The spade is wrought with European history which is reflected in a spade tattoo design. These symbols were derived from the German suits which are rooted in the Latin suits where the spade was originally a sword.
The pike or spade is a symbol of the guard and the spear that they carry as a means of protecting the castle and the kingdom that it rules. Taken from the centuries-old French suits of playing cards, the spade is another name for the original “pike” suit.