The History of Games: From Medieval Inns to Online Games
Entertainment is one of the most important aspects of human society. We all need to wind down after a hard day of work. Some people like to watch television, some people crash on the couch with a good book, and some still like to gather at a friend’s house and play a round of cards. But, despite the popularity of many card games, there are those who aren’t quite aware how cards themselves developed throughout history. That is what we would like to explore in this article.
The History of Cards
Today, most of us look at cards as a relatively modern invention. Sure, we think of card games as having been around in the Old West, or in Victorian England, but we never assume that these plastic rectangles could date much further back in time. There is a good reason for this assumption. Cards in the 21st century are most commonly associated with the internet.
From the growing success of online casinos, to the various live gambling options online, cards have become an internet staple. Sites like casinos.com feature a wide variety of very well-known games like poker, blackjack, baccarat, and more. While this has made card games a lot more widely available, and in turn a lot more popular, it has also built an association between cards and digital technology
However, the truth is that cards are much older than most people assume. That is why we are going to take a look at how cards were invented, where they were invented, and how they spread throughout the world, to become one of the most popular entertainment methods worldwide. So, without further ado, let us deal with the issue at hand.
The Invention of Cards
As with most modern day inventions that we still use, cards are believed to have been created in China, during the Tang dynasty. Historians are unsure as to the exact year, but the Tang Dynasty lasted from 618 to 907 C.E., so the first deck of cards could have popped up anywhere in that almost-300-year timespan.
Most people today associate cards with plastic. However, the original cards were, of course, not created from the modern material. Instead, the Chinese players and card makers relied on paper. Originally, these paper cards served as a gambling currency, no different than casino chips. However, as the time passed, game runners began adding symbols on the cards, and creating new games.
One of the oldest preserved gambling games is a Chinese card game called yezi xi (or leaves), which many view as the precursor to the modern card games that we know and love. The collapse of the Tang Dynasty and the rise of the Song Dynasty saw the popularity of cards grow, which ultimately led to the products attaining a worldwide audience.
Spread to the World
In the 13th century, the Silk Road was the largest trading route that connected the middle east and the far east to Europe. Along the silk road, one could find merchants from various countries in Europe and Asia, selling their wares. Many of these merchants were Chinese, and it was those Chinese that carried decks of cards with them to the Islamic World.
Whether the Chinese merchants brought card decks with them for their own pleasure, or explicitly for trading, we will never know. However, we do know that this is where the origin of cards in the near east can be traced to. One of the oldest surviving examples of playing cards was discovered in Egypt, and can be traced to the Mamluk Sultanate of the 15th century.
Once the Muslim nations got their hands on cards, it wasn’t long before decks reached Europe. Through trade routes with the Byzantines, the Moors, and the Turks, European merchants quickly got ahold of card games, and sold them throughout Europe. And it was during this era that many of the best-known card traits began to form.
European Adaptation
The European countries adapted the Chinese and Islamic card symbols to symbols that their population can more readily identify with. It was during this era that the famous card suits emerged. The heart and diamond require no explanation. However, many might be confused by the spade and club. Initially, the spade symbolized a shovel, whereas the club was meant to resemble a spear-point. These suits were created in France, and still endure to this day.
It was also in Europe that many of the modern card games got their start. For example, blackjack is said to be a modern adaptation of an English game called Vingt Un, which some believe dates to the 16th century. Indeed, the game is referenced in the works of Miguel de Cervantes, one of the greatest literary genius of the era, and the mind behind Don Quixote. But, apart from games, cards also developed other purposes throughout European history.
Alternatives to Classic Card Games
One of the earliest uses for cards was in the realm of magick and mysticism. Fortune tellers would frequently claim that cards had the ability to tell the future, and would invite customers to select cards out of a deck, believing that the card they chose would influence the course of their lives. It is from this belief that tarot cards arose, and of course, tarot readings are still a big part of mysticism to this day.
Apart from magick and mysticism, cards are also a staple of stage performances, and stage magic. Everyone is familiar with the classic magician phrase of “pick a card, any card…” Using cards in performances and tricks dates back to the era of courts and kings, so even that is nothing new. But, what is very new, is the development of trading cards and trading card games.
Magic: The Gathering was the first TCG (trading card game), at least by modern standards. It introduced many of the features and standards of the genre, and to this day, it is still one of the most popular games that you can play with cards. The success of M:TG inspired other card games like Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokemon: The Card Game, and of course, Hearthstone.
