20th century, Afghanistan, historical figure, quotes
A book on the Indian stage-fool vidusaka affirms the likely existence of real-world court fools in India, and provides the only reference I recall to an early 20th century jester at the Afghan court.  A tantalising possibility needing more information.    … we...
20th century, dramatic character, Europe, French, play, primary source, quotes
​A not uncommon trope in the jester-king relationship is the reversal of their roles, either in jest, or to provide a corrective to the king, or if the king is forced to take on the role of jester, as in Frank Wedekind’s play King Nicolo (1901). In another...
20th century, dramatic character, Europe, German, Germany, play, primary source, quotes, stories
Occasionally, more in fiction than reality, the king changes place with the jester, sometimes willingly, occasionally under compulsion. There is an example of this role inversion featuring George Buchanan about whom many anecdotes classify him as a jester, although...
20th century, drawing, Europe, fictive fool, fooleum, Netherlands, primary source
This eye-catching drawing is by Leo Schatz, a Dutch artist who was a member of the resistance during the Second World War in the Netherlands. In trying to understand what might have prompted this curious untitled sketch, featuring two men in profile with elongated...
20th century, dramatic character, Europe, German, Germany, primary source, quotes
An early 20th century German play highlights the twin identity playing out in each of us. Ah, if we were but wise enough to see it.  Und doch nenn ich sofort euch zwei GestaltenDie unbotmäßig in euch allen walten:Ein kleiner König und ein grosser Tor.And yet I name...
20th century, primary source, quotes
A succinct and provocative statement by Niels Bohr, flying in the face of the common supposition that the more serious the subject the less appropriate it is to joke about it. It also echoes an equally pithy quotation, from Hemingway’s For Whom the Bells Toll. ...
20th century, dramatic character, Europe, fooleum, photo, primary source, Sweden
Something wonderfully quirky about this old photo of a Swedish actor, Ivar Nilsson, in the role of King Lear’s fool. The costume with the rabbit ear cap is striking, but it is the facial expression and make up which captivates, including an off-centre nose and a...
20th century, Europe, fictive fool, Germany, Hebrew / Yiddish, primary source, quotes, stories
From a late 20th century novel set in a concentration camp, the story highlights the fearlessness (or recklessness) of court fool types, including in this case, dwarfs. Here a character alludes to the ease with which a dwarf might hide under a table and, in knowing...
