What Does the Spade Symbolize?
The spade symbolizes many things to different races and religions. The spade has grown to symbolize good luck, death and many more moments that have defined human lives. Through trials of strength and times of fear, the spade represents each tribulation. It is through these tests and the survivors that discovered the profound meaning that the spade continues to grow in recognition.
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History
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Long thought to symbolize darkness and power, there are several different meanings and uses for the spade symbol. Believed to represent the cosmic tree, or the tree of life, the spade also symbolizes fall, winter and the power of darkness. In biblical instances, the spade symbolizes Adam's punishment from God to toil in the earth until the end of his days. During the 1400s and 1500s, taxes were placed on card decks. Throughout England, only government printers produced the ace of spades and card printers could only purchase the ace of spades from the government. This helped enforce a tax placed on decks of cards; if the card was present, it acted as a receipt for tax payment. The well-known intricacy displayed on this card helped deter forgery.
Card Games
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Printed on French playing cards made in Rouen and Lyon, both famous cities in France, the spade first appeared on playing cards in 1480. The spade may have represented Italian swords, but eventually came to replace the symbol of the sword that was originally used in decks of cards. Typically thought of as the most dominant suit, the spade symbolism varies by card games. Obviously, any spade is a trump card in the game called Spades.
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Tarot Card Symbolism
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Although typically thought of as a bad omen, the spade symbolizes many different things. Although death is one of the interpretations of the spade, it is not as literal as most people fear. Instead of symbolizing the death of an individual, the spade symbolizes the death of something old and the birth of a new opportunity, or the ending of one period and the beginning of the next. In addition to this translation though, the spade also symbolizes understanding and action.
In the War
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The spade soon found its place alongside many American soldiers throughout World War II. Believed to be the most powerful card in a deck, some American soldiers painted the Ace of Spades on helmets and aircraft for good luck. During the Vietnam War, soldiers used the spade was used to scare Vietnamese soldiers. Meant to symbolize death, soldiers left the Ace of Spades cards on fallen enemy soldiers to frighten surviving Vietnamese troops.
Slang
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The derogatory side of the spade's symbolization began centuries ago when Greek writer Plutarch wrote about the Macedonians, stating they were uncivilized and could only use blunt words, thereby referring to them as spades, which then represented dull objects, such as bowls and troughs. It would be much later in 1647 when writer John Trapp would write "Gods people shall not spare to call a spade a spade, a niggard a niggard." Following this association, the spade began to mistakenly symbolize black people in an offensive manner.
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References
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Comments
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What Does the Spade Symbolize? The spade symbolizes many different things. Although death is one of the interpretations of the spade, it is not as literal as most people fear. Instead of symbolizing the death of an individual, the spade symbolizes the death of something old and the birth of a new opportunity, or the ending of one period and the beginning of the next.
