The Curse of Scotland: Why the Nine of Diamonds?
Contents
For nearly three centuries, the nine of diamonds playing card has been known as "the Curse of Scotland". Nobody knows for certain why. Popular explanations link it to the Massacre of Glencoe, the Union of 1707, Culloden or a card game. Some of these stories can be ruled out by dates; others cannot be proved. This card examines the leading theories and what the evidence allows us to say.
TL;DR
- established The nine of diamonds has been called "the Curse of Scotland" since at least the eighteenth century.
- shared One theory links it to the coat of arms of the Dalrymples, Earls of Stair, which includes nine lozenges (diamond shapes). John Dalrymple, Master of Stair, was blamed for the Massacre of Glencoe (1692) and supported the Union of 1707.
- traditional A popular story says the Duke of Cumberland wrote "no quarter" orders on the back of a nine of diamonds at Culloden in 1746. The phrase appears to predate Culloden, which undermines this explanation.
- traditional Other suggestions include the card game Pope Joan, in which the nine of diamonds is called the "Pope", a tax of nine pennies, and the theft of nine diamonds from the Scottish crown.
- shared No explanation is proven. The Dalrymple theory is the one most often favoured by writers, but it is also unconfirmed.
Key Facts
- Card
- Nine of diamonds
- Nickname
- "The Curse of Scotland"
- Recorded
- By at least the 18th century
- Leading theory
- Dalrymple arms (Glencoe and the Union)
- Popular story
- Cumberland's orders at Culloden
- Other theories
- Pope Joan card game; tax; stolen crown jewels
- Status
- Unproven
A Note on Claims and Evidence
Each major claim carries one of three labels. established means supported by primary records, official bodies or several independent reliable sources. shared means the core fact is sound but sources disagree on details, dates or interpretation. traditional means widely repeated but not traceable to a primary or independent source.
The earliest known uses of the phrase are debated, but it appears in print before Culloden, which rules out explanations based on 1746 as the origin. This card treats all explanations as unproven.
Timeline
Massacre of Glencoe; the Master of Stair blamed.
Act of Union, supported by the Earl of Stair.
The phrase "Curse of Scotland" appears.
Culloden; the Cumberland story later attached.
Writers debate the origin.
Details
The Dalrymple theory
shared The coat of arms of the Dalrymples of Stair features nine lozenges on a saltire, resembling the nine of diamonds. John Dalrymple, Master of Stair, as Secretary of State for Scotland, signed the orders that led to the Massacre of Glencoe in 1692, and the Earl of Stair later supported the Union of 1707. Both events made him hated, and the theory suggests the card was named in reference to his arms.
Culloden
traditional A widely told story says that the Duke of Cumberland, after the Battle of Culloden in 1746, scribbled orders to give no quarter to the Jacobite wounded on the back of a nine of diamonds. The story is dramatic but appears to post-date the phrase itself.
Other theories
traditional Other suggestions include: the card game Pope Joan, in which the nine of diamonds represents the Pope, an object of hostility in Presbyterian Scotland; a tax of nine pennies levied on Scotland; and a story that nine diamonds were stolen from the Scottish crown, leading to a tax to replace them. None is supported by firm evidence.
What we can say
shared The phrase was in use in the eighteenth century, and the Dalrymple theory fits the timing and the imagery, but it cannot be proven. The true origin may never be known.
Did You Know?
- The nine of diamonds is called the Curse of Scotland.
- The Dalrymple arms include nine lozenges.
- The Culloden story appears to post-date the phrase.
- In Pope Joan, the nine of diamonds is the "Pope".
- No explanation has been proven.
FAQ
1Why is the nine of diamonds called the Curse of Scotland?
Nobody knows for certain; several theories exist.
2What is the leading theory?
That it refers to the arms of the Dalrymples, blamed for Glencoe and the Union.
3Is the Culloden story true?
It appears to post-date the phrase.
4What is Pope Joan?
A card game in which the nine of diamonds is called the Pope.
5Will we ever know?
Probably not with certainty.
Sources and Further Reading
Primary/Institutional
- Notes and Queries, 19th-century correspondence on the phrase
Scholarly/Critical
- E. Cobham Brewer, Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1870 and later editions), entry "Curse of Scotland"
Caveats: Myths and Disputed Claims
- Do not present any single explanation as proven.
- Do not state the Culloden story as the origin.
A Folklore story