Added January 2017: The thread was renamed from "A sort of Victory ... playing cards 1303" to "A sort of Victory - Brieg playing cards 1303 ; theme -1377" with the intention to collect threads, where the topics are earlier than the year 1377 (early playing card documents); not included are themes, which don't relate to a very early origin of playing cards.
I intend to collect these threads via link at the thread "Collection Playing Cards before 1377 ; theme -1377"
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1155
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Start original article:
"Anno 1303 wurden zum Brieg in einem Hause am Ringe, drey Karten-Spieler vom Donner erschlagen/ wie sie die Blätter ausgetheilet hatten."
Three card players died 1303 in Brieg in a house "am Ringe" (a sort of address, likely street name) by a lightning, after they had dealt the cards.
"Brieg" should be "Brzeg" nowadays
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brzeg
from: "Neue Laußnitz- Böhm- und Schlesische Chronica/ Oder Allerhand Denck- und Merckwürdiger Unglücks- und Trauer-Fälle/ so sich in dem Marggraffthum Lausitz/ dessen angräntzenden benachbartem Königreiche Böhmen/ und Fürstenthümern Schlesien/ in den nechsten dreyhundert und Sechs und Achtzig Jahren begeben und zugetragen : Theils aus gelehrter Leute Schrifften/ theils aus guter Freunde communicirten Manu-Scriptis, theils auch aus eigenen Collectaneis, in eine richtige Jahrgängige Landschaffts-Ordnung gebracht und auffgesetzet / Von Heinrico Roch, I.C. & Reip. Pat. Senatore" (in the year 1687)
http://digitale.bibliothek.uni-halle.de ... ure/444886
A source noted by Hübsch in 1850 in his book about Bohemian trade.
http://trionfi.com/0/p/95/
The author tells, that he is Heinrich Rochus, Jurus Consultus und "Ratsverwandter" at Marglissa (likely Lesna near Görlitz). He seems to give his sources (however, not specific), but it's doubtful, if they're of any use.
He reports "bad events" from 1301 - 1687 in Bohemia, the Lausitz and Silesia in 3 different parts, one for each of the different regions. Bad events are earthquakes, great fires, floodings, heavy storms, plagues, murderous activities, wars und as a speciality, if somebody was hit by a lightning.
A rough estimation : 90-95 % of the texts sound like more or less true, plausible stories.
... well, something to do.
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I've read all 3 regions from 1300 - 1500 and took some quick views at the rest of the text which is the larger part of the book (which has about 500 pages).
I found 3 notes of interest in the early part:
1303: A lightning kills 3 cards players in Brieg (Silesia)
1303: A lightning kills 7 dice players in Kotnitz (Lausitz)
1309: "Anno 1309 brachte das Kärntnerische und Tirolische Kriegsvolck das Würfel-Spiel in Böhmen/ das Land-Volck begab sich in die Städte /verliessen ihre Wirthschafften/ und brachten einander umb das Geld/ daraus enttand Blutvergiessen und Todtschläge".... which means some mercenaries from Styria and Tyrol brought dice playing to Bohemia, which caused much trouble. This note was used by Hübsch in his text, the other both not.
No other note about card or dice playing till 1500 in the text (disappointing). I took only a rough view about the later parts of the 3 texts and detected 3 murder cases connected to gambling easily, probably there are some more (but - for my interests - they are "too late").
Difficult to say, if it's probable, that the both about 1303 are "faked history" or not. The fact, that they appear both at the "first place" an "the same year" makes them somehow not reliable, disregarding the problems, that playing card history has with such early entries, which tell something about playing cards.
A sort of Victory - Brieg playing cards 1303 ; theme -1377
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Last edited by Huck on 25 Jan 2017, 16:47, edited 6 times in total.
Huck
http://trionfi.com
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