Collage:Queen of Spades

The card decks we play with today date from an English design, which in turn replicates a French-inspired deck. All of the face cards carry symbols endowed with various meanings, and are traditionally thought to stand for certain virtues and/or vices. In general, the image of the queen of spades is thought to represent Pallas Athene, the greek goddess of wisdom. In the card game hearts, she is often referred to as "the evil queen" because she can force a player to lose (or to win big if he or she risks it all.) Because she holds a scepter, she is also referred to as "the bedpost queen." The origins of the spades symbol are swords, not the shovels they seem to represent.