16th century, England, English, Europe, historical figure, primary source, quotes
A curious account of Elizabeth I’s love of jesters. Notable is the fact that she didn’t like to have dwarfs or jesters with physical disabilities, particularly as this was still within the period in Europe when many courts had dwarfs and others of...
quotes, research, stories
Spring has arrived and we’re entering the ten day countdown to the annual fool-fest of 1st April, when folly rules the world … if it isn’t ruled by folly the rest of the time too. Either way, folly reigning or raining folly, the kind people at...
16th century, Europe, historical figure, Italy, primary source, quotes
Federico II Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua (1500-40) and son of Isabella d’Este (1474-1539), loaned the priest-jester Fra Stephano to a Duke Alfonso who wrote a letter on 14th November 1525 to:… cordially thank you for the great service rendered to me by such...
10th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, Southern Tang, stories
Let it not be imagined that only the ruler was subjected to the mocking correctives of the jester; other members of the court were just as readily upbraided. The Southern Tang jester Li Jiaming (李家明 Adding Clarity Li) once mocked Wang Yanzheng (王延政), the prefect of...
10th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, research, Song dynasty, Southern Tang, stories
The 10th century Chinese jester Li Jiaming 李家明 (Adding Clarity Li) needed some money to pay his mother’s funeral expenses. When the emperor had some time off from affairs of state, he sat in his Leisure Hall practising calligraphy. Adding Clarity ambled in and...
Arabic, fictive fool, Middle East, primary source, quotes, stories
Physical deformity was in many times and places a positive asset in a jester, as this example from the 1001 Nights demonstrates. In other contexts, mental disability could also be an asset. We will reference fools and jesters of either type as we go, and also bring to...
16th century, 17th century, English, Europe, historical figure, primary source, quotes, Scotland, stories
A recurrent theme in the fool-king relationship is that of role-swapping, more formally known as ‘inversion’.Fools, jesters, clowns, are often said to turn the world on its head – in medieval Europe there was even a genre of art focused on this...
10th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, stories, Tang dynasty
Some of the most startling examples of a jester’s being impudent to the point of lèse-majesté can be found in anecdotes concerning Emperor Zhuangzong of the Later Tang (r. 923-26) and Jing Xinmo 鏡新磨 (Newly Polished Mirror). This brassy jester constantly pushed...
