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, 7th century, 8th century, 9th century, Americas, ceramic, fooleum, Mexico, primary source
These two wonderful figurines, one of them in the form of a whistle no less, caught my eye and attention. In fact, we mustn’t be fooled – although they are described as ‘jester gods’, this is only a name given by archaeologists due to their...
8th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, stories, Tang dynasty
The Chinese jester Huang Fanchuo (黃幡綽 In Full Streamer Huang) is mentioned in a musicological work, the Tang dynasty Jie Drum Record (羯鼓錄), for having stunned the emperor, Tang Xuanzong 唐玄宗 (r. 713-56), with his ability to guess the emperor’s mood from his...
8th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, stories, Tang dynasty
During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong (r. 713-56), his beloved consort (and one of the most famous in Chinese history), Yang Guifei, showed great favouritism towards her `adopted’ son, An Lushan, the man who later instigated a rebellion which brought down the...
8th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, stories, Tang dynasty
In this account, the Chinese emperor is put to shame by the jester In Full Streamer (Huang Fanchuo 黃幡綽) who creates a ringing bell onomatopoeia by combining one of the emperor’s names with the word for ‘dissolute’ or ‘sloppy’. In other...
8th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, stories, Tang dynasty
There is a whole class of jester stories involving rhyming or other witty ditties to make fun of or entertain the ruler. Here a jester uses one to joke about the emperor’s fear of his shrewish wife, first alluding to a wife-cringing official and then pointing...
