Earliest English Playing Card Meanings

[Teheuti]

Dr. Flamstead’s and Mr. Patridge’s New Fortune-Book containing . . . Their new-invented method of knowing one’s fortune by a pack of cards appears to be the oldest book with instructions on fortune-telling-with-cards in the English language (1729-1750 - in various editions).

For more information including the verse interpretations:
http://marygreer.wordpress.com/2010/01/18/oldest-cartomancy-meanings-in-english/

Much thanks to Ross for finding additional information.

 

[Le Fanu]

I don't have them at hand, but are Lenthall's Fortune Telling cards (England, 1712) distinct from playing cards? I thought they had playing card inserts, but I could be wrong. So long since I've looked at mine...

 

[Teheuti]

I don't have them at hand, but are Lenthall's Fortune Telling cards (England, 1712) distinct from playing cards? I thought they had playing card inserts, but I could be wrong. So long since I've looked at mine...

I was referring to the "oldest book. I don't believe the Lenthall deck came with a book. Lenthall has playing card suits and numbers but the individual cards don't have their own meanings. Rather they are used in a lottery fashion to get you to your fortune. The first "Flamstead and Patridge" book was also in the style of "lots." The later book, which is much shorter than the first, simply gives the brief instruction for spreading the cards and drawing one and then an individual verse meaning for each card (with separate meanings for men and women).

 

[Bernice]

Ah! I thought these rhymes looked familiar, they're in Jonathon Dees' book "Fortune Telling with Playing Cards". But I couldn't find any reference for their origin in the book.

I wonder if in the original 1729 book, there are any other woodcut pics of *men* divining with cards? I know you have been looking for such images.

Wonderful find!


Bee


ETA: Looking through Johnathon Dees' book I see that on page 9 he says that the first book about using cards for divination appeared in Germany sometime in the 1480s.

Also, that the first custom-made deck complete with occult imagery appeared in England, London 1685. It was reprinted in 1712 by John Lenthall and advertised as "fortune-telling Cards, pleasantly unfolding the good and bad luck attending human life, with Directions of the Use of the Cards". Is this the one Le Fanu was referring to ?

B

 

[Le Fanu]

Yes, they are the ones I was referring to. Here are samples of the deck (taken from Mary Greer's website ). I'm sorry, I misread and no I don't think it did come with a book...