Europe, German, Germany, primary source, quotes
This German proverb begs the question as to what exactly the wise should learn from fools. Perhaps, for starters, how not to appear too wise, thereby alienating or annoying those who might benefit from your wisdom. And wrap your wisdom in a joke so that it flies...
Europe, folk fool, German, Germany, primary source, quotes, stories
Eulenspiegel, commonly depicted in the full fools’ garb of cap and bells, was more a trickster than a jester. But he had enough of the latter to put the wind up some of the court jesters he encountered, besting them on their own turf, precisely because he was...
19th century, dramatic character, Europe, German, Germany, play, primary source, quotes
Valerio in Georg Buchner’s play Leonce and Lena (1836) is a character for whom the power and weight of a Shakespearean court jester has been claimed. Although not formally designated a jester, he clearly acts the part, forever mocking and having his say,...
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...
16th century, Europe, fooleum, Germany, Netherlands, painting, primary source, woodcut
Having posted individual notes on an enigmatic series of similar paintings, it feels time to pull them together in one place, also allowing the various finger-peeping fools to be viewed alongside each other. We will soon add some related prints and in the meantime,...
18th century, dramatic character, Europe, German, Germany, play, primary source, quotes
Ludwig Tieck’s play Puss-in-Boots (1796) features a court scholar who in the king’s eyes has the same status and function as the jester, as he explains while hurling his sceptre at the scholar’s head: Sir Brazenbold of Scholarship! What presumption...
16th century, dramatic character, Europe, German, Germany, play, primary source, quotes
This is from a 16th century German comic play featuring a jester who mocks the real fool of the story, the visiting doctor. The doctor is learned but condescending to his friend, the jester’s master, and disparaging about life in the country even though he is...
16th century, 17th century, bibliography, book chapter, engraving, Europe, fooleum, Germany, Netherlands, painting, print, research, woodcut
Kenneth Craig’s excellent paper takes a sweeping look at examples of fool-peeping-through-fingers paintings and prints, as presented in our Five Guys Named Moe series. Like Cavalli-Björkman’s earlier paper, but more comprehensively, it discusses the...
