Why is the King of Hearts killing himself? Playing cards are well known to everyone because we use them from an early age and they are rooted in our culture. However, if we look closely, the playing cards have a hidden history!
There are lots of symbols associated with them. Did you ever notice that the King of Hearts is the only king of cards without a mustache? Why the King of Hearts is also called as ‘Suicide King’? Let’s find out in this article!
1. King of Cards: Short History
Let’s look at the King of Cards cards on the deck, actually, each king represents the great kings in human history. Take a look!
- King of Spades ( ♠ ): King David
- King of Clubs / Curly ( ♣ ): Alexander the Great
- King of Hearts ( ♥ ): Charlemagne (King Charles the Great)
- King of Diamonds ( ♦ ): Julius Caesar
King of Spades ( ♠ ): King David
King David is the second leader of the kingdom of Israel, who made Jerusalem a center of spiritual pilgrimage. David was a God-fearing and wise ruler, who, like all mortals, was prone to make mistakes: the monarch committed a crime for which he had to pay for a long time.
King of Clubs / Curly ( ♣ ): Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great is the great commander of antiquity, who managed to subjugate most of Asia in a short time, reaching India and Pakistan. He went down in history as a conqueror who did not lose a single battle.
King of Hearts ( ♥ ): Charlemagne (King Charles the Great)
King Charles the Great is the king of the Franks, who united under his rule half of the continent and became the first European emperor. He encouraged science and fought for universal literacy.
King of Diamonds ( ♦ ): Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar is the great Roman commander and emperor, famous for his military exploits, one of the most famous rulers who were in power in ancient Rome.
2. Does King of Hearts Really Committee the Suicide?
Now let’s pay attention only to the kings of cards!
If we look at each hand we can see that only the King of Hearts has the sword in his hand which is stabbing his own head that’s why the King of Hearts is also called Suicide King. However, why would he kill himself?
3. The Main Theories of the King of Hearts’ Murder
There are some mysterious theories why the King of Hearts kills himself. Believe it or not – decide for yourself!
Does the King of Hearts Kill Himself or Somebody is Trying to Kill Him?
Now let’s look at the King of Hearts once again and we can notice that he has 4 hands!
We can see the King’s hand on his shoulders. Now it’s clear that someone is trying to kill the King of Hearts! Then whose hand is stabbing the sword on his head?
Let’s observe the Queen of Cards!
Firstly, we would want to mention that queens of cards also have a certain purpose on the deck!
- Queen of Spades ( ♠ ): Athens ( Goddess of War)
- Queen of Clubs / Curly ( ♣ ): Argine (an anagram of “Regina” in Latin means “queen”)
- Queen of Hearts ( ♥ ): Judith (Biblical Figure)
- Queen of Diamonds ( ♦ ): Rachel (Biblical Figure)
Actually, each card is like a mirror between the top and bottom sides of the card which means that the face on the card must be opposite. Let’s look at the direction of the face of each queen.
We can see that all queens of cards are mirrored however if we pair the Queen of Spades with the King of Hearts, it will always be in the opposite direction even though Queen of Spades goes back and forth.
Let’s have a look at the King of Hearts and the Queen of Spades again.
There is one more coincidence we have to mention. The wrists of the Queen of Spades are similar to the wrists of the King of Hearts on the cards. The pattern of clothes on their hands is also the same.
There are lots of Incredible Poker Facts you didn’t know before, have a look!
King of Hearts and King Charles the Great: Mysterious Coincidences
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article the King of Hearts is related to King Charles the Great. Let’s look at the history of King Charles the Great and we can probably find some mysterious coincidences.
Charles was just one of four kings who saw his face printed on a playing card. Charles lay in bed for two years, constantly tinkering with cards and constantly getting weaker. Over time, there were reports that Charles became obsessed with the idea that the thirteenth card in the suit, the king, brought him bad luck.
Once, a few months after his reign ended, one of Charles’s doctors entered his room and found a frail old man standing in the middle of the room with a large sword in his hand. The King said: “They have shown me the truth of thirteen, and it is not meant for mortal eyes.”. After that, he thrust the blade to the left side of his head (between ear and temple) until it came out the other side.
After the announcement of this incident that King Charles the Great had gone mad, the picture of Charles on King of Hearts was changed to show his suicide.
However, the strangest part of the whole story is the day when Charles decided to commit suicide: July 6, 1462. Whether this was the king’s intention, the facts 7+6=13 and 1+4+6+2=13 can only be explained as a coincidence. Or maybe not?
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