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tommy Eternal Order Devil's Island 16544 Posts |
The first reference to the card game in world history dates no later than the 9th century, when the Collection of Miscellanea at Duyang, written by Su E (fl. 880), described the Wei clan (family of Princess Tongchang's husband) of the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD) enjoying the "leaf game" in 868. The Yezi Gexi was a book on the card came which was allegedly written by a Tang woman and commented on by Chinese scholars in subsequent dynasties.[520][521] In his Notes After Retirement, the Song Dynasty (960–1279) scholar Ouyang Xiu (1007–1072) asserted that playing card games existed since the mid Tang Dynasty and associated this invention with the simultaneous evolution of the common Chinese writing medium from paper rolls to sheets of paper that could be printed. During the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), characters from popular novels such as the Water Margin were widely featured on the faces of playing cards. By the 11th century playing cards could be found throughout the Asian continent. Playing cards were some of the first printed materials in Europe, appearing by the 14th century (i.e. in Spain and Germany in 1377, in Italy and Belgium in 1379, and in France in 1381) and produced by European woodblock printing before the innovation of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg (c. 1400–1468).
The picture shows a Chinese playing card found near Turfan, dated c. 1400 AD during the Ming Dynasty. From the Museum fur Volkerkunde, Berlin. Its dimensions are 9.5 cm by 3.5 cm. http://kaleidoscope.cultural-china.com/e......178.html
If there is a single truth about Magic, it is that nothing on earth so efficiently evades it.
Tommy |
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funsway Inner circle old things in new ways - new things in old ways 9982 Posts |
With this focus on cards and their history, one might ask why their use in divination gained popularity over other methods such as Casters and Skrying? If we assume that there is "need" for folks to be doing divination for others as a cultural trait, how does Tarot serve as a tool compared with other methods? IS it easier to learn? More versitile?
Such questions must also be part of the "back-story." If a Seeker asks, "Why do you use Tarot cards -- I wand some real divination?" what do you reply?
"the more one pretends at magic, the more awe and wonder will be found in real life." Arnold Furst
eBooks at https://www.lybrary.com/ken-muller-m-579928.html questions at ken@eversway.com |
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tommy Eternal Order Devil's Island 16544 Posts |
Playing cards remain one of the worlds' mysteries and that is one of the things that makes them so attractive don't you think?
Curiouser and curiouser! Said Alice.
If there is a single truth about Magic, it is that nothing on earth so efficiently evades it.
Tommy |
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Alan Wheeler Inner circle Posting since 2002 with 2038 Posts |
As an English teacher who uses cards, I would best know how Alice encountered the Queen of Hearts or why Sophie's father collected Jokers as the world was formed from the inside and the outside simultaneously in Sophie's World.
A gambling-themed magician should be familiar with some real background on card-sharps, right? Anyone doing real or quasi-theatrical fortune telling, in my humble opinion, should know what they are dealing with and how they are affecting people participating in the show.
The views and comments expressed on this post may be mere speculation and are not necessarily the opinions, values, or beliefs of Alan Wheeler.
A BLENDED PATH Christian Reflections on Tarot Word Crimes Technology and Faith........Bad Religion |
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George Ledo Magic Café Columnist SF Bay Area 3042 Posts |
"If you have to lie, keep it as close to the truth as possible."
Donna made an interesting comment a few years ago after realizing how much research JK Rowling did while writing the Harry Potter books: she had figured JK just made it all up. Donna is not into magic at all, so most of JK's references, including Nicolas Flamel, didn't mean anything to her. Yet the "real" historical bits in the story did give it more substance. The Star Wars movies are full of little historical tidbits that "feel" right, especially if you recognize them. I loved the race scene in Episode 1, where Anakin is driving a chariot with two jet engines. A lot of the architecture in these movies is also based on fact. Geez, even a lot of the old Disney cartoons have factual tidbits all over them. A magic show does not want to be a history lesson, but just a little bit of background can make a huge difference.
That's our departed buddy Burt, aka The Great Burtini, doing his famous Cups and Mice routine
www.georgefledo.net Latest column: "Sorry about the photos in my posts here" |
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Jonathan Townsend Eternal Order Ossining, NY 27297 Posts |
? by fact do you mean currently accepted mythos? Like white togas?
...to all the coins I've dropped here
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George Ledo Magic Café Columnist SF Bay Area 3042 Posts |
Nooo... by fact I mean stuff that actually exists or existed. But "currently accepted mythos" can probably work in this context too, whether you push it as serious or as parody as part of the "backstory."
I'm thinking specifically about a comment Dave Bamberg made in a magazine article years ago, to the effect that magicians were using guns with funnels on the muzzles. Well, okay, I know what a gun is, and I know what a funnel is, and I know what a blunderbuss is, but don't try to get me to (seriously) believe that a plastic so-called "dueling pistol" with a plastic funnel on the muzzle is a blunderbuss. That's just going to distract me from what you're doing and make me wonder how seriously you take your performance.
That's our departed buddy Burt, aka The Great Burtini, doing his famous Cups and Mice routine
www.georgefledo.net Latest column: "Sorry about the photos in my posts here" |
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Alan Wheeler Inner circle Posting since 2002 with 2038 Posts |
The background might be current mythos: "Some say there are ancient pictures of cups and balls in Egypt."
Or the background could be fabricated as with George Lucas and J.R.R. Tolkien or as when the Pixie Dust is said to be crushed-up Pixies. Update on my previous post: I had the wrong title for the book with cards in the story. The actual book by the same author (Gaardner) is called _The Solitaire Mystery_. FROM WIKIPEDIA: The crossing over of worlds: The two stories of Hans Thomas's journey, and the events in the sticky bun book start to overlap: The cards in the sticky bun book take part in a game, where each says a sentence, and Frode tries to interpret its bizarre meaning. But sentences such as "the inner box unpacks the outer at the same time as the outer box unpacks the inner" and "destiny is a snake so hungry it devours itself" seem devoid of meaning for Frode. However, the cards' predictions as told in the tiny book begin to reveal details about Hans Thomas's own plight to find his mother. It occurs to Hans Thomas that his mother bears a striking resemblance in her personality to the Ace of Hearts in that she 'loses herself' (disappears) for long periods. Also, throughout Hans Thomas's journey, he has seen the same odd little bearded man following him about (the man who gave him the magnifying glass which proved so useful to read the sticky bun book). But whenever Hans Thomas approaches the little man, he seems to dash away and vanish. The baffling thing for Hans Thomas is that he stopped for the cake merely by chance, and chose to eat a sticky bun by chance - how is it possible that a tiny book from a random bun is telling him things about his own life?
The views and comments expressed on this post may be mere speculation and are not necessarily the opinions, values, or beliefs of Alan Wheeler.
A BLENDED PATH Christian Reflections on Tarot Word Crimes Technology and Faith........Bad Religion |
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tommy Eternal Order Devil's Island 16544 Posts |
The Muggle is rarely immune to the charms of an ancient story, shrouded in mystery and magic.
The magicians' first task is to arouse and increase the curiosity of the Muggle and I'm not sure that it should be satisfied at all; Who knows the the secret of the black magic box? The origins of playing cards? I am reliably informed that playing cards were first created by the Snake Ghosts of the East for their amusement .....
If there is a single truth about Magic, it is that nothing on earth so efficiently evades it.
Tommy |
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Jonathan Townsend Eternal Order Ossining, NY 27297 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-09-29 17:48, George Ledo wrote: Like white Ancient Roman togas and statues? Our current understanding of those items suggests they were ornamented, colored and painted. IMHO catering to the currently held (and taught at a high school level) popular conceptions of things is about as close to "history" as serves our craft.
...to all the coins I've dropped here
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George Ledo Magic Café Columnist SF Bay Area 3042 Posts |
Jon, that's what I was saying... a magic show does not need or want to be a history lesson. But a little "something" can help the audience "grab it."
If I were doing a magic act, I don't see any reason to go into a lecture on how we have found evidence of many ancient statues being polychromed. Even a "color changing statue turning into a real person" would be stretching it (hmmmmm... maybe not... let's see, there's the Vampire illusion, and there are lots of boxes...). On the other hand, if I were doing a segment on Hellenistic architecture for PBS, I'd probably want to mention it.
That's our departed buddy Burt, aka The Great Burtini, doing his famous Cups and Mice routine
www.georgefledo.net Latest column: "Sorry about the photos in my posts here" |
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lynnef Inner circle 1407 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-09-28 15:34, Pop Haydn wrote: good advice. If you don't know the history of the prop, make up a really good story. Lynn |
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Jonathan Townsend Eternal Order Ossining, NY 27297 Posts |
There are a few histories to choose from in performing.
There's history as known by the audience through other media or experience There's history as known by the performer's experience and items he's found along the way. There's history in the form of mythos that the audience knows as fables, old wives tales, just-so stories and urban legends There's history in the form of stories the performer uses to illustrate notions as part of his communication. That do want the performer's character to expect of the prop? What do you want the audience to expect of the prop?
...to all the coins I've dropped here
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