Melies did not make a decision to give human names to the court cards -- in
the Paris pattern of French packs, from the middle of the 16th century, all
the court cards are named -- KH: Charles (prob. Charlemagne), QH: Judic, JH:
Lahire, KS: David, QS: Pallas, JS: Hogier, KD: Cezar (can't do an acute
accent in Outlook Express!), QD: Rachel, JD: Hector, KC: Alexandre, QC:
Argine, and JC: Lancelot.
"French court cards are usually named. This has always been so in the Paris
area although the pracrice was infrequent in the provinces." Sylvia Mann,
Collecting Playing Cards, Howard Baker Press 1966, new ed. 1979.
Unfortunately cards on the whole have been standardised, since the 1920s, to
the ubiquitous "Poker" design, but cards are still available in various
countries with their own national characteristics, and suits -- check the
card players in village pubs worldwide. Standardisation creeping in, but
still some stick to the old styles.
Lyn (a founder member of the Playing Card Collectors Society, but now
lapsed!)
I was struck by Melies' decision to give
human names to the queen of hearts and the king of clubs.
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