14th century, historical figure, Persia, Persian, primary source, quotes
A famous fourteenth century Persian poet, `Obeyd-e Zakani, known for his satire, wittily dittily sums up how you can influence people – forget learning and wisdom, just stick to fooling and fiddling. Keep clear of learning sir, if so you may,Lest you should...
10th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, Southern Tang, stories
The ability to extemporize poems and ditties is often attributed to jesters, with some overlap also existing in Europe between jesters and those who might be termed court poets: bards, skalds, troubadours or similar. In addition, some form of musical ability was also...
17th century, Europe, fictive fool, primary source, quotes, Spain, Spanish, stories
Jesters had some overlap with court poets, perhaps partly due to the fact that versifying was a common capability among them. In some cases, this included the capacity to trot out extempore verse, whether making up a rhyme or ditty to entertain or edify. In the case...
10th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, Southern Tang, stories
The jester’s quiver of skills could include poetry, or at least verse. There is evidence of overlap between bards and jesters, and there are accounts of jesters engaged in verse-capping – finishing off someone else’s couplets with something funny or...
16th century, Europe, historical figure, primary source, quotes, Spain, Spanish, stories
An account of a Spanish jester which suggests a relaxed relationship with the aristocrats around him. Here is Gabriel, possibly jester to Fadrique Enríquez II (c. 1465–1538), 4th Admiral of Castille, relaxedly playing chess with the Duke of Alba, and deciding how to...
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. ...
8th century, China, Chinese, East Asia, historical figure, primary source, quotes, stories, Tang dynasty
There is a whole class of jester stories involving rhyming or other witty ditties to make fun of or entertain the ruler. Here a jester uses one to joke about the emperor’s fear of his shrewish wife, first alluding to a wife-cringing official and then pointing...
12th century, Europe, France, French, historical figure, medieval, primary source, quotes, stories
From the Roman de Rou, the 12th century verse chronicle of the Normans commissioned by the English king Henry II, in which the author Robert Wace mentions a jester of Duke William of Normandy (c. 1029-1087, later ‘William the Conqueror’). He recounts how...
