15th century, 16th century, 17th century, bibliography, England, Europe, historical figure, research, Scotland, Stuart, thesis
This thesis makes a strong contribution to our understanding of several aspects of the fool, building on earlier work by Jessica Secmezsoy-Urquhart and covering the period 1488-1649. Geographically, it zooms in on the Stuart (Stewart) court’s relationship with...
16th century, bibliography, England, Europe, journal paper, research, Scotland
Archibald (‘Archy’) Armstrong was the brazenly outspoken court jester of both James VI of Scotland / I of England (r. 1567/1603-1625) and his successor, Charles I (r. 1625-49). He enjoyed various privileges, such as the freedom of the city of Aberdeen and...
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...
