19th century, Europe, primary source, quotes, Russia, Russian
A salient characteristic of the jester is the right to speak out, or in any case, freely.  Their licence to say whatever they feel like is widely acknowledged even if sometimes it was curtailed by an offended king or other bigwig in the moment. After the court jester...
historical figure, North America, quotes, research
From an excellent study of Pueblo Indian clowns in North America, this is a beautiful and limpid summary of the role of clowns, as apparently bestowed by the gods. In addition to healing through laughter, there is the fact of free access and free expression –...
