The Origin and History of Playing Cards.
The history of playing cards extends back five hundred years, and
various stories and theories have been mooted as to how and by whom
they were first introduced into Europe. Many Eastern nations—notably
those of India, China, Chaldea and Egypt—possessed cards for
divination and playing purposes which differed both in design and use
from those known in Europe at an early date. It seems from ancient
manuscripts that the wise men of the East regarded cards with great
veneration and ascribed to them mysterious powers. They considered them
mediums of revelation from the celestial powers.
Many authorities hold that playing cards were invented by Europeans. It
is certain that they were known in Italy as early as 1379, and that the
Moors and Saracens introduced them into Spain at an earlier date. The
first cards were called “Nabis,” and the Hebrew word “_Nabi_” means to
prophesy. This gives weight to the theory that the original intention
of cards was for purposes of divination.
The earliest cards of which we have any definite knowledge were called
“Tarots,” which are supposed to have been the invention of a Jewish
astrologer and cabalist. Various explanations are given as to the name.
The science and divination by means of these cards were supposed to
be found in the Egyptian “Book of Thoth,” which Moses learned in the
Egyptian temples and of which he guarded the secret jealously. Outside
of a few packs in some of the museums, there are no tarot cards to
be found. The pictures on them represented priests, popes, jugglers,
emperors, devils and other characters. Later on numerals were added
to the symbolic cards so that games could be played with them. At the
beginning of the fifteenth century, Venice had games of cards composed
of 78 cards, 22 containing symbols and 56 numerals. Later the size of
the pack was reduced to 52 cards.