 | This article has multiple issues. Please helpimprove it or discuss these issues on thetalk page.(Learn how and when to remove these messages) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
|
| Once Hamburg's national game | |
 The eponymousBruus | |
| Origin | NorthGermany |
|---|---|
| Type | Plain-trick game |
| Family | Karnöffel group |
| Players | 4 or 6 (4 best) |
| Cards | 32 or 36 |
| Deck | French pack |
| Rank (high→low) | ♣J♥K♠8 9 A J 7s & 'duds' (K Q 10) |
| Play | Clockwise |
| Related games | |
| Bräus • Brus • Brús • Drużbart • Voormsi | |
| Features 'daring' and 'tormenting'; double and triple tricks; Sevens with special powers. | |
Bruus, formerlyBrausebart orBrusbart, is a north Germancard game for four players in two teams of two. It was once highly popular but has since died out except for a few pockets in the state ofSchleswig-Holstein. As Brusbart, it was the ancestor of a family of similar games in northern Europe, including SwedishBräus and DanishBrus which are still played today. Bruus features 'daring and tormenting' which has been said to give the game a certain charm. Once considered the national game ofHamburg, Bruus is a descendant ofKarnöffel, the oldest identifiable European card game in the history of playing cards with a continuous tradition of play down to the present day. The game is named after theBruus orBrusbart, once its top card, but now its second-highest trump.
The game of Brusbart or Brausebart goes back at least to the first half of the 18th century, Amelung even suggesting that this "old German game" may have emerged as early as 1650.[1] By the mid-18th century it had spread to most of northern mainland Europe, including Poland, Livonia and Russia. Earliest references to the game,[2] appear in the 1770s, by when it was familiar enough for a character in a north German stage play to announce that "my leevtes Spill is Bruusbaart” ("my favourite game is Brusbart").[3] The game contains a number of features that clearly point to its being a descendant ofKarnöffel, Europe's oldest card game with a continuous tradition of play down to the present day.[4] These include the wild ranking of the cards, the unusual powers of the Sevens and, historically, the use ofsignalling betweenpartners using gestures, known aswinken.[5]
Around 1800, "Bruus'baart" was the best known card game in the north German city port ofHamburg, so much so that it was described in 1804 as "Hamburg's national game"[6] and a song was written in honour of it that conveys something of the rowdy atmosphere of the game and confirms that signalling was an integral part of it.[7] In the 1830s and 1840s it was played in the town ofSchleswig and in the 1870s inEckernförde. It is also recorded inBergedorf and the state ofMecklenburg.[8]
The game faded quickly, being described in 1865 as a "formerly" very popular game among the lower classes,[5] and, by 1900, it was virtually forgotten in Hamburg.[9] Nevertheless, it clung on in the north, being recorded in 1911 in theAnglian peninsula, atWallsbüll nearFlensburg and also in centralSchleswig along the Danish-German language boundary.[10] By 1927, it was thought to be extinct having once been "very popular through Schleswig (specifically in Anglia)" and also played in Holstein in Dithmarschen, Hademarschen and Hohenwestedt. It had been especially popular with women.[11]
The name of the game appears to have come from the nickname for theKing ofHearts (illustrated) which was top card until the 19th century when it was gradually overtaken by theSpitz, the Jack of Clubs. The name 'Brusbart' means "shaggy beard" and may be derived from earlyGerman-suited playing cards where the King of Hearts was the only King with a bushy beard. TheSpitz was also calledSpitzkopf. TheToller Hund means "mad dog" and may likewise be derived from the depiction of a dog on the Eight ofLeaves in such cards. The Low German wordbruusen meant 'to play Brusbart' and appears as early as 1800 both as a verb and as a noun (se speelt bruusen).[12] Nevertheless, the name Brusbart, variously spelt, continued to hold sway until the second decade of the 20th century when it was finally superseded by the term Bruus.[10]
Today the game is still played are in Schleswig in the region east of the port ofHusum, in the villages ofSchwesing,Treia and nearbyOster-Ohrstedt.[13][14] Regular Bruus tournaments are held during the winter months in Schwesing and Oster-Ohrstedt.[14] In March 2020, an 'International Open' tournament was held in Schwesing, in which an English player was placed second.[15]
The original game of Brusbart developed into a family of closely related games as it spread across Europe. These include the historical games ofEstonian Brus,Livonian Brusbart,Russian Bruzbart or Dulya and PolishDrużbart, as well as the games ofDanish Brus, SwedishBräus, IcelandicBrús, GreenlandicVoormsi and Bruus itself, which have survived into the 21st century. More distant cousins include FaroeseStýrivolt and SchleswigKnüffeln.[16]
The rules have changed over the years with new features being added, such as double and triple tricks, but the old signalling scheme and lively communication between partners, including bluffing and blustering, has gone. The latter very much features in the Brausebart song of 1800, which is the earliest description of play and was interpreted by Feit in 1907.[17]
The following gives an outline of the earliest known rules from 1885, followed by early 20th century and modern rules as played in Schwesing and Treia.
The earliest rule set is recorded by Zahn in 1885 in theKorrespondenzblatt des Vereins für niederdeutsche Sprachforschung (Magazine of the Society for Low German Language Research). We are told that "Brusbart" was a game played among four players in two teams of two with thepartners sitting opposite one another. Signalling, known aswinken (the same term used in the game ofGaigel) is recorded as late as 1865, but appears to have dropped out by this point and there is no mention, yet, of double and tripletricks. The King of Hearts,Brusbart, reported as being the highest card as late as 1860,[18] has now fallen to second place.[19][20]
AFrench-suited pack of 36 cards is employed. The aim is to win the majority of the nine tricks. There are threematadors[a] which are (highest first):[19]
Next come the remainingbeaters (Wertkarten, lit. valuable cards) which beat each other in rank and then suit order as follows:
Thus the♥A beats the♦A and any Sixes, but is beaten by any Nine and by the♣A and♠A. With the exception of the matadors, the remaining cards (Eights, Tens, Jacks, Queens and Kings) are duds (wertlose Karten) and have no power except among cards of the same rank, where they beat each other in suit order. So, for example, a led♦8 may be beaten by the♣8 or♥8, but not by any other dud.[19]
Sevens arefree cards when led, i.e. they are unbeatable by any other card, even another Seven. Otherwise they are duds i.e. a Seven played bysecond,third orfourth hand is worthless.[19]
Players aredealt three cards each and the rest are placed face down to form thestock (Haufen). It is likely thatplay is clockwise and thatforehand leads to the first trick, but Zahn is silent on these points. He does confirm that the trick winner leads to the next, and that players replenish their hands after each trick, the trick winner taking the top card from theHaufen and the others following in turn.[19]
A player who has theToller Hund, may play it, saying "I dare" (ich wage), and the team earn a bonus if the dare is successful i.e. it is not beaten byBrusbart, but concede a bonus if it is 'whacked' (gekloppt) byBrusbart. LikewiseBrusbart may be dared and is successful if not whacked bySpitzkopf. Daring is only legal if a) the next higher card has not already been played, b) the darer does not hold it, c) the darer is not fourth hand (i.e. last to play to the trick) and d) theHaufen is not exhausted.[19]
Scoring is recorded in the traditional way by chalkingtally marks in the form of lines or strokes (Striche) on a slate. A team that takes at least five tricks chalks up 1 line. If they win the first five in a row, this is ajann and their opponents are 'licked' or 'thrashed' (gejaunt orgejannt) and the winners score 2 lines. A successful dare of theToller Hund is worth 1 line and ofBrusbart is worth 2 lines. If a dare fails, Zahn merely says that the points "naturally fall to the other team". Game is eight lines and the first to record that collects the winnings, either in money,Boltjes ("sweets") or the like.[19]
In 1911, a certain E. Schnack from theAnglian region of north Germany published an account of the game, now called Bruus for the first time. Apart from some different terminology, the main changes are that theJacks replace the Sixes asbeaters and that double and triple tricks are introduced for the first time. In his account, he describes the culture surrounding the game in rural Anglia. The villagers in the local dairy cooperative gather at their local pub where the "dairy money" is paid out. They stay on and chat and then eventually turn to playing Bruus. The landlord hands out a pack of cards, a slate and chalk.[10]
Schnack gives the nicknames of the matadors asSpitz ("top"),Bruus ("grumbler") andDuller Hund ("mad dog").[b] The remaining beaters are the same as before, except that the Jacks now rank immediately below theAces and the Sixes are not mentioned at all. So either the Sixes are worthless duds or there are only 32 cards in the pack.[c] The duds are known as 'Fosi' (Fosen, an historical Germanic tribe in the area of Lower Saxony) and now have no trick-taking power whatsoever, even among cards of the same rank. Meanwhile, the Sevens retain their unbeatability when led, but may now beat one another in the usual suit order:Clubs,Spades,Hearts andDiamonds.[10]
.png)
Players decide who will partner whom and the partners (Magger) in each team sit opposite one another. One player is nominated as the scribe and chalks up a 'ladder'[11] on a slate consisting of six horizontal lines (Striche) divided in half by a vertical line. Each half represents the six lines that a team aims to erase first. The dealer now deals 3 cards, one by one, to each player and places the rest down as aBlock (stock) in the middle of the table.[10]
Any card may be led to a trick and players may also follow with any card. The highest card wins the trick and the trick winner leads to the next. Beginning with the trick winner, players replenish their cards by drawing from the stock as many as they played to the trick.[10]
For the first time, a player may also lead two or three cards to a trick provided they are of the same rank e.g. two Aces or three Kings.[10]
As before, the three matadors have a special role in daring and 'tormenting', as it is now called:Bruus andDuller Hund may be 'dared' (gewagt), whileSpitz andBruus may 'torment' (plagen). Teams erase one line for a successful dare; two lines for a successful torment. Schnack says that up to four lines may be erased if the three cards are suitably distributed.[d] Schnack tells us that "it is this 'daring and tormenting' in particular that... gives the game a certain charm."[10]
Players combine their scores. The first team to take five tricks[e] wins the deal and erases a line. If they take five tricks before their opponents get one, they may erase two lines. The first team to erase six lines wins the round and their opponents score a blob (Null) on the slate. Once a team has four blobs, the slate is wiped clean, the losers pay for the next round and scoring starts again.[10]
Mensing'sSchleswig-Holstein dictionary of 1927 gives a passable description of Bruus. The usual matadors are called theSpitz,Bruus orBruusbart and theDoll Hund. The game is normally played with 36 cards, but an option with 32 cards is mentioned. The beaters rank 9–A–J–6, Jacks being implied, and presumably the 32-card game lacked any 6s. The Sevens are as in Schnack. The stock is called thebarg and the four suits are called, in the Low German dialect,Klewer,Piek,Harten andRuten.[11]
The game was mostly played for fun, not money. Scoring used a ladder with eight rungs or comb with 8 prongs and chalked on the table; a line (prong or rung) being erased for each point. In Eiderstedt, they drew a cat's head, line-by-line, on the table. Daring was announced with e.g. "Bruus dares" (Bruus waag!) or "I'll dare him" (ik waag em) and striking with e.g. "Spitz strikes!" (Spitz slaag!) or "I'll strike him" (ik slaag em). The team that had been struck had "a pair of spectacles" (de Brill) and the opponent erased two lines. A successful dare entitled one line to be erased. Daring theDullhund [sic] was not universal, but permitted in "some areas".[11]
If one team was 'licked' (gejannt) by losing 5–0 in tricks, this entitled three lines to be erased (as opposed to the usual two). If, when playing with 32 cards, a draw (bock) resulted (4 tricks apiece), a point was carried forward to the next game.[11]
Schwesing, a small village near the North Sea fishing port ofHusum, holds regular Bruus tournaments during the winter months. The game is usually played by four, but the rules mention the possibility of six players without, however, clarifying the changes needed to accommodate the extra players. There are always two teams and 36 cards are used (from Ace down to Six). Players agree who is to shuffle and deal first.[21]
The matadors are calledSpitz,Bruus andToller Hund, but this time the beaters include both Jacks and Sixes as well as Nines and Aces.[f] Thus the cards rank as follows:[21]
| Card ranking inBruus | |||
| Matadors[g] | |||
| J♣K♥8♠ | |||
| Beaters[h] | |||
| 9♣9♠9♥9♦A♣A♠A♥A♦J♠J♥J♦6♣6♠6♥6♦ | |||
| Free cards | |||
| 7♣7♠7♥7♦ | |||
| Duds | |||
| K♣K♠K♦Q♣Q♠Q♥Q♦10♣10♠10♥10♦8♣8♥8♦ | |||
The duds (Luschen) are worthless and have no ranking among themselves. Thus a dud which is led to a trick can only be beaten by a counter (i.e. at least♦6), not by any other dud. The Sevens follow the 1885 rules, being unbeatable when led, except by a Seven of a higher suit, but otherwise worthless.[21]
Deal and play are clockwise. Each player is dealt three cards, either individually oren bloc, the dealer receiving cards last. Thecutter must examine the cut card and show it to the dealer; the dealer must complete the cut and examine the bottom card, showing it likewise to the cutter. If either card is a matador, the cards are reshuffled. Forehand (left of dealer) leads any card and subsequent players may, in turn, also play a card of their choice. Suit does not have to be followed. The highest card wins the trick and the trick winner draws a new card from theStapel (stock), the other players replenishing their cards likewise and in turn. The trick winner leads to the next trick.[21]
If a player has two cards of the same value (2 x A, 2 x Q, etc.) they may be simultaneously led. A subsequent player must beat both in order to win the double trick, albeit not necessarily with cards of the same rank. If only one card can be beaten, it does not count. If a player has three equal-ranking cards, all three may be led even if the player is not on lead. Supposing, for example, Anne wins a trick and is on lead, but Berti now has three 9s, Berti takes over the right to lead to the trick and plays his three cards. Unless another player can beat each 9 separately (which can only be done with the three matadors), Berti wins the triple trick. Beginning with the trick winner, players replenish their hands as many cards as were played i.e. the winner of a double trick draws the top 2 cards from the stock, followed by the others in turn. If there are not enough cards to do this, the players only take their share of the remaining stock.[21]
The feature of 'daring and tormenting' has been retained, but is now called 'daring and striking'. Only theToller Hund and theBruus may be dared (wagt). TheToller can be only be 'struck' (geschlagen) byBruus andBruus can only be struck bySpitz. Of course, if theToller is dared, the trick can be wonSpitz, but this is not considered a strike and so the dare stands. If theToller is struck byBruus,Bruus may be dared at the same time; this is known asschlagen und weiter wagen ("strike and dare onwards"). IfBruus is dared onwards and struck bySpitz, this is a 'counterstrike' (Generalschlag). Daring and striking are valid even if a Seven is led, but of course the trick is won by the Seven. Daring and striking are also possible in a double or triple trick and are scored regardless of who wins the trick. The usual rules apply i.e. daring is only allowed if:[21]
Likewise striking or counterstriking is only possible:[21]
Each team aims to be first to take five tricks, each trick always comprising four cards. One player on each team collects the tricks for that team. Matchsticks are used for points, each team receiving one matchstick per point. Scoring is as follows:[21]
Game is 12 matchsticks, even if this is achieved in the middle of a game by daring or striking.[21]
TheMännergesangverein "Frohsinn" von 1881, a male voice choir inTreia in German Schleswig, who had played Bruus after choir practice since their formation in 1881,[13] used slightly different rules from those employed in Schwesing. A 32-cardSkat pack was used which meant that there were no Sixes and only eight tricks per deal. The duds were known asSchiet orSchietkarten (worthless or 'rubbish' cards) and the stock was called theBunk.[i] Cards were always dealt in one packet of three. If both teams took four tricks, it was aBock and the point was carried forward to the next deal. Matchsticks were used to keep score; teams started with ten and one was discarded for each point won.[23]
There were certain rituals, the infringement of which incurred a penalty. For example, the cutter had to examine the bottom card of the cut and show it to an opponent; the dealer had to look at the bottom of the pack and show it to an opponent. If either card turned out to be a matador, the pack was reshuffled. If either forgot to check, the cards were reshuffled and the infringer had to buy a round ofschnaps. If a team won 10 points while their opponents scored nil or their score was only made up of bonuses for daring and striking, the winning team won double.[23]
After their final public performance in St. Nicholas Church, Treia, on 27 November 2022, the choir was disbanded due to a lack of younger members.[24]
