17th century, historical figure, Persia, Persian, primary source, quotes, stories
The Persian Safavid king Shāh ʿAbbās I (r. 1588-1629) seems to have had several jesters, including, unusually, a woman. Another jester was Kal ʿEnāyat (‘ ʿEnāyat the Bald’, d. 1608), baldness being a time-honoured attribute often associated with fools...
17th century, historical figure, Persia, Persian, primary source, quotes, stories
Gianni Izzo’s excellent article on jesters of the Persian Safavid and Zand courts shines a light on additional Persian jesters (that is, perhaps ‘new’ to a Western audience). Rich new seams of anecdotes, primary sources, mini-biographies and great...
dramatic character, fictive fool, folk fool, historical figure, quotes, stories
Dear Friends of Fools, Happy to announce you can now also follow the fool on our recently launched Instagram account. See you there (and here, of course). And thank you for your continuing support, next batch of anecjokes coming up soon… Yours, in joy and...
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...
18th century, Europe, fictive fool, primary source, quotes, Wales, Welsh
Speaking the truth, especially to power, is a risky business, occasionally even life-threatening. Better leave it to the professionals who know how to wrap it in humour so the receiver laughs before they have chance to chop anyone’s head off. This from an...
17th century, dramatic character, England, English, Europe, play, primary source, quotes
Olivia, perhaps used to being railed against, acknowledges the licence of the jester to say whatever they wish. There is no slander in an allowed fool though he do nothing but rail. Source: Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, 1.5.76-78 Image credit: A photo of actor Louis...
10th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, stories, Tang dynasty
A skill often attributed to jesters is the capacity to improvise verse, which they could do for fun or to mock or criticize, as we’ve seen elsewhere. Here we have Jing Xinmo 鏡新磨 (Newly Polished Mirror), jester to the emperor Tang Zhuangzong 唐莊宗 (r. 923-26),...
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...
