Weird Old German Book and 17th Century Teaching Card Games

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I was rooting around on my external hard drive again, and I found this old German book in my Emblem Book folder. I had downloaded it and filed it away without any proper examination. It turns out to be a card game of some sort.
http://diglib.hab.de/drucke/tg-117/start.htm
Title is - " Eine nützliche Spiel-Karte für die Flucher: Und nützliche Fluch-Karte für die Spieler "
online translation - " A useful card for the game had cursed: and useful curse card for the players " (sic)
Perhaps it means 'A Useful Card Game For The Curser And A Useful Curse-Card For The Player'
I love the Fraktur typeface, and I sure do wish I had paid attention to my 7th, 8th, and 9th grade german teachers!

Johannes Praetorius 1630-1680 (226 pg) printed in Nürnberg : Hoffmann, 1671
weirdoldbooktitle.jpg weirdoldbooktitle.jpg Viewed 23112 times 19.7 KiB
- I wonder how this book was used. Were the pages supposed to be cut out and pasted on board ? Did the book accompany a real deck, Like the 'Pictorial Key to the Tarot', and the Waite-smith ?

- 4 suits: Leaves, Acorns, Hearts, and Bells The number of the card is at top, and an equal number of suit icons are in a line afterward, instead of being distributed in a pattern across the card/page area. There appear to be 4 court cards (Der konig, Der Ober, Der Unter, and Das Daus). Pips are numbered 6-10.
I found a german wkipedia article explaining it. It's a style of deck called 'Deutsches Blatt' or 'German Journal' or 'German Newspaper'.
German http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsches_ ... ches_Blatt
English http://translate.googleusercontent.com/ ... ches_Blatt
After reading the broken Google Translation, the way I understand it is that the court cards are King, Over, Under, and Deuce. Ober has the word 'Dame' after it in parenthesis. 'Unter' has the word 'bauer' after it, and that means farmer. The 'Daus' is said to represent a pig. So it must go King, Queen, Farmer, and Pig !

- Very very weird book/card deck/whatever. Something bad is happening in almost every picture. In this one below, a person is being boiled alive in a big pot, and someone else is lighting a row of houses on fire. Not your standard Tarot deck. I hope this is supposed to be a funny game !
Last edited by hoo on 20 Jan 2011, 03:09, edited 1 time in total.
Deliver me from reasons why you'd rather cry - I'd rather fly...
Jim Morrison - The Crystal Ship

Re: Weird Old German Book and Card Game (1671)

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You found a treasure, I wasn't aware, that it existed, though likely I've seen some pictures earlier.

Johann Praetorius (1630 - 1680) was the first, who in extended manner wrote about "Rübezahl", a later popular German giant in the Riesengebirge, still a topic in my childhood (I had such a book, naturally in a later collection and for children).
Also he wrote about witches in a manner, that he believed in them and their bad habits. He researched the Blocksberg, where the story exists, that witches collected at this place (He relates this to the Terminus "Bock" and somehow to the Bockspyl (a sort of old Poker), I assume.
Totally he wrote about 50 books.

The first part (opening) of the text is a moralization and against gambling. It was written by an Anton de Guevara to a count de Osorno, in a "goldenes Sendschreiben" ...

possibly this man ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_de_Guevara
... but he died 1544, and the text is given as written in 4th of August 1553 (p. 39 - number 00047)

But: It's confirmed by other sources, that this seems to be the right author, a bishop and a court preacher at the emperor court of Charles V (so the date is an error). Some of his texts were translated by Aegidius Albertinus c. 1600.
http://de.wikisource.org/wiki/ADB:Albertinus,_Aegidius

The count of Orsono likely was this man, who died 1546:
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garc%C3%AD ... z_Manrique

****************

The following (by Praetorius) is a Moritaten-collection. One bad story after the other. Interesting: the author quotes his sources, at least occasionally. The picture descriptions (on the cards) all start with "You shall not curse at games .." and they repeat this at the end. More or less all have the theme, how gamblers found their way to hell or another bad end. Parallel to this (text parts) he tells bloody stories.
So we see many devils on the pictures, small black scribbled devils (flies ? ... :-)...).

Image


Image


In the final passage starts to tell how important his work is. He works on his glamour ...
Well, in one sentence he claims to have detected the mystery of Kabbala. ""Kurtz! Ich habe die alte verlohrne Cabalam der Juden wieder erfunden / darauf die Bekehrung des gantzen Israels beruhet." Sic.
Huck
http://trionfi.com

Re: Weird Old German Book and Card Game (1671)

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hoo wrote: After reading the broken Google Translation, the way I understand it is that the court cards are King, Over, Under, and Deuce. Ober has the word 'Dame' after it in parenthesis. 'Unter' has the word 'bauer' after it, and that means farmer. The 'Daus' is said to represent a pig. So it must go King, Queen, Farmer, and Pig !
Ober and Unter are the old German court cards, already mentioned by Johannes of Rheinfelden (1377) as the most common version. Though: already Johannes knew also Queens.

Ober and Unter are common in Southern Germany, especially Bavaria, till nowadays, with old German suits. The Northern part took French suits (King - Queen - Bauer) ... the Unter is called Bube or Bauer.

Following is not proven ... but somehow logical:

French suits, when they spread towards Northern Germany, would have come via Cologne. In Cologne they have 3 figures in Carnival, Prince, Virgin and Bauer. Cologne Carnival isn't so old, it was manifested in the 1820's (after France had Cologne in Napoleonic times ... what was earlier, isn't very clear. But the Cologne Bauer is a very old tradition, this is from 1433 ...

Image


In the center of the eagle is the Kölsche Bur (Kölner Bauer), which was interpreted in 19th century this way ...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... r-Boor.JPG

The Kölsche Bauern played an important role in the battle of Worringen (1288), when the citizens had a great victory against the party of the Cologne arch bishop. Cologne became a free city then, only responsible to the emperor, not towards the arch bishop.
In 1423 then Cologne was interpreted as a city of the Bauernstand ... and they were proud of it. The Köln / Cologne developed from Colonus, Farmer. Already an old Roman name "Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium" included the Colonus. Another part of the name was Agrippina, cause Cologne was raised to the rank of a Roman city, when the younger Agrippina (born at Cologne) had become wife of the Roman emperor Claudius (50 AD). There you have the symbols, Bauer and Virgin, which reappeared in the Carnival.
Huck
http://trionfi.com

Re: Weird Old German Book and Card Game (1671)

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Another deck production (landmaps, geography) by Johann Paetorius
http://a.trionfi.eu/WWPCM/decks02/d00371/d00371.htm

******************

A further card game by Johannes Praetorius is noted here:

"„Eine astronomische Karte“. Nürnberg 1663, 12°. Titel, Dedication (unterz. 6. Oct. 1662) und Vorrede, 2 Bog., (lat. u. deutsch), dann 36 auf Pappe aufgezogene deutsche Karten, die mit verschiedenen astronomischen Figuren versehen sind, unter denen sich deutsche Verse mit lateinischen Ueberschriften befinden. Die Vorrede enthält zu ihnen die Erklärung (Dr.). Gewidmet einem Breslauer Patriciersohn Georg Schöbel, jur. utr. candid., amico et fautori suo singulari."
http://de.wikisource.org/wiki/ADB:Praet ... Dichter%29

And ... good luck ... it's on the web:



More from these cards at:
http://digital.slub-dresden.de/sammlung ... 6317726/3/

**********************

I'm not sure, what this is:
Dann folgte erst 1660 (nicht 1659), oder eigentlich erst 1661: 2) „Eine Zigeunerkarte oder Chiromantienspiel“, Nürnberg bei Joh. Hoffmann, 28 unbeziff. Bll. 12° (Berlin), deutsch, zum Theil in Versen, den Mitgliedern der polnischen Nation in Leipzig gewidmet. Die eigentlichen Karten, Abbildungen der Hände und ihrer Linien enthaltend, fehlten bei dem von mir benutzten Exemplare. In diesem kleinen Büchlein erzählt er, daß er ein großes vollständiges Werk über denselben Gegenstand ausgearbeitet habe, das „jetzt nur auf den Verleger wartet“ (Chiromantie, Anagr. næret mich jo). Ein solcher muß sich bald gefunden haben, denn noch in demselben Jahre erschien [524] ein mächtiger Quartant, der in Wirklichkeit aus zwei Werken bestand: 3) „Judicium chiromanticum Praetorii seu thesaurus chiromantiae locupletissimus: multis jocis et amoenitatibus, plurimis tamen seriis instructissimus“ (lat). Leipzig 1661, 1026 S. 4°. Gewidmet Joh. Georg III. (damals noch Kurprinz und erst 14 Jahre alt). Mit S. 857 beginnt ein ganz neuer Gegenstand, eine Metopo-Scopia (per Anagramma: Caput ipse homo). Obwohl dieser durch den Custoden Me an das Voraufgehende angehängt wird, ist es doch ein Theil des folgenden Werkes. Ein Index ist zu der Chiromantie nachträglich angelegt, findet sich aber nicht in allen Exemplaren (vorhanden Dr., fehlt Lpz.). 4) „Centifrons idolum Jani, hoc est: Metoscopia seu Prosopomantia completissima“ (lat.). Leipzig 1661, 14 S. u. S. 301–340. Enthält das Frontispicium (Vorrede) zur Metoscopia und den letzten Theil derselben, dann einen Index, der den zugehörigen Theil aus 3 mit umfaßt (Dr., Lpz.). Das Durcheinander von 3 und 4 erklärt sich dadurch, daß beide bei demselben Verleger (Oehler in Leipzig) erschienen, aber 3 in Jena, 4, wohl um recht schnell fertig zu werden, in Arnstadt gedruckt ward. Das Exemplar der Dresdner Bibliothek von 3 und 4 ist in Goldschnitt gebunden; es wird das Dedicationsexemplar sein, und hier ist auch vom Buchbinder die richtige Reihenfolge hergestellt, dem freilich der Custos Me (s. o.) widerspricht. Die Dedication enthält eine jammervolle Schilderung seiner traurigen Lage und eine directe Bettelei an den Kurprinzen.
from the same above mentioned source

The starting title "Eine Zigeunerkarte oder Chiromantienspiel" means translated: "A Gipsy card or Chiromantic game". The author of the biography seems to know, that there were cards, but they are missing in his version. The whole project (a small book with cards) developed to two other works.

German astrowiki states about it:
http://wiki.astro.com/astrowiki/de/Johannes_Praetorius
Eine Zigeunerkarte oder Chiromantienspiel. Nürnberg bei Joh. Hoffmann
Über den Tarot und die Chirologie.
Which would mean, that it contains something about Tarot, but this seems to be nonsense.

Here are 3 works, referring to these projects:
http://dbs.hab.de/katalog/regsearch.php ... /start.htm?

The short work with the Zigeunerkarte is not given. But might be, that there is another game, this Praetorius had been rather productive.
Huck
http://trionfi.com

Re: Weird Old German Book and Card Game (1671)

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I found this as a sold ebay-article:

Image


about 8.50 Euro ... seems to be a reprint of an older deck and the title says, that it is from Praetorius (?), and it's not a card against cursing, not a geography card and not a chiromanty card ... so likely a 4th deck from Praetorius (natually it could just claim to be from Praetorius).

The top card seems to be Mercurius ... so this should be in the style of Greek gods cards ... .-) like the Michelino deck.
Huck
http://trionfi.com

Re: Weird Old German Book and Card Game (1671)

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Huck, you've done quite a job on this. I just spent the last 2 hrs following your leads. Now I have a lot to say, but it's time to go to work all of a sudden. I'll be back to this forum in 7hrs.
I have also just sent you a PM.
Image
Deliver me from reasons why you'd rather cry - I'd rather fly...
Jim Morrison - The Crystal Ship

Re: Weird Old German Book and Card Game (1671)

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I found this:

Image


with Text:
04125 Praetorius, Johannes: Eine Neu-Erfundene Kunst-, Sinn- und Lehrreiche Antiquiteten Karthe. In 36 wunderliche Figuren verabfasst und verfertiget. Würzburg: Edition Popp 1981. 8x12,5. OBrosch in Leinenmappe in Pappschuber. CHF 40,00/EUR 28,00
Sehr frisches, sauberes Exemplar ohne Gebrauchsspuren. - Faksimilierter Reprint der Ausgabe von 1662 (Nürnberg/Hoffmann); einzelne Karten und 2 Büchlein (7x12cm; broschiert mit Schutzumschlägen) in faltbarer Leinentasche und in originaler Faltpappschachtel. - 36 bebilderte Karten, lateinischer Originaltext (ca. 48 Bl.; mit mehreren Abbildungen) und Kommentarband (mit deutscher Übersetzung des Originaltextes von Brigitte Stahl; Kommentar und Informationen zu Johannes Praetorius von Helmut Waibler; ca. 182 S.).
Gewicht in g: 225.
http://www.schlick.ch/s/galerie/gal_zauberei.php

... and this ...

Image


... in this article, which offers some more pictures of playing cards:
http://www.transeurope-footrace.org/jud ... eminar.pdf
Huck
http://trionfi.com

Re: Weird Old German Book and Card Game (1671)

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Well, this is just spectacular ! This newn deck you've found by Praetorius, is even more interesting than the one in the book that I started this thread for !
It appears to me, from your research that the 'curse card book' or 'Fluch Book' (If I may call it that
Image
) In the original post, is somewhat lighter hearted than it appeared to me at first. Praetorius has published an admonishment against gambling.
The picture descriptions (on the cards) all start with "You shall not curse at games .." and they repeat this at the end. More or less all have the theme, how gamblers found their way to hell or another bad end. Parallel to this (text parts) he tells bloody stories.
and it was meant to be entertaining. Now you've gone and found other card decks by the same guy.
  • 2 - Card Deck: "European Geography", 16783 is an interesting example of the pedagogical purpose that cards were being used for.
  • 3 - Card/Book: 'Eine astronomische Karte', 1663 is another card/book from the same guy.
  • 4 - Card Deck (?) and Book - Eine Zigeunerkarte oder Chiromantienspiel. A palm reading manual. Should have a deck of cards associated
  • 5- Card Deck and Book. 'Antiquiteten Karthe' The best find of all, I think. 2 books and 36 cards.
As you say
this Praetorius had been rather productive.
This really had me musing on a comparison of all this with the Tarot proper..
  • 1 - What's the earliest known pairing of a deck of Tarot cards with a companion book.
  • 2 - We see in all of these decks that the pips are illustrated.
    Usually, we read that the Rider-Waite is, with an acknowledgement of the Sola-Busca
  • 3 - We find in most of these decks, that they have 'divinatory' purpose
    Usually we read that the Etteilla deck was the first Tarot deck designed specifically for fortune-telling.
Now, these works of Praetorius are not, strictly speaking, Tarot decks. I quess they should be considered 'Oracle" decks. But from the mid 17th C they are quite surprising. It puts the standard Tarot in a perspective among many other variations in a lively artistic/literary/mystic/academic culture.
It reminds me of the Emblem Books. By this time they were being created with similarly diverse and eclectic purposes. Published by everyone from Alchemists (Maier) to Jesuits (Menestrier) to Mnemonists. (Murner).
In fact, most of these drawings paired with text beneath have the appearance of an emblem book.
George Withers Emblem book was a fortune telling game as well. (discussed, along with others, in the Books of Fortune and Dreams? thread -
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=490&start=10#p9206
His illustrations did not have suites assocviated with them, but it falls I think, all into the same broad category. Oracle Cards and Oracle Books were not entirely seperate items. Was all this inspired by the Tarot deck ? Or is that deck just part of something much larger ? Since the Tarot deck and playing cards in general have a history known to extend back before the printing press, I think it will be difficult to judge.
Deliver me from reasons why you'd rather cry - I'd rather fly...
Jim Morrison - The Crystal Ship

Re: Weird Old German Book and Card Game (1671)

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Hello,
hoo wrote:Now, these works of Praetorius are not, strictly speaking, Tarot decks. I quess they should be considered 'Oracle" decks.
Don't they look like "standard" german card decks adapted to divination ? so isn't it fortune telling superimposed on a regular playing deck ? It looks quite unlike what is called nowadays oracle or earlier fortune telling books or cards, doesn't it ?

Bertrand
cron