Bells (suit)

{{Short description|German playing card suit}}

{{Infobox card suit

| image = Bay schellen.svg

| image_size = 120

| image_alt = Symbol from Bavarian pattern

| caption = Symbol from Bavarian pattern

| native_name = {{langx|de|Schellen}}

| deck = {{Plainlist|

• German-suited playing cards
• Swiss-suited playing cards

}}

| invented = 15th century

}}

Bells ({{Bell}}) ({{langx|de|Schellen}}) is one of the four playing card suits in a deck of Swiss-suited and German-suited playing cards. Unlike the other German suits, this suit was not adapted by French card makers. In its place, there was initially a suit of red crescents until the suit of Diamonds was added to the French pack (known as tiles in France).{{cite book|last1=Dummett|first1=Michael|title=The Game of Tarot|date=1980|publisher=Duckworth|location=London|pages=10–32}} The suit is usually known in German as {{lang|de|Schellen}}, but is sometimes abbreviated to {{lang|de|Schell}}. Cards are referred to as in a French deck e.g. the "9 of Bells", but in German as {{lang|de|Schellen 9}}, or the "Unter of Bells" ({{lang|de|Schellunter}} or {{lang|de|Schell-Unter}}).

Bells are the lowest suit in Skat, Schafkopf and Doppelkopf, but the second highest in Préférence.

The suit of bells specifically depict hawk-bells which are used in falconry.{{cite web|url=https://playingcarddecks.com/blogs/all-in/history-playing-cards-modern-deck|title=The History of Playing Cards: The Evolution of the Modern Deck|last=Roya|first=Will|date=

October 16, 2018|website=playingcarddecks.com|access-date=July 26, 2024}} As such, they are reminiscent of the falcon suit used in earlier German hunting decks such as the Ambraser Hofjagdspiel and Stuttgart pack.

The standard German-suited system of leaves, acorns, hearts, and bells appears in the majority of cards from 1460 onwards. There is no evidence for this system prior to this point.

Bells appear as one of four suits alongside feathers, hats, and shields in several incomplete packs made in Basel. The dates for these packs range from 1470 to about 1529. The 10-rank card utilizes pips rather than the characteristic banner.

Bells appear as one of four suits alongside crowns, shields, and acorns in a set of mutilated cards possibly made in Alsace in 1480.

The standard four Swiss-German suits of shields, acorns, hawkbells and flowers were found in playing cards inside a book cover (circa 1530) made in Basel. These cards feature the distinguishing banner replacing the 10-rank, and have the three court cards: King seated in a throne, Ober, and Unter.{{cite web|url=https://www.wopc.co.uk/switzerland/antique-swiss-playing-cards-c.1530|title=Antique Swiss Playing Cards, c.1530|last=Wintle|first=Simon|date=July 3, 1996|website=www.wopc.co.uk|publisher=The World of Playing Cards|access-date=August 26, 2024}} This Swiss-German suit system is believed to have developed earlier with the earliest example dated between 1433 and 1451, though only cards from the shields suit survived.

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