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Neatorama is proud to present a guest post from Gary Noarnan, a contributor to the ragbag.
The king of hearts is called the suicide king because the king appears to be stabbing himself in the head. The jack of spades and jack of hearts are known as one-eyed jacks because their faces are in profile and only one eye is visible. But do you know why the nine of diamonds is called the curse of Scotland? Did you even know that it’s considered to be the most unlucky card in the deck? It is, though how it received its fearsome name is a source of wild speculation.
[Image credit: Flickr user feministjulie]
Here are eight leading theories on why the nine of diamonds is called the curse (or scourge) of Scotland. Some are more plausible than others, but all of them are highly intriguing.
1. British Commander William Augustus, the “Butcher Duke of Cumberland” was a lover of card games and always carried two packs on his person. After his decisive victory in the Battle of Culloden, he quickly scribbled an execution order for his Scottish prisoners on the closest paper he had at hand. The paper turned out to be—you guessed it—the nine of diamonds, a card that haunts the Scots to this day.
[Prince William, the “Butcher Duke” of Cumberland]
2. In the reign of Mary Queen of Scots, A notorious jewel thief by the name of George Campbell snuck into Edinburgh Castle and successfully heisted nine valuable diamonds. He then escaped to a neighboring country, never to be heard from again. Queen Mary responded by levying a heavy tax upon her kingdom to replace the gems. The hapless tax-payers have ever since had negative opinions about the nine missing diamonds and have vented their frustration by renaming the nine of diamonds playing card, the curse of Scotland.
[Image credit: Flickr user afternoon_sunlight]
3. Comete, a card game inspired by the discovery of Halley’s comet was introduced to Scotland by James II. To win the game, one needed to secure the nine of diamonds. It is said that the card was called the curse of Scotland on account of the large sums of money that Scottish gamers lost when first learning this new game.
more …
John Littleboy designed four decks of beautiful playing cards. One side is, of course, all the same, while on the other side, each card has a different illustration. Placed sequentially, they tell a story. The decks are named Bag of Bones (pictured), Mermaid Queen, Kitten Club, and Pack of Dogs. Link -via Everlasting Blort
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Domo Playing Cards – $5.95
Attention Domo fans. Be hold the adorable Domo Playing Cards from the NeatoShop. These cards probably won’t make you a better poker player, but they will help you get in touch with your inner Domo.
A WARNING TO THOSE WHO HAVE HARNESSED THEIR INNER DOMO: Please avoid nervously passing gas during the card game. None of us want to smell you releasing your inner Domo.
Be sure to check out the NeatoShop for more unusual Playing Cards!
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Brazilian designer Mauricio Arruda created this cleverly named the House of Cards Table that looks like it’s resting on a flimsy stack of cards.
But don’t let that fool you – the "cards" are actually made from plates of steel and can be put together in random configuration, just like you would a real deck of cards: Link – via Furnifurnish
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Believe it or not, some of us still play games with real cards at a table with family and friends. Playing cards have a rich history dating back to the 14th century. The oldest cards are rare and precious, and many not-so-old cards are works of art. You’ll find everything you ever wanted to know about playing cards and more at the World of Playing Cards. Link -via the Presurfer
Star Trek Playing Cards – $11.95
I can picture Bones saying it now. "Dammit, Jim – I’m a doctor, not a poker player" But with these collectible Star Trek playing cards from the NeatoShop, I’m sure everyone playing will have fun!
Link | More fun Playing Cards | Toy & Games | Star Trek stuff
From top left, going clockwise: Art by Alexandra Petersen, Debbie L. Foster, Nicole Linde, and Shanon Playford
Art in Hand – The Portland Project invited 54 local artists from Portland, Oregon, to transform an ordinary deck of playing cards into pieces of art. They’re auctioning these cards to raise money for charity: Link – Thanks Alex!
Bombs
Away Shot Glass - $19.95
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w00t! We've just gotten a new shipment of some of our most popular products ... so we've just added them to the Neatorama Christmas Special. Every purchase will get you a free Mystery Bonus.
Quantities are very limited, so order now to get it in time for Christmas, mmmkay? Your purchase helps support the blog. Thank you!
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Silver Playing Cards – $9.95
Don’t play poker with those b-o-r-i-n-g playing cards! Check out these: a deck of silver playing cards that will surely liven up your next poker night. It’s a guaranteed winner!
Newly listed – From the Neatorama Shop: Link
