Europe, folk fool, medieval, primary source, quotes, stories
Marcolf is the eternal folk fool, paired with a king noted for his wisdom, Solomon, whom Marcolf always manages to best. Tales of his irreverence were in wide circulation in medieval Europe. Here he resorts to a classic fool trick which is to follow the king’s...
10th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, stories, Tang dynasty
A rare example of a jester facing execution and all the more exceptional for having the ruler about to strike the fatal blow himself. Equally astonishing is the quick-wittedness to come up with a pun which made the emperor laugh and so commute the death sentence....
11th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, Song dynasty, stories
A charming tale of a prominent jester’s landing himself in the bad books of a powerful minister but being saved from wrathful retribution by the emperor.Prime Minister Wang Anshi (1021-86) instituted a series of sweeping reforms although he later fell into...
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...
6th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, stories
A vivid example of a jester’s talking his way out of imminent execution after overstepping the mark. Sometimes, even jesters went too far and got more of a reaction than they bargained for.In this case, Shi Dongtong (Moving Bucket 石動筩), riled the ruler by...
16th century, folk fool, India, primary source, quotes, stories
Another example of a jester feigning death, in this case to reveal – or expose – the intentions of the king which Tenali Rama may have suspected weren’t entirely noble.Tenali Rama is one of a handful of superstar jesters in India, and while his name...
