The Washington herald., 1910-03-21
CARDS AND THEIR HISTORY.

Fortune-telling cards are gypsy trove.
To the Bohemian at least is due their in
PRODUCTION into Europe. while their origin.
Ike his. remains a mystery. Popularity
speaking, playing cards are supposed to
date from their so-called invention for
the entertainment OF Charles VI OF
France by Gringonneur, a miniature
painter. Says an authority upon the sub
tect: The game (Jeu de Rob is derived
from the game OF cards invented in the
days OF yore by an illustrious and learn
ed person." Such a discovery. however.
is not likely to have gone unehallenged,
and Gringonneur most probably got his
ideas from the original cards with en-
blematic figures then in use for fortune
telling throughout Europe by the gypsies,
according to r. Holt Lomax, in the New
York Post
No specimen exists Of the original
cards, but traces of them may be found
IN the cards called 'tarots," from the
Greek ito pierce" A complete tarot pack
numbers seventy-eight, OF which fifty
two cards have their equivalents in the
modern pack. namely, the forty pip
cards from the ace 10 ten and the four
kings, queens, and knaves. There were
originally, besides, four knights, which
later were suppressed. The balance OF
the pack Is made up OF the fool" which
has no number, and twenty-one ''atouts' -
], the Juggler; 2, the Papess; 3, the En-
peror; 4. the Empress; 8. the Pope; 6. the
Lover: Z, the Chariot: s. Justice: g. the
Hermit: 10. the Wheel OF Fortune: II.
Tortitude; Il, the Pendu, or man hanging
by one leg; Is, Death; Il, Temperance; Is.
the Devil; 16. the House of God or Thun-
derbolt; II, the Star; IS, the Moon 10, the
Sun; 20 Judgment; q. the World. This
last is reckoned highest among atouts,
which, again, are OF superior value to the
court OF coat and minor cards. The
"FooI' counts separately. It has no In
dependent value, but the power to in
crease that of any card in combination
with IT, and answers to the zero in Arabic
numerals. It also corresponds to the an
cient Phil. or elephant, of Indian chess.
or the Fol" or "Fou." in the tower or
castle.
Modified Symbols.
The Juggier. or Master of Fortune. with
his cap and bells, is another Oriental
symbol. modified TO suit the times. Pope
Joan" or ''the Papess." refers to an al
legged female occupant OF the holy see for
a period of nearly two years and a half
between the certificates OF Leo " and
Benedict III. on Italian tarots the '1over"
is represented by a regular Cupid. what
ever may have been the original love en-
blem. The "Pendu" is suggestive of a
Chinese torture. and possibly implied sus-
pense. as the Egyptian Chariot speed
or promptitude. 1t is significant that 10
Is the Death card A universally ac-
cepted emblem is the Devil who had
his personal appearance much embel-
lished in the Middle Ages. The House
OF Cod" which shows a house shattered
by lightning, is symbolicaI OF desolation,
the consequence Of a catastrophe The
star" the Moon" the SUM-" objects
OF primitive worship. are sufficiently en-
blematic, and their accessories on Euro
pean tarots. as in the World" which
has prayer meeting. are plainly after
thoughts
This symbolism Is reflected In gypsy
talk and in the fortune-telling language
of the cards. Badges which distinguish
minor cards. however. have not this sig
nihcance. Modern hearts. spades, clubs,
and diamonds. like the hearts. bells,
leaves, and acorns on the German cards,
and the cups, coins. clubs, and swords cn
the Spanish and Italian. are the results
of local caprice and not symbolicaI OF an
cient lore. The only method traceable In
such is that OF class distinction, as in
tarots of the four Indian castles: the vase
is the symbol OF the priest, money OF the
merchant, the sword of the warrior, and
the club Of the tiiler Of the soil Siml-
larry, on medieval cards swords signlfed