Medieval European Jesters and Fools

Introduction to Medieval Jesters and Fools

    To this day, the Jester remains one of the most intriguing and picturesque figures of medieval European life. There is evidence that jesters, fools, buffoons, clowns, and comics were prevalent throughout Medieval Europe. These jesters, fools, clowns, and tricksters had much in common, particularly the ability to speak their minds most often in jokes, riddles or songs, and often when others had to hold their tongues in court or in the presence of power.

    The European jester was a somewhat elusive character, and the many words used to label him are as nebulous as they are numerous, reflecting the nature of the man behind them: fool, comedian, buffoon, clown, jongleur, jongleur, jester; he could be any one of these and more. The European Jester was both an actor and entertainer and typically had the ability to sing, dance, or act. In these roles he was allowed a certain privilege and autonomy that was not afforded other members of the court, that is, his words were without offence, but he could not offer his remonstrance’s in earnest, he had to make use of jokes, jibes, song dance, and role playing to the punch line.

In Medieval Europe, the most eminent jesters of the day were household names, much the same as famous comedians are today, and stories about their jokes, jibes, and tricks circulated freely throughout the kingdom. The star jesters of Europe enjoyed an almost pseudo-celebrity status, as their jokes, sallies, divinations and guesses, shallow and inconsequential though they might have been were often passed around the court, and circulated among the ordinary run of people; even the common everyday peasant was usually aware of them.