17th century, Europe, fictive fool, primary source, quotes, Spain, Spanish
This website and the book which inspired it both seek to address this complaint, attributed to the perhaps real but probably fictive 17th century Spanish jester, Estebanillo González, who laments that the history books generally remain ‘silent in the face of...
10th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, stories, Tang dynasty
Generally speaking, jesters enjoyed a widely recognised licence which included the latitude to be irreverent. However, they were dealing with very powerful individuals and sometimes their barbs or mockery would hit home too hard and they would find themselves...
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, Southern Tang, stories
Court jesters and dwarfs would sometimes accompany the nobles they served on their travels; among other examples, we know some of the Spanish court dwarfs travelled to Portugal with members of the royal family. In China too, the jester might go with the emperor on...
20th century, Europe, Hebrew / Yiddish, historical figure, Poland, primary source, quotes, stories
Always up-ending our expectations, no surprise to learn that the ever resourceful Rubinstein, de facto jester in the Warsaw Ghetto, nimbly solved the problem of being single by dressing up as his own wife. He could outwit death, so why not celibacy?’One source...
8th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, stories, Tang dynasty
The Chinese jester Huang Fanchuo (黃幡綽 In Full Streamer Huang) is mentioned in a musicological work, the Tang dynasty Jie Drum Record (羯鼓錄), for having stunned the emperor, Tang Xuanzong 唐玄宗 (r. 713-56), with his ability to guess the emperor’s mood from his...
14th century, historical figure, Persia, Persian, primary source, quotes, stories
The 14th century Persian poet ‘Obeyd Zakani complained of the favouritism the king showed his jester. In his Biographies of the Poets (Tazkirat al-Shu`ara) (1487) Dawlatshah describes `Obeyd’s annoyance:It has been related that he had composed a treatise...
10th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, Southern Tang, stories
Many jesters were adept at improvising verse and there are accounts of Chinese jesters doing so whether to make a point or just to make fun. A jester of the Southern Tang, Li Jiaming (李家明 Adding Clarity Li), brought lucidity and laughter to the imperial household. ...
