régis ad ludendum ad quatuor reges VIII s. vd.", from which entry Mr. Anstis with fome probability conjectures, that playing-cards were not unknown at the latter end of the thirteenth century; and perhaps what I shall add may carry with it some small confirmation of what he thus supposes. Edward the First (when prince of Wales) served nearly five years in Syria, and therefore, whilst military operations were suspended, must naturally have wished some sedentary amusements. Now the Asiatics scarcely ever change their customs; and, as they play at cards (though in many respects different from ours) it is not improbable that Edward might have been taught the game, "ad quatuor reges", whilst he continued so long in this part of the globe.

"Anstis" seems to be John Anstis (1669 - 1744)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Anstis

Edward I became 1272 King of England:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_I_of_England


To this was said:

http://www.bartleby.com/81/17146.html

E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.

Vierge (2 syl.).

A curious conversion in playing-cards occurs in reference to this word. The invention is Indian, and the game is called “The Four Rajahs.” The pieces are the king, his general or fierche, the elephant or phil, the horsemen, the camel or ruch, and the infantry. The French corrupted fierche (general) into “vierge,” and then converted “virgin” into dame. Similarly they corrupted phil into “fol” or “fou” (knave); ruch is our “rook.” At one time playingcards were called “the Books of the Four Kings,” and chess “the Game of the Four Kings.” It was for chess, and not cards, that Walter Sturton, in 1278, was paid 8s. 5d., according to the wardrobe rolls of Edward I., “ad opus regis ad ludendum adquatuor reges.” Malkin said it was no great proof of our wisdom that we delighted in cards, seeing they were “invented for a fool.” Malkin referred to the vulgar tradition that cards were invented for the amusement of Charles VI., the idiot king of France; but it was no proof that Jacquemin Gringonneur invented cards because “he painted and gilded three packs for the king in 1392.”

Not naturally a correct interpretation, especially when I think of these unknown card references of ca. 1340 in Bohemia:

http://trionfi.com/0/p/95/

(with thanks to kwaw, who refered to this article in another thread)

##########


Added:

4-King's chess in the book of Alfons the Wise (late 13th century)
... but the game is called "chess of the four seasons":

at:

http://games.rengeekcentral.com/tc4.html

 

[Huck]

English translation from the chess book of Alfons X. from

Sonja Musser Golladay’s English Translation of Alfonso X’s Book of Games

http://www.u.arizona.edu/~smusser/ljtranslation.html

fol. 87r]

Here begins another chess that was made after the four seasons of the year, which the ancient wise men divined.

There is another chess that the ancient wise men[44] made after the four seasons of the year and it was organized in this way: The first season is spring which begins in the middle of March and goes through the middle of June. The second season is summer which begins in the middle of June and goes through the middle of September. The third season is autumn which begins in the middle of September and goes through the middle of December. The fourth season is winter which begins in the middle of December and goes through the middle of March.

And these four seasons are divided like the four elements. Spring is air; summer is fire; autumn is earth; winter is water.

And because as we said above in the first season, spring, all things grow and men are refreshed and the trees and plants turn green the reason why air is its element is clearer than for any other season; therefore they made this season green. And the summer which is hotter and drier than the other seasons they made it like fire, which is of this nature. And therefore they made this season red for it element which also is. The autumn is dry and cold because its element is earth; it is more temperate than summer because it tends more toward cold than heat. The things that burn in summer, are born and refreshed in this season. And because its element is earth, its nature coldness and dryness therefore they made this season’s color black. Winter they gave the element water which is cold and wet because in that season there are great cold, ice, snow, and rains. And because its element is water they made its color white.

And this similarity they made according to the four humors that grow in the body of man, like blood, which they gave to spring; and choler, to summer; and melancholy, to autumn; and phlegm to winter.


Of the humors which grow in each season

Of these four seasons we described above, the first is spring. And the blood grows in it more than in all the others. And in the summer, choler; in the autumn, melancholy; and in the winter, phlegm.

The seasons are divided in this manner: spring is temperate because it is between winter which is very cold and summer which is very hot. According to the ancient wise men, it tends more towards warmth than cold because it takes more from summer which is coming than winter which is passed. Summer is hot and dry because of the warmth from the previous spring and the warmth of the coming autumn. Autumn is temperate and tends more towards cold than warmth because it is between summer which is [fol. 87v] very hot and winter which is very cold, taking more from the coming season than the past. Winter, which comes between autumn and spring, is very cold because it takes coldness from the previous autumn and from the coming spring. And in this way the seasons all take from one another.

And like the four seasons and the four humors they divided the pieces of this chess into four parts, each with its own color as you heard above, which suits each season.


How the four-seasons board is made and how many colors the pieces are and how they are arranged on it

This board should be made in this way: square with eight spaces per side for a total of sixty-four. It is to have four lines in the shape of an “x” that goes from the second [inside corner] square [b2, b7, g2, or g7] and goes to the second [inside corner] square diagonally across. The other line does the same. The one that goes through white squares is to be black and the one that goes through black, white in order to divide between the types of pieces. And these lines that cut through the squares mark the direction in which the pawns are to move first – those to the right move to the right and likewise for those to the left. They capture forward and diagonally as pawns should capture.

And these pieces are thirty-two in total and are to be set up in the four corners of the board. Each arrangement is to have eight pieces that are a king, a rook, a knight, a fil, and four pawns. All pieces are to move wherever they want according to their movements in the other chess that is more common.

And this is their arrangement: the kings are placed in the corner most squares on the board. The rook is next to the king[45], the knight is on the other, and the fil in front of him. Two pawns face one side of the board and the other two face the other. In this chess there is no fers until one of the pawns is promoted.

And there are four kings and four men each with his pieces of his color are to play on it.

And the colors are these four that we have said correspond to the seasons. Spring’s pieces are green; summer’s are red; autumn’s black, and winter’s white.


On how they are to begin to play with these pieces

The player with the green pieces is to play first and he should move towards his right, towards the other player who has the red pieces. This is like spring moving towards summer. He who has the red pieces should also play towards the other player who has the white pieces at the same time defending himself from green. The one with the black pieces is to play also towards his right, against the player who has the white[46] guarding always from attack from the player with the red pieces. He who has the white pieces should do the same, guarding against attack from black. [fol. 88r] After [the first move] each player may move according to his will.

And thus in playing these four players take from one another like the seasons of the year which also take from one another.

And each of these four players should make an opening wager. Thereafter for each piece that a player loses he should pay an amount as well as for each check given to a king.

And when a player is checkmated he pays the victor an amount for as many pieces as he has on the board and then removes his pieces. Of the three players that remain thereafter, the first to be defeated leaves on the board as much as he has won and an amount for each of his pieces that remain when he is checkmated. Of the two remaining players, the one who wins takes all the money on the board plus the loser gives him an amount for each of his remaining pieces.

And this is what the board and pieces look like as well as their arrangement, painted here.

[fol. 88v] [= picture as in post 1 in this thead]

Then follows:

[fol. 89r]

This is the board of tables of the four seasons, called the world, which begins like this:

Since we have told about the board of the four seasons, as the ancient wise mean ordered it, now it is fitting that we show the tables board that is played after that some manner.

This board is squared and the points are placed in a circle. The circle is divided into four parts; each part has six spaces that are carved out in semi-circles in which the pieces fit.

And on this board four men are to play, each with his pieces of his color according to the colors of the chess that we have named. And each one of these players is to have twelve pieces of the colors of the aforementioned chessmen which are these: green, red, white, and black – for a total of forty-eight. And they are played with the [7-sided] dice of this same chess and the players roll to see who plays first. And then the player to his right and so on around.

And the first to begin is to place his pieces according to the rolls of the dice as in doze canes and all the others do likewise.

And once they all have placed all their pieces each must bring his pieces to where the third player first entered which is across from his own, by playing around to his right according to the rolls of the dice.

And when one makes a roll that he cannot use, let the player who to his right use it. And if he cannot, the third. And if he cannot, the fourth. And also in this game if a roll is made that allows the capture of an unguarded piece, it is to be captured. The one whose piece was captured must return it to where it was first placed.

And no pieces are to be borne off until each player has his pieces in the opposite quarter as is stated above.

And the player who first should bear off all his pieces will beat the player to his right and so on around.

And this is the explanation of this game. And this is the diagram of the board and of the pieces and of their colors and of the arrangement.[47]

[fol. 89v]

 

[Ross G Caldwell]

Hi Huck (Happy New Year! btw - my first post of the New Year), what do you want to say with this post?

Is it that this game is allegorical?

Ross

 

[Huck]

Hi Huck (Happy New Year! btw - my first post of the New Year), what do you want to say with this post?

Is it that this game is allegorical?

Ross

Happy New Year, Ross.

As given in post 1, there is an old document (note to "game with 4 Kings") from 13th century, which was interpreted as a sign of existence of playing cards in the time of Edward I (13th century).

This was later identified or interpreted as a note, that refers to Chess, not to playing cards.
Now there is the contemporary Book of Alfons (13th century), which presents this chess with four kings, however, it is called "Chess of the four seaons".

I just control the analysis of the earlier researcher, who stated, that the document refers to a chess game.

Anyway, it is a game with 4 players (actually there are two games, one a game on a chessboard, and one on a modified backgammon-board called the "world").

###

Most people, who read here, seem not to have realised, what the detection of the book of F.L. Hübsch (1849) ...

http://trionfi.com/0/p/95/

.. to which I refered in the thread ...

http://tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=86010

... , means. Actually it's a REVOLUTION to all considerations about early playing cards.
The author isn't a playing card author. He writes about old Bohemian trade and his document findings about playing cards are in his argumentation for himself of minor importance (actually he doesn't recognize their importance, cause according his informations the playing cards were used since ca. 1300).

It seems to be a fact, that his considerations or findings never reached "playing card experts", who in the course of time doubted more or less all playing card documents before 1370.
But this author presents the theme in a way, that one has the impression, that he should have seen at least 4-5 documents with clear indication (inclusive long prohibitions), that playing cards existed in Bohemia in ca. 1340 and were before also mentioned as a game in the Polish nobility.

For instance he knows a name of card producer from Nurremberg, Jonathan Kraysel, who was active in Praha in 1354. This is NOW the oldest named card producer, that we can point too.

Well, I don't know, why the visitors of this forum doin't comment on such things, but I think, it's a reason given to research and revisit all older card references, which were deleted in earlier researches as "too early" and "insecure" and "not proven".

We have a document from 1367 (prohibition) in Bern, in the middle of Europe, not at the peripher border, as a document of Spain would be. It also was attacked as "being added later", and Johannes of Rheinfelden (1377) was attacked as "being from 1429". Both are more or less confirmed now.

How did playing cards come to Bern? Why did the German playing card production dominate the early playing card production?

Everybody is talking of Mameluck cards and the general considered way of playing cards in Europe is seen to have come via ship somehow to Spain and to Italy.

But Bohemia had an active trade way via the river Donau to the Black sea. And Emperor Charles had a Muslimic carpet producer at his court. And enough Jews with oriental trade connections.

The development of playing card history had certain problems till 1990 to study Eastern documents, for instance from the CSSR. Schreiber (writing till ca. 1932) is rather calm about Bohemia, likely he also hadn't good informations from there.

 

[Ross G Caldwell]

Hi Huck,

Thanks for the information from Hübsch.

I don't see any problems with playing cards having come to Europe earlier, by other channels. All theories would seem to point to the Mongol invasions (1250s) as the point of introduction of playing cards everywhere west of China (I mean Persia to India, and the mediterranean basin - so why not eastern Europe?).

Hübsch *has* to be confirmed in his data before it can be presented as evidence, I think. If you are in a position to do it, please do. The earliest writer after Hübsch, who knows his German sources, was Merlin, and he doesn't mention him. You already noted that Schreiber doesn't include him.

Hübsch doesn't quote any texts, which makes his information difficult to assess. Is it certain that "kartenmaler" means "cardmaker" and not just "papermaker"? Maybe Hübsch was under the influence of ideas that made these terms seem interchangable. The details of painting, the prohibitions, and the context of games make it very intriguing, but not yet REVOLUTIONARY. You'll have to do some checking of these 160 year old claims before you can claim that.

I wish I could do it, seriously.

Ross

 

[Huck]

Hi Huck,

Thanks for the information from Hübsch.

I don't see any problems with playing cards having come to Europe earlier, by other channels. All theories would seem to point to the Mongol invasions (1250s) as the point of introduction of playing cards everywhere west of China (I mean Persia to India, and the mediterranean basin - so why not eastern Europe?).

Hübsch *has* to be confirmed in his data before it can be presented as evidence, I think. If you are in a position to do it, please do. The earliest writer after Hübsch, who knows his German sources, was Merlin, and he doesn't mention him. You already noted that Schreiber doesn't include him.

Hübsch doesn't quote any texts, which makes his information difficult to assess. Is it certain that "kartenmahler" means "cardmaker" and not just "papermaker"? Maybe Hübsch was under the influence of ideas that made these terms seem interchangable. The details of painting, the prohibitions, and the context of games make it very intriguing, but not yet REVOLUTIONARY. You'll have to do some checking of these 160 year old claims before you can claim that.

I wish I could do it, seriously.

Ross

No, I'm not in the position to research that. But somebody else might be, so it's necessary to spread this information.

But it's recognizable from the other text, that he studied his theme, which is the trade of Bohemia (not playing cards) from early days (ca. 1000 AD) till ca. 1440/50, on the base of original documents - otherwise his many presented details wouldn't be possible.

Where from should he have got his playing card informations? They appear not in other playing card literature.
And he has another theme, he's not interested to make a great discovery about playing cards, which might have urged him to see things, which are not given. He clearly has seen a prohibition about games (he gives details and calls the Emperor himself the author of it), and playing cards were not prohibited.

And we've the observable fact, that the great spreading of playing cards (since 1377) followed the Emperor's journeys to the West (1376 - 1378). And the first observable playing-card court (since 1379) is the court of the Emperor's half-brother Wenceslaus of Brabant. And it's a general observation, that the series of the first playing card notes started in southern Germany in the neighbourhood to the Bohemian home country of the Emperor.

The development of the use of chess obviously went from the noble class to the citizens of the cities. With some logic we may assume, that other new games went a similar way. Playing Card culture in noble cycles in Bohemia wouldn't produce much notes or documents about playing cards, but when playing cards entered the cities, they naturally were mentioned somewhere.

Johannes of Rheinfelden in Freiburg (Western border of the Empire) tells us in 1377, that playing cards "arrived THIS year".

The interest of playing card research is not well presented in history research.

The old CSSR (1945 - 1990) hadn't likely not much money to invest much money in historical research. After 1990 the country was parted, another problem.
Perhaps after the war it anyway was not very popular there to research "the old German past". And German/Austrian historians were handicapped to make researches there.

The older independent Czechoslovakia (1918 - 1935) also hadn't time enough for their culture. When the research of playing cards weren't strong enough before WWI, then when should they've checked the older documents?

I agree, that Hübsch should be confirmed by the related documents. But as long the direction is not known ... nothing will happen.

 

[Ross G Caldwell]

Hi Huck,

I agree with all your points. 1849 is unfortunately a long time ago, and with the various wars, including two world wars, and whatever else might have happened, many of the important documents might be lost.

It is a big hole, the lack of information from Eastern Europe. No one person could do it. Well, maybe one could, but they haven't yet. I know a Russian in the IPCS whom I asked about historical studies from Ukraine, Czech(oslovakia), Hungary, Romania etc., and he said there aren't any. To do this study, you'd have to know all those languages, and German and Russian (and maybe Greek), and you'd have to have skill in paleography, and above all an interest in playing card history. And, you'd have to have the money and time to do it. Not an easy thing to expect. Maybe now, with some stability and equality in Europe, we can hope that some youngster will arise who can do that for us, or rather, later generations. Maybe one day we'll be able to say "For the first three hundred years of study, historians thought they understood playing card history from documentation in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. But with the rapid increase of primary documentation from the eastern part of Europe, we can now see the diffusion of playing cards in Europe in a different light."

But for the earliest stages of tarot history, I don't think we're missing anything. Tarot is, mercifully, a product of 15th century Italy.

Ross

 

[Huck]

Yes ...

there is an autobiography of Charles IV.
I don't have it.

There are the Regests of the Emperor.
http://ri-regesten.adwmainz.de/

There is a detailed "journey to Paris".
I don't have it.

There should be some material available.

 

[kwaw]

Warning to Sabbath Breakers: c.15th century

Two 15th century English church wall paintings on the theme of 'warning to sabbath breakers' that appear to include cards, the five and six of diamonds respectively:

http://www.paintedchurch.org/breagsab.htm

http://www.paintedchurch.org/hessesab.htm

The site suggests that the five of diamonds was deliberately chosen in reference to the five wounds of christ.

 

[Bernice]

Regarding the 5 and 6 diamonds on the wall paintings at the 'paintedchurch' link. According to P. Foli (Fortune Telling with Cards. 1964) the glyph 'coins' was squared into the French carreaux - now the familiar 'diamonds'.

If this is so, then the playing cards must have come via France to England. However, P. Foli erroneously believed that the tarot preceded playing cards.....

Bee