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Jester

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, seeJester (disambiguation)andCourt jester (disambiguation).

Jester
c. 1540 woodcut of a jester, by Heinrich Vogtherr the Younger
MediumEntertainer
TypesCourtandtheatre
Descendant artsHarlequinade,comedian,clown

Ajester,court jester,foolorjokerwas a member of the household of a nobleman or amonarchemployed to entertain guests duringroyal court.Jesters were also traveling performers who entertained common folk at fairs and town markets, and the discipline continues into the modern day, where jesters perform at historical-themed events.

During thepost-classicalandRenaissanceeras, jesters are often thought to have worn brightly coloured clothes andeccentric hatsin amotleypattern. Their modern counterparts usually mimic this costume.

Jesters entertained with a wide variety of skills: principal among them were song, music, andstorytelling,but many also employedacrobatics,juggling,tellingjokes(such aspuns,stereotypes,andimitation), and performingmagic tricks.Much of the entertainment was performed in a comic style. Many jesters made contemporary jokes in word or song about people or events well known to their audiences.

Etymology[edit]

The modern use of the English wordjesterdid not come into use until the mid-16th century, during Tudor times.[1]This modern term derives from the older formgestour,orjestour,originally from French meaning 'storyteller' or 'minstrel'. Other earlier terms includedfol,disour,buffoon,andbourder.These terms described entertainers who differed in their skills and performances but who all shared many similarities in their role as comedic performers for their audiences.[1][2][3]

History[edit]

Balatrones[edit]

"Balatro" redirects here. For the video game, seeBalatro (video game).

Inancient Rome,abalatro(/ˈbɑːlɑːtroʊ/BAH-lah-troh) was a professional jester or buffoon.[4]Balatroneswere paid for their jests, and the tables of the wealthy were generally open to them for the sake of the amusement they afforded.[5]

There are various theories about the origin of the term. InHorace,Balatro is used as a proper name:Servilius Balatro.[6]An old scholiast derives the common wordbalatrofrom the proper name, suggesting that buffoons were calledbalatronesbecauseServilius Balatrowas a buffoon, though others have since objected to this account.Festusderives the word fromblatea,and supposes buffoons to have been calledbalatronesbecause they were dirty fellows, covered with spots of mud (blateae) from walking.[7]Another writer suggests a derivation frombarathrum,because they, so to speak, carried their jesting to market, even into the very depth (barathrum) of the shambles (barathrum macelli)[8]Balatromay be connected withbalare,"to bleat like a sheep", and hence, to speak sillily. Others have suggested a connection withblatero,a busy-body.[9]

In ancient times, other cultures, such as the Aztecs and the Chinese, also employed cultural equivalents to the jester.[10][11]

English royal court jesters[edit]

Manyroyal courtsthroughout English royal history employed entertainers and most had professional fools, sometimes called "licensed fools". Entertainment includedmusic,storytelling,andphysical comedy.Fool Societies, or groups of nomadic entertainers, were often hired to performacrobaticsandjuggling.[12]

Jesters were also occasionally used aspsychological warfare.Jesters would ride in front of their troops, provoke or mock the enemy, and even serve as messengers. They played an important part in raising their own army's spirits by singing songs and reciting stories.[13][14]

Henry VIII of Englandemployed a jester namedWill Sommers.His daughterMarywas entertained byJane Foole.[15]

During the reigns ofElizabeth IandJames I of England,William Shakespearewrote his plays and performed with his theatre company theLord Chamberlain's Men(later called theKing's Men).Clownsand jesters were featured in Shakespeare's plays, and the company's expert on jesting wasRobert Armin,author of the bookFoole upon Foole.In Shakespeare'sTwelfth Night,Festethe jester is described as "wise enough to play the fool".[16]

In Scotland,Mary, Queen of Scots,had a jester calledNichola.Her son, KingJames VI of Scotland,employed a jester calledArchibald Armstrong.During his lifetime Armstrong was given great honours at court. He was eventually thrown out of the King's employment when he over-reached and insulted too many influential people. Even after his disgrace, books telling of his jests were sold in London streets. He held some influence at court still in the reign ofCharles Iand estates of land inIreland.Anne of Denmarkhad a Scottish jester calledTom Durie.Charles I later employed a jester calledJeffrey Hudsonwho was very popular and loyal. Jeffrey Hudson had the title of "RoyalDwarf"because he was short of stature. One of his jests was to be presented hidden in a giant pie from which he would leap out. Hudson fought on theRoyalistside in theEnglish Civil War.A third jester associated with Charles I was called Muckle John.[17]

Jester's privilege[edit]

Jester's privilege is the ability and right of a jester to talk and mock freely without being punished. As an acknowledgement of this right, the court jester had symbols denoting their status and protection under the law. The crown (cap and bells) and sceptre (marotte) mirrored the royal crown and sceptre wielded by a monarch.[18][19]

Martin Lutherused jest in many of his criticisms against the Catholic Church.[20]In the introduction to hisTo the Christian Nobility of the German Nation,he calls himself a court jester, and, later in the text, he explicitly invokes the jester's privilege when saying that monks should break their chastity vows.[20]

Natural vs artificial fools[edit]

There are two major groups when it comes to defining fools: artificial fools and natural fools. Natural fools consisted of people who were deemed "mentally defective," or as having a "deficiency in their education, experience or innate capacity for understanding," and stood as someone for the rest of society to laugh at.[21][full citation needed]This policy was not generally criticised during its time. Groups of people even saw this act as a positive one, as these "natural" comedians were not typically able to have a job or earn any sort of living on their own. The second group, artificial fools, is what most people in modern times imagine when they hear the word "jester": someone who comes up with witty and original jokes in order to entertain a royal court. The main difference between the two groups is that a natural fool's comedy is not done intentionally while an artificial fool's is.

Political significance[edit]

Scholar David Carlyon has cast doubt on the "daring political jester", calling historical tales "apocryphal", and concluding that "popular culture embraces a sentimental image of the clown; writers reproduce that sentimentality in the jester, and academics in the Trickster", but it "falters as analysis".[22]

Jesters could also give bad news to the King that no one else would dare deliver. In 1340, when the French fleet was destroyed at theBattle of Sluysby the English,Phillippe VI's jester told him the English sailors "don't even have the guts to jump into the water like our brave French".[11]

End of tradition[edit]

After theRestoration,Charles IIdid not reinstate the tradition of the court jester, but he did greatly patronise the theatre and proto-music hallentertainments, especially favouring the work ofThomas Killigrew.Though Killigrew was not officially a jester,Samuel Pepysin his famous diary does call Killigrew "The King's fool and jester, with the power to mock and revile even the most prominent without penalty" (12 February 1668).

In the 18th century, jesters had died out except inRussia,Spain,andGermany.InFranceandItaly,travelling groups of jesters performed plays featuring stylised characters in a form of theatre called thecommedia dell'arte.A version of this passed intoBritishfolk traditionin the form of apuppetshow,Punch and Judy.In France the tradition of the court jester ended with the abolition of the monarchy in theFrench Revolution.

In 2015, the town ofConwyinNorth Walesappointed Russel Erwood (aka Erwyd le Fol) as the official resident jester of the town and its people, a post that had been vacant since 1295.[23][24]

Other countries[edit]

Festival of the Archers.Master of Frankfurt,1493. Two jesters are depicted in the centre of the picture.

Poland's most famous court jester wasStańczyk(c.1480–1560), whose jokes were usually related to political matters, and who later became a historical symbol for Poles.[25][26]

In 2004English HeritageappointedNigel Roder( "Kester the Jester" ) as the State Jester for England, the first since Muckle John 355 years previously.[27]However, following an objection by the National Guild of Jesters, English Heritage accepted they were not authorised to grant such a title.[28]Roder was succeeded as "Heritage Jester" by Pete Cooper ( "Peterkin the Fool" ).[29]

InGermany,Till Eulenspiegelis a folkloric hero dating back to medieval times and ruling each year overFaschingorCarnivaltime, mocking politicians and public figures of power and authority withpolitical satirelike a modern-day court jester. He holds a mirror to make us aware of our times (Zeitgeist), and hissceptre,his "bauble", ormarotte,is the symbol of his power.

In 17th centurySpain,dwarves,often with deformities, were employed as buffoons to entertain the king and his family, especially the children. InVelázquez's paintingLas Meninastwo dwarfs are included:Maria Bárbola,a female dwarf fromGermanywithhydrocephalus,andNicolasito PortusatofromItaly.Mari Bárbola can also be seen in a later portrait ofprincess Margarita Teresain mourning byJuan Bautista Martinez del Mazo.There are other paintings by Velázquez that include court dwarves such asPrince Balthasar Charles With a Dwarf.

During theRenaissance Papacy,the Papal court in Rome had a court jester, similar to the secular courts of the time.Pope Pius Vdismissed the court Jester, and no later Pope employed one.

InJapanfrom the 13th to 18th centuries, thetaikomochi,a kind of malegeisha,attended the feudal lords (daimyōs). They entertained mostly through dancing and storytelling, and were at times counted on for strategic advice. By the 16th century they fought alongside their lord in battle in addition to their other duties.

Tongawas the first royal court to appoint a court jester in the 20th century;Taufa'ahau Tupou IV,the King of Tonga, appointedJD Bogdanoffto that role in 1999.[30]Bogdanoff was later embroiled in a financial scandal.[31]

As a symbol[edit]

The root of the word "fool" is from the Latinfollis,which means "bag of wind" or bellows or that which contains air or breath.[32]

In Tarot[edit]

InTarot,"The Fool"is a card of theMajor Arcana.The tarot depiction of the Fool includes a man (or less often, a woman) holding a white rose in one hand and a small bundle of possessions in the other with a dog or cat at his heels. The fool is in the act of unknowingly walking off the edge of a cliff, precipice, or other high place.

In literature[edit]

In literature, the jester is symbolic of common sense and of honesty, notably inKing Lear,where the court jester is a character used for insight and advice on the part of the monarch, taking advantage of his licence to mock and speak freely to dispense frank observations and highlight the folly of his monarch. This presents a clashing irony as a greater man could dispense the same advice and find himself being detained in the dungeons or even executed. Only as the lowliest member of the court can the jester be the monarch's most useful adviser.

In Shakespeare[edit]

Main article:Shakespearean fool

TheShakespearean foolis a recurring character type in the works ofWilliam Shakespeare.Shakespearean fools are usually clever peasants or commoners that use their wits to outdo people of higher social standing. In this sense, they are very similar to the realfools,and jesters of the time, but their characteristics are greatly heightened for theatrical effect.[33]The "groundlings" (theatre-goers who were too poor to pay for seats and thus stood on the 'ground' in the front by the stage) that frequented the Globe Theatre were more likely to be drawn to these Shakespearean fools. However they were also favoured by the nobility. Most notably,Queen Elizabeth Iwas a great admirer of the popular actor who portrayed fools,Richard Tarlton.For Shakespeare himself, however, actorRobert Arminmay have proved vital to the cultivation of the fool character in his many plays.[34]

Modern usage[edit]

Buffoon[edit]

"Buffoon" redirects here. For the film, seeBuffoon (film).
See also:Goofball comedy,Absurd humour,andSlapstick comedy

In a similar vein, abuffoonis someone who provides amusement through inappropriate appearance or behaviour. Originally the term was used to describe a ridiculous but amusing person. The term is now frequently used in a derogatory sense to describe someone considered foolish, or someone displaying inappropriately vulgar, bumbling or ridiculous behaviour which is a source of general amusement. The term originates from the old Italian "buffare", meaning to puff out one's cheeks[35]that also applies tobouffon.Having swelled their cheeks they would slap them to expel the air and produce a noise which amused the spectators.[36]

Carnival and medieval reenactment[edit]

Today, the jester is portrayed in different formats ofmedieval reenactment,Renaissance fairs,andentertainment,includingfilm,stageperformance, andcarnivals.During the Burgundian and theRhenishcarnival,cabaret performances in local dialect are held. InBrabantthis person is called a "tonpraoter" or "sauwelaar", and is actually in or on a barrel. InLimburgthey are named "buuttereedner" or "buutteredner" and inZeelandthey are called an "ouwoer". They all perform a cabaret speech in dialect, during which many current issues are reviewed. Often there are local situations and celebrities from local and regional politics who are mocked, ridiculed and insulted. The "Tonpraoter" or "Buuttereedner" may be considered successors of the jesters.[37]

Notable jesters[edit]

Main article:List of jesters

Historical[edit]

Modern-day jesters[edit]

Fictional jesters[edit]

Gallery[edit]

  • John Dawson Watson – Friends in Council
    John Dawson Watson – Friends in Council
  • Hinric Hasenberger, the Court Jester by David Klöcker Ehrenstrahl, 1652
    Hinric Hasenberger, the Court Jester byDavid Klöcker Ehrenstrahl,1652
  • "Family of Henry VIII with Will Sommers on the far right and probably Jane Foole on the far left
    "Family of Henry VIII withWill Sommerson the far right and probablyJane Fooleon the far left
  • 17th-century engraving of Will Sommers, Henry VIII's jester
    17th-century engraving ofWill Sommers,Henry VIII's jester
  • Queen Henrietta Maria with Sir Jeffrey Hudson by Van Dyck
    Queen Henrietta Maria with Sir Jeffrey HudsonbyVan Dyck
  • A court jester, carrying a marotte, selected for the Pageant of Empire in 1909
    A court jester, carrying amarotte,selected for thePageant of Empirein 1909
  • Portrait of the Ferrara Court Jester Gonella by Jean Fouquet 1445
    Portrait of the Ferrara Court Jester Gonella byJean Fouquet1445
  • Laughing jester, unknown Early Netherlandish artist (possibly Jacob Cornelisz van Oostsanen), circa 1500
    Laughing jester, unknownEarly Netherlandishartist (possiblyJacob Cornelisz van Oostsanen), circa 1500
  • Susuhunan jester participating in the "Garebeg Moeloed" procession (circa 1920s), Java, Indonesia
    Susuhunanjester participating in the "Garebeg Moeloed" procession (circa 1920s),Java,Indonesia
  • Stańczyk, by Jan Matejko. The Polish jester is the only person at a 1514 royal ball troubled by the news that the Russians have captured Smolensk.
    Stańczyk,byJan Matejko.
    ThePolish jesteris the only person at a 1514 royal ball troubled by the news that theRussianshavecapturedSmolensk.
  • Jester in Weingarten, Germany, in 2015
    Jester inWeingarten,Germany, in 2015
  • Masquerade by Golovin – Jester with hunch (1917, Bakhrushin museum)
    Masquerade by Golovin – Jester with hunch (1917, Bakhrushin museum)
  • Portrait of the Jester Balakirev (1699–1763)
    Portrait of the Jester Balakirev (1699–1763)
  • The Court Jester of Tabbyland
    The Court Jester of Tabbyland
  • Шут. Фрагмент миниатюры "Gaharié recevant le chapel" из "Романа о Ланселоте" (Français 112 (1), fol. 45), ок. 1470
    Шут. Фрагмент миниатюры "Gaharié recevant le chapel" из "Романа о Ланселоте" (Français 112 (1), fol. 45), ок. 1470
  • Jester-doll made by Olina Ventsel (1938–2007)
    Jester-doll made by Olina Ventsel (1938–2007)
  • Illustration p. 284 from "Queen of the Jesters" [Caption: Brought it down with a Crash upon the Head of Henri de Villefort.] Illustrator unknown; text by Max Pemberton.
    Illustration p. 284 from "Queen of the Jesters" [Caption: Brought it down with a Crash upon the Head of Henri de Villefort.] Illustrator unknown; text by Max Pemberton.
  • Venne Woman and a jester
    Venne Woman and a jester
  • Man dressed as a jester, with a fool's cap, motley and white tights.
    Man dressed as a jester, with a fool's cap, motley and white tights.
  • Statue of a jester depicted in the book Letters from England by Karel Čapek
    Statue of a jester depicted in the book Letters from England by Karel Čapek
  • Oil on panel, signed with monogram, bears inscribed label for the Dundee Fine Art Exhibition, 1877, attached opt the reverse, 23.7 × 15.5 cm.
    Oil on panel, signed with monogram, bears inscribed label for the Dundee Fine Art Exhibition, 1877, attached opt the reverse, 23.7 × 15.5 cm.
  • Private collection, oil on canvas. Jacob Jordaens (1641–1645).
    Private collection, oil on canvas. Jacob Jordaens (1641–1645).
  • Jester Resting on a chair by William Merritt Chase, 1875, the work is one of several trial poses William Merritt Chase painted as preparation for his Keying Up- The Court Jester
    Jester Resting on a chair by William Merritt Chase, 1875, the work is one of several trial poses William Merritt Chase painted as preparation for his Keying Up- The Court Jester
  • P. B. Abery (1877?–1948) & Wallace Jones
    P. B. Abery (1877?–1948) & Wallace Jones
  • The Court Jester by John Watson Nicol, 1895, oil on canvas, 41 × 57 cm. (16.1 × 22.4 in.)
    The Court Jesterby John Watson Nicol, 1895, oil on canvas, 41 × 57 cm. (16.1 × 22.4 in.)
  • Rahere, Bouffon de Henry I et de la Reine Matilda, début 1100.
    Rahere, Bouffon de Henry I et de la Reine Matilda, début 1100.
  • Chase William Merrit
    Chase William Merrit
  • "Keying Up" – The Court Jester by William Merritt Chase 1875. (Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.)
    "Keying Up" – The Court JesterbyWilliam Merritt Chase1875. (Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.)
  • Caricature of a court jester of Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy, in the 16th century Recueil d'Arras, a collection of portraits copied by Jacques de Boucq
    Caricature of a court jester of Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy, in the 16th century Recueil d'Arras, a collection of portraits copied by Jacques de Boucq
  • William Burges, English architect
    William Burges, English architect
  • Self Portrait in a Jester's Costume
    Self Portrait in a Jester's Costume
  • The Jester Barbarossa by Francisco Goya
    The Jester BarbarossabyFrancisco Goya
  • Royal Jester Stańczyk
    Royal Jester Stańczyk
  • Jester Knight Christoph by Hans Wertinger (1515, Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid)
    Jester Knight Christoph by Hans Wertinger (1515, Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid)
  • Akram Mutlak Ménage À Trois Öl auf Leinwand
    Akram Mutlak Ménage À Trois Öl auf Leinwand
  • Bouffon
    Bouffon
  • A jester with ass's ears
    A jester withass's ears
  • Anonymous German engraving, 16th century
    Anonymous German engraving, 16th century

See also[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^abSoutworth, John (1998).Fools and Jesters at the English Court.Stroud: Sutton Publishing. pp. 89–93.ISBN0-7509-1773-3.
  2. ^Welsford, Enid(1935).The Fool: His Social & Literary History.London: Faber & Faber. pp. 114–115.
  3. ^"Jester".Online Etymology Dictionary.Retrieved28 October2012.
  4. ^HoraceSat. i. 2. 2. (cited by Allen)
  5. ^Notes and Queries: A Medium of Inter-Communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, Etc.Bell. 1868.
  6. ^Sat ii. 8. 21 (cited by Allen)
  7. ^Pauli Diaconi excerpta ex libris Pompeii Festi de significatione verborum, liber II,sub voce.See alsohere.
  8. ^Hor. Ep. i. 15. 31. (cited by Allen)
  9. ^Gell. i. 15. (cited by Allen)
  10. ^"Jester".Encyclopædia Britannica.Retrieved2012-06-07.
  11. ^abOtto, Beatrice (2001).Fools Are Everywhere: The Court Jester Around the World.Chicago: University of Chicago Press.ISBN978-0-226-64091-4.
  12. ^Kelly, Debra (2020-12-26)."What It Was Really Like To Be A Court Jester - Grunge".Grunge.com.Retrieved2022-10-16.
  13. ^sheldon, Natasha (2018-09-19)."The Role of Fool was a Staple in Medieval Culture... In Some of the Most Unexpected Ways".History Collection.Retrieved2022-10-16.
  14. ^Kelly, Debra (2020-12-26)."What It Was Really Like To Be A Court Jester - Grunge".Grunge.com.Retrieved2022-10-16.
  15. ^Westfahl, Gary (2015-04-21).A Day in a Working Life: 300 Trades and Professions through History [3 volumes]: 300 Trades and Professions through History.ABC-CLIO.ISBN978-1-61069-403-2.
  16. ^Shakespeare, William (1906).The Works of Shakespeare....: Twelfth night; or, What you will, ed. by M. Luce.Methuen & Company Limited.
  17. ^Buckle, Henry Thomas (1872).The Miscellaneous and Posthumous Works of Henry Thomas Buckle.Longmans, Green and Company.
  18. ^"Medieval Jesters – And their Parallels in Modern America".History is Now Magazine, Podcasts, Blog and Books | Modern International and American history.13 January 2019.Retrieved2022-02-18.
  19. ^Billington, Sandra. "A Social History of the Fool", The Harvester Press, 1984. ISBN 0-7108-0610-8
  20. ^abHub Zwart (1996),Ethical consensus and the truth of laughter: the structure of moral transformations,Morality and the meaning of life, vol. 4,Peeters Publishers,p. 156,ISBN978-90-390-0412-8
  21. ^Swain 1–2
  22. ^Carlyon, D. (2002). "The Trickster as Academic Comfort Food".The Journal of American Culture.25(1–2): 14–18.doi:10.1111/1542-734X.00003.
  23. ^"Welsh town appoints first official jester in 700 years".NY Daily News.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-10-11.Retrieved2016-10-14.
  24. ^Day, Liz (2015-08-08)."This official town jester can balance a flaming barbecue on his head..!".walesonline.Retrieved2016-10-14.
  25. ^Janusz Pelc; Paulina Buchwald-Pelcowa; Barbara Otwinowska (1989).Jan Kochanowski 1584-1984: epoka, twórczość, recepcja(in Polish). Lublin: Wydawnictwo Lubelskie. pp. 425–438.ISBN978-83-222-0473-3.
  26. ^Jan Zygmunt Jakubowski, ed. (1959).Przegląd humanistyczny(in Polish).3.Warsaw:Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe:200.{{cite journal}}:Missing or empty|title=(help)
  27. ^"Jesters joust for historic role".BBC News.2004-08-08.Retrieved2010-05-06.
  28. ^Griffiths, Emma (2004-12-23)."Jesters get serious in name row".BBC News.Retrieved2012-07-11.
  29. ^"Jester completes 100-mile tribute".BBC News.2006-08-09.Retrieved2012-07-11.
  30. ^"Tonga royal decree appointing JD Bogdanoff as court jester".Archived fromthe original(JPEG)on 2012-11-06.Retrieved2009-10-29.
  31. ^"Tongan court jester faces trial".BBC News.11 August 2003.Retrieved2009-10-29.
  32. ^"Online Etymology Dictionary".www.etymonline.com.Retrieved2017-03-30.
  33. ^Warde, Frederick B. (1913).The fools of Shakespeare: an... - Frederick B. Warde - Google Boeken.Retrieved2011-12-24.
  34. ^"History of the Fool".Foolsforhire.com. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-10-11.Retrieved2011-12-24.
  35. ^Encyclopædia Britannica; or A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Miscellaneous Literature, Volume 4.Archibald Constable and Company. 1823. p. 780.
  36. ^The National Cyclopaedia of Useful KnowledgeVol.III, London (1847), Charles Knight, p.918
  37. ^Home Kalender Nieuws Zoekertjes Albums Copyright."Wat is carnaval?".Fen Vlaanderen(in Flemish).Retrieved2014-01-23.
  38. ^"Tongan court jester faces trial".2003-08-11.Retrieved2023-10-17.
  39. ^Joel Gibson. (2006, September 23). Disgraced court jester no laughing matter.Sydney Morning Herald, The,17.
  40. ^"Conwy jester to take new job 'seriously'".BBC News.2015-07-16.Retrieved2016-10-14.
  41. ^"Bristol juggler to become North Wales town's first official jester in 700 years".Bristol Post.2015-07-19. Archived fromthe originalon 2015-08-18.Retrieved2016-10-14.

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toJesters.
Look upjesterorbuffoonin Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikisourcehas the text of the1911Encyclopædia Britannicaarticle "Fool".
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