19th century, Afghanistan, fooleum, historical figure, painting, primary source, quotes, watercolour
This watercolour was done by Vigne who travelled with a Lohani caravan between Multan and Kabul in the 1830s. Although the sketch is titled ‘Fool’, we know nothing more as he doesn’t mention anything related in his travel account.Who was this...
19th century, China, Chinese, dramatic character, East Asia, historical figure, play, primary source, Qing dynasty, quotes
Perhaps a Chinese equivalent to the Elizabethan Richard Tarlton in being a widely loved and acclaimed comic actor and a self-appointed ad hoc court jester was Liu Gansan 劉趕三 (1817-94), who had all the outspokenness of a jester and:left behind him the reputation of a...
19th century, dramatic character, England, English, Europe, historical figure, play, primary source, quotes
A number of historical jesters had plays written about them, including Dongfang Shuo 東方朔 (c. 160 – c. 93 BCE) in China, and Henry VIII’s jester Will Somers. Here we find Charles the First (1824), a dramatic fragment by Shelley, which has Charles I give an...
19th century, dramatic character, Europe, France, French, primary source, quotes
As the jester Giraff says in Victor Hugo’s play about Cromwell (1827), the jester can always save his skin, and in order to reach old age in a world full of uncertainty, there is no wiser guise. See a similar sentiment expressed by Leopardi around the same...
19th century, Europe, Italian, Italy, primary source, quotes
This Italian quotation suggests that in a crazy world the only sane person is the one who plays the fool. It reminds me of a saying by an English clown that the fool stands on his head and sees the world the right way up. These are late echoes of a European medieval...
19th century, East Asia, English, historical figure, primary source, quotes, stories
In an account of Anna Leonowens’ (1831-1915) time as governess at the court of King Mongkut of Siam (r. 1851-68), there is a reference to the recruitment and training of a dwarf-jester, Nai-Teh (Mr. Little), demonstrating the ad hoc way people came to be court...
19th century, fictive fool, primary source, quotes, Russia, Russian
GAP MAP: A gaping hole in our knowledge of jesters, at least in materials available in European languages, concerns examples from Russia. It would do a great service to foolology (fool studies) if a Russian scholar were to dive in and see if they can find more. In...
19th century, fooleum, primary source, Russia, Russian
The skomorokh is a Russian term which spans entertainers, musicians, buffoons, jesters, harlequins, minstrels or actors. This is a 19th century depiction of a skomorokh and his costume by Apollinary Vasnetsov (1856-1933). It isn’t clear if it is a portrait of...
