12th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, Song dynasty, stories
The jester Ding Xianxian 丁仙現 (Immortal Revelation Ding) was a Grand Commissioner of the Court Entertainments Bureau 教坊 at the court of Song Huizong 宋徽宗 (r. 1101-25). Early in the Chongning reign period (1102-06), his musical skills were called upon as arbiter of...
8th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, stories, Tang dynasty
The Chinese jester Zhu Hanzhen 祝漢貞 (Wish Upright Fellow) – whose name seems to have been counter to his character as he was later beaten and banished for accepting a bribe – served several emperors with his great humour and an ability to trip...
10th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, stories, Tang dynasty
Like many of his counterparts elsewhere, Jing Xinmo 鏡新磨 (Newly Polished Mirror) was skilled in versifying. When an allegedly six-eyed turtle was sent to the court of Tang Zhuangzong 唐莊宗 (r. 923-26) as tribute, Xinmo made up a little rhyme about it – joking that...
9th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, stories, Tang dynasty
When the poet Li Shen 李紳 (772-846) occupied Guangling, Zheng Can was his subordinate. In 844 Can gave a banquet for Li Shen at which the entertainment was a performance by an ageing dancer. The jester Sunzi Duo 孫子多 (Many Grandsons) thought up a rhyming jingle about...
11th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, Song dynasty, stories
There are several anecdotes relating to the renowned Chinese poet Su Dongpo 苏東坡 (1036-1101), and jesters. Su wore a kind of hat which was named after him. During the Xining reign period (1068–1077) of Song Shenzong 宋神宗, some jesters acted out a skit in which they...
11th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, Song dynasty, stories
In the Tiansheng reign period (1023-32) of Emperor Song Renzong 宋仁宗 a banquet was held at which poems were to be presented, the rhyming scheme to follow the word paihuai, or ‘dithering’. Jesters put on a skit using the various meanings of the word. A...
11th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, Song dynasty, stories
The capacity to compose poems was long a critical skill among China’s elite. Similarly, the ability to come up with rhymes or ditties was a common qualification of jesters, complementing all round verbal quick wittedness. In this anecdote, a Chinese jester may...
China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, Liao dynasty, primary source, quotes, stories
A paradox of the jester’s method is that they could hit home all the better for using the indirect means of jokes, stories and other roundabout ways of getting a point across. Is there something we can learn here? A Chinese official is described in his...
