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...
16th century, Europe, folk fool, German, Germany, medieval, Poland, primary source, quotes, stories
Till Eulenspiegel is a folk fool and trickster whose exploits were recounted across Europe and translated into multiple languages. He moved freely, sometimes as a jester, sometimes a wandering rogue. There are cheeky children’s tales about him and then more...
9th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, stories, Tang dynasty
Two common features of the jester come together in this anecdote: resilience and quick wittedness. The emperor’s idea of a joke, giving his jester a dunking underwater, is a bit schoolboy-bullyish, but the jester reacts so cheerily and cleverly that he wins...
10th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, stories, Tang dynasty
Jesters, like other entertainers or courtiers, could enjoy the generosity of the ruler, and there are many such examples in anecdotes or, in the European case, in court account records. In China, a few specifically mention rolls of silk being doled out, but this...
10th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, stories, Tang dynasty
This anecdote from Sima Guang’s 11th century historical record, the Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance, gives an insight into the personal closeness that could exist between an emperor and the jester. This jester, with the engaging name of Going Round in...
India, primary source, quotes, stories
There is a class of stories featuring jesters requesting favours or gifts from the ruler. Many jesters were dwarfs, and here we have a god disguised as a dwarf couching a request to a king in humble terms.It costs Bali his throne and sees him kicked all the way to...
10th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, research, Song dynasty, Southern Tang, stories
The 10th century Chinese jester Li Jiaming 李家明 (Adding Clarity Li) needed some money to pay his mother’s funeral expenses. When the emperor had some time off from affairs of state, he sat in his Leisure Hall practising calligraphy. Adding Clarity ambled in and...
15th century, 16th century, England, English, Europe, historical figure, primary source, quotes
European court account books are a superb source of information on the existence of jesters and related entertainers, whether operating in a professional capacity or on an occasional basis. A number of examples show Henry VII of England (r. 1485-1509), commonly viewed...
