17th century, court accounts, Europe, France, French, historical figure, primary source, quotes
An account of the French court’s expenses for 1622 gives the sum of 1,800 livres for the jester Maître Guillaume, and 1,200 for his female counterpart, Mathurine la Folle. There is no explanation for this disparity, and we can only hope it isn’t an early...
1st century, correspondence, Europe, historical figure, Italy, Latin, primary source, quotes
In a letter to Lucilius, Seneca comments unfavourably on his wife’s fool and on fools in general. He then goes on to tell us that Harpaste became blind and, revealing her foolishness, she asked her attendant to move her to other quarters as hers had become...
16th century, correspondence, Europe, historical figure, Italian, Italy, primary source, quotes, stories
Many court fools were considered ‘naturals’, having some form of mental disability or neurodiversity. This letter gives examples of the behaviour of a female dwarf known as Caterina Matta (Crazy Catherine) who served Isabella d’Este (1474-1539),...
16th century, 17th century, bibliography, book chapter, England, Europe, France, historical figure, Italy, research, Spain
During a few hundred years the European aristocracy had something of a mania for dwarfs, ‘natural’ fools, and other humans of physical or mental difference or disability. Their relationships with these people of more humble backgrounds can be complex,...
16th century, Europe, fooleum, historical figure, primary source, quotes, Spain, Spanish
This painting depicts the Spanish Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia (1566-1633), Archduchess of Austria, in an affectionate pose with the dwarf natural Madalena Ruiz. Madalena was at court for some forty years from 1565, and is mentioned a number of times in letters...
16th century, Europe, fooleum, historical figure, primary source, Spain
The female dwarf Madalena Ruiz served at the Spanish court from 1565 for some forty years. See also the portrait of her alongside the Spanish Infanta, and affectionate references to her in letters written by Philip II (1527-98) from Portugal. Credit: Anon....
2nd millennium BCE, Egypt, Egyptian, fooleum, primary source
The earliest reference I have found to a possible court jester concerns a dwarf at the Egyptian court in the 3rd millennium BCE. It appears that dwarfs and pygmies were respected in ancient Egypt, and there is even a dwarf god, Bes. More to follow on this as I am...
19th century, fictive fool, primary source, quotes, Russia, Russian, stories
I liked this example of a fool in a Russian household, as described by Tolstoy in War and Peace. I also like the buffoon’s nonsense response to a question that is in some ways unanswerable. See another reference to a female fool in the same novel. ‘Nastasya...
