Heathen Divinities

Following archaeological discoveries and new literary works, the Romantic era saw a resurgence of fascination with ancient myths, folklore, and pre-Christian religions. The 12 full-length court cards from this 52-card pack in the British Museum, produced by an anonymous artist, are an early 19th century depiction of classical Greek and Roman divinities. The kings are wearing crowns and classical robes and the four queens are their consorts or wives. The four jacks are other related gods. The ace of spades shows an assembly of the 12 deities encircling the suit mark.

The term "heathen divinities" therefore refers to gods and goddesses worshipped in pagan or pre-Christian religions. In this pack we see a variety of Greek & Roman deities including Pan, Venus, Vulcan, Mercury, Prosperine, Pluto, Momus, Amphitrite, Neptune, Bacchus, Juno and Jupiter. The captions beneath the images attempt to summarize the relationships between the deities which may have inspired the artist's imgination.

The numeral cards are also hand painted but undecorated, just plain pips. The card backs are also plain.

Above: Pan was the Greek god of shepherds, also representing untamed, rustic passion and desire. Here we see him playing pan pipes in the wilds of nature. • Venus is the goddess of love and beauty, equivalent to the Greek Aphrodite. She was the consort of Vulcan, the Roman and Greek god of fire. A forge and metal workers can be seen in the background. These three deities are connected through themes of love, desire, and beauty, though in different contexts.

Above: the Roman god Mercury, fleet-footed messenger of the gods, wears winged shoes and a winged hat, and carries a caduceus • Prosperine (or Persephone) was the daughter of Ceres. She was abducted by Pluto, king of the underworld, during which time the earth experienced a period of darkness. The dogs may be symbolically linked to the underworld. There also appears to be an image of Sisyphus in the background. Pluto also presides over the afterlife and various scenes in the background may allude to this. All three are connected through the mythological framework of the underworld: Mercury's role as a guide and mediator, Proserpine's position as the queen of the underworld, and Pluto's dominion over the dead.

Above: Momus, the god of satire, mockery and poetry in Greek mythology, was also a figure of harmless fun, a harlequin. He became the Fool in Minchiate packs • Amphitrite in Greek mythology was the goddess of the seas and wife of Poseidon, who was identified as Neptune, god of the sea in the Roman pantheon. Neptune and Amphitrite are therefore closely linked through their marriage and shared dominion over the sea, while Momus has a more general role.

Above: Bacchus was the god of wine and revelry in Roman mythology, and we can see this going on in the background scene • Juno was the wife and sister of Jupiter, the chief Roman god of the sky and of thunder. His sacred animal was the eagle which became a common symbol of the Roman army. Jupiter, Juno and Bacchus have interconnected stories that highlight themes of jealousy, protection, and divine power. Jupiter, as Bacchus's father, protects and nurtures him, while Juno, driven by jealousy, attempts to undermine him • The cards were produced using watercolours with pen and ink, 62x93 mms, backs plain. © The Trustees of the British Museum • Number 1896,0501.941►

References

British Museum Number 1896,0501.941►

O’Donoghue, Freeman M: Catalogue of the collection of playing cards bequeathed by Lady Charlotte Schreiber (English 39), Trustees of the British Museum, London, 1901 [digital version here]