PLAYING CARDS on ICELAND
"Islenzk Spil"
or
"Fornmannaspilin"
This deck was designed by Tryggvi Magnusson and printed in Altenburg.
It was published in
June 1930 for the first time as "Fornmannaspilin" (the Historical
Icelandic Playing Cards). The deck shows the native Icelandic Vikings of some
thousand years ago. Their names are given in the banner that seperates both sides
of the design.
There have been several editions of the deck. The first one is
the most elaborate: the coloured backs and the decorations of the case were
high-lighted in gold and silver. In the first four editions the seven of Hearts
bears the (copyright) inscription "öll rjettindi áskilin Tryggvi
Magnusson". After 1937 this was omitted, because someone else, Magnus
Kjálar, had bought
the rights.
The first cards shown are from the deck that was published in the
late 1930's. The ones below are from a later edition in the 1980's. Some of the differences between the two decks:
The older deck has white
background. The later deck a yellow striped background.
The grey background
in the middle is clearly outlined in the older deck, suggesting mountains. In
the later deck this part has become more like a grey fog.
The banners on the
aces are in b/w in the older deck.
In all there are 24 national figures on the courts
Spades:
King (t) - Vígo-Styrr
was a chieftain of Borgarfjördur, a killer. Mentioned in the Heiðarviga
Saga.
King (b) - Egill Skallagrimsson was a chieftain from Borg, but also the
greatest poet of the Time of the Sagas.
Queen (t) - Unnur Djúpúðga,
wife of war king Olafur the White, was one of the settlers of Iceland.
Queen
(b) - Auður
Vésteinsdóttir was the wife of Gísli
Súrsson
and famous for her fidelity to her husband.
Jack (t) - Grettir Asmundsson was
one of the strongest men and greatest swimmer, but ill-fated in the Grettis
Saga.
Jack (b) - Gísli
Súrsson
was a great hero, but also an outlaw for many years. His story is told in the Gísli
Súrsson
Saga.
Hearts:
King (t) - Snorri Sturluson, member of the Sturlungs
family, was not only a brilliant historian, but also a powerful chieftain.
King
(b) - Hrafn Hængsson
was the son of Ketill Hængur,
a decendant of the Norwegian earls. Hrafn was elected first law-speaker of
Iceland in 930.
Queen (t) - Helga Haraldsdóttir, daughter of a
Norwegian earl, was married to Hörður Grímkelsson. When he was killed she swam
with her two sons from Hólmi Island to the mainland, the Helga Swim.
Queen
(b) - Helga the Fair was the daughter of Thorstein the White, son of Egill
Skallagrimsson, and the most beautiful woman in the Time of the Sagas.
Jack (t) - Hörður
Grímkelsson,
a promising leader, was outlawed. He lived at Hólmi and became leader of the
Hólmians. His story is told in the Harðar
Saga.
Jack (b) - Gunnlauger the Snake's Tongue is one of the pricipal
characters in a love-story bearing his name, the Gunnlaug Saga, and is
considered to have written some of the most beautiful love poems of the Time of
the Sagas.
1st deck ACES 2nd deck
the other courts, jokers etc. are on the next page