Foreword｜Win City
Even if you’re not familiar with the longstanding association of the ace of spades with the “card of death,” you’ve probably heard the Motörhead singing their famous song “the aed of spa-aades” loudly over the speakers. It’s not just composition The song of the band, and also the highest and most valuable card in the deck.
Perhaps, like me, the title is the only part of the song that you feel comfortable singing along to, or that you actually pay attention to (apologies to all die-hard Motörhead fans!). Listen to it again, and there’s a jovial rhetoric of gambling pleasure throughout the song, with a special reference to “dead man’s hand again.”
So where did it all start?｜Win City
There are many ideas and theories about how the highest value card became synonymous with death, but whatever its origin, it seems to be well established in the minds of superstitious people around the world. But let’s go a step further and explore some of the history that gave this doomed card its status of doom.
Back in the Middle Ages, when blacksmiths were making armor and weapons, they would often stamp the ace of spades on their creations in order to provide some mark of quality. Given the vessel they used, this ominous association with the symbol led to its association with death.
In the 1700s, Queen Anne of England extended stamp duties to playing cards. Manufacturers sign the Ace of Spades with ornate badges to show that this tax has been paid.
The signing process was time consuming and expensive – increasing the price of the deck by as much as 12 times! – so people started forging their own. Of course, this comes with a lot of risk. Producing counterfeit cards is a capital offense punishable by hanging. You forge an Ace of Spades stamp, you get caught, you die. Thus, the ace of spades means death to many, a connotation that is hard to shake off.
In the 18th century, it was a favorite of pirates to let a traitor or informer know that he was dying; he was “on the spot.” As a symbol of intimidation, it follows the skull and crossbones. Then there’s the design of the card itself – for some, spades represent tools used to dig graves.
And since the Ace card has the highest value, it will get your coffin dug deepest. The deck consists of 52 cards, each card is believed to represent a week of the year and each card represents a season. Spades represent winter, and ace heralds Christmas week, the death of the year.
As pawns in nature’s game, we cannot escape the cycle of death despite what we may try, and this card’s place in the calendar is a reminder of that. The beginning of winter is a time of fear and dread among members of the poorer classes, as it signifies the beginning of the struggle until spring. Will there be enough food? Will we stay warm enough? Many families died from famine and freezing.
Wild Bill Hickock, seeking revenge for a loss at cards days earlier, was shot through the head by Jack McCall in a wild west lawless day The Ministry will immortalize the “dead man’s hand”. He died instantly, lying on the poker table with cards in his hands, now spattered with blood.
Vietnam War｜Win City
There are several theories about the use of the Ace of Spades in the Vietnam War. The first is that Americans thought the Vietnamese were very superstitious, and the ace of spades hit their fear of death. Rumor has it that the European association with the card hit the Vietnamese harder because of the struggles they faced during six decades of French rule.
Therefore, for the Vietnamese people, this symbol supposedly signifies cruelty under foreign control and influence. This rumor apparently spread quickly and with this knowledge, American soldiers wanted to use the symbol as a form of intimidation.
In 1966, at the request of the 25th Infantry Division, the Cincinnati-based American Playing Card Company donated and mailed 1,000 decks of cards, all aces of spades, to troops stationed in Vietnam. The media back in the US took hold of the story and amplified the rumor that the Viet Cong were more afraid of cards than bombers.
In fact, the cards were more of a morale booster for Americans. Stick to your helmet, carry it with you in your pocket, and leave it in place after the fight is over. Almost like a lucky charm, these cards make some soldiers feel stronger, like fighters.
It was an extremely difficult time for all involved, which gave some American soldiers in the field some encouragement. Among some American soldiers, leaving cards over the eyes of dead Vietnamese soldiers became the last thing they saw, or placed in their mouths, as a warning to other enemy soldiers.
Among other accounts, the Vietnamese see it as more of a phallic symbol than death, which in turn may lead them to believe that Americans are necrophiles. According to Capt. Edward N. Walker of the 6th Psychological Warfare Battalion in 1966, it’s sure to make room for you in bars, or scare away any potential romantic partners.
Curious about the reactions of the locals, he asked his platoon to pull them out at random in a social setting. It does, indeed, seem to freak people out. But then again, wouldn’t you stay away if a foreign soldier took out a well known symbol but only had negative connotations?
On the other hand, other theories claim that the Ace of Spades has never been heard or seen used in any way. It is believed that any idea behind this card that worked against the “superstitious” Viet Cong stems from ignorance and racism on the part of the US.
Thanks to the Francis Ford Coppola film Apocalypse Now, the card became a symbol of war itself.
What about today?｜Win City
In a more modern context, the ace of spades has a long and exciting relationship with pop culture. It is often used in connection with rock music and motorcycle culture – nothing is cooler than danger and nothing is more dangerous than death – two important aspects of these cultures.
This is the most popular tattoo and many rock singers, bikers or gang members will proudly adorn themselves with this symbol. To heighten its death connotations, it is often accompanied by flames, flames and skulls. A quick glance at Ebay will confirm its popularity. Is it that death is still such a taboo in the West that we are so attached to it?
Patches worn by American soldiers are available for purchase, including one that places the Ace of Spades alongside Death. Or, if patches aren’t your thing, you can buy a giant Ace of Spades tee with a skull in the middle of the Ace of Spades.
Not only did it pop up in pop culture, but it was known that when Cliff Burton, Metallica’s bass guitarist, tragically died in Sweden in 1986 at the age of 24, he had the ace of spades earlier in the night.
The card gave him the “winning hand” to choose the bed first on their tour bus, and when it crashed in the middle of the night, not wearing a seatbelt, he flew straight through one of the bus windows and was killed by the vehicle crushed. As depressing as all this talk about death may seem, it’s good to remember that death is both the end of a cycle and a new beginning—the beginning of something new.
In the tarot, the ace of each suit is a good omen as it offers the seeker hope for a new cycle. After the chaos of destruction subsides, a brighter future can be born from the ashes.
