Cards History. Part 2

Later in Florence 20 more trumps were added. Twelve of them were called as Zodiac signs, four trumps meant four virtues (faith, hope, mercy and prudence), the rest four signified elements: ground, water, fire and air. Fool and jester went out of the pack, the rest 97 cards were used in "minchiate", forgotten game. As the popularity of card games in Europe grew (but for England, Russia, Scandinavia), all trump cards and four knights are taken away from the pack. However, fool remain, we call it joker nowadays. Tarot cards are used in Europe to foretell future. They exist at the present time, but are rather rare in use. By the why American magazines advertise Tarot cards as "the most fashionable means" to foretell future.

The same reason caused the appearance of the European 52 card pack and the Oriental variant of the dice game - domino: people urged to divide gambling from the world of magic. Though there must be a more trivial reason. The matter is 78 and 97 cards are very hard to keep in mind. That is why all trumps were taken away. The other cause is purely technological one. Initially, before the invention of the printing machine and all other means that would make the production easier, cards are colored by hand. Naturally, special stencils were used. However, medieval cards, decorated by skilled miniatures and pictures looked like little masterpieces, not like the attribute of gambling. And what`s more important they were extremely expensive. Not every one could afford to buy them. Demand caused by the immense popularity exceeded supply. That is why the pack became smaller and cost less.

Specific production defined the symbols of suits and their names. But they changed in the process of times influenced by customs and traditions of different countries. In the XIV century France saw the pack decorated by stylized suits: hearts, spades, diamonds and clubs. Gradually, these symbols came into use in many European countries and acquired the status of four card suits. However, the names of suit differ throughout the world.

Thus, in France they are called hearts, spades, tiles and trefoils. Obviously, this comes from the outward likeness. As I have already mentioned the manes of suits in Tarot cards came the names of things pictured on cards: cups, swords, coins and batons. Nowadays suits in Italy are called by the French appellations: hearts, spades, squares and flowers.