Depiction of jester at Tübingen castle entrance

A jester, joker, fool, or buffoon is a specific type of entertainer mostly (but not always) associated with the Middle Ages. Jesters typically wore brightly colored clothing in a motley pattern. Their hats, sometimes called the cap ’n bells, cockscomb (obsolete coxcomb), were especially distinctive; made of cloth, they were floppy with three points (liliripes) each of which had a jingle bell at the end. The three points of the hat represent the asses' ears and tail worn by jesters in earlier times. Other things distinctive about the jester were his incessant laughter and his mock scepter, known as a bauble or maharoof. Jester may refer to: Jester, a type of clown Jester (Marvel Comics), the name of several fictional characters in the Marvel Comics universe The Jester (Quality Comics), a fictional character appearing in Quality Comics and DC Comics The Jester (roller coaster), found at Six Flags New Orleans Beauford H. Jester... Fool can refer to: Look up fool in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Isaac Asimov (January 2?, 1920?[1] – April 6, 1992), pronounced , originally Исаак Озимов but now transcribed into Russian as Айзек Азимов [1], was a Russian-born American author and professor of biochemistry, a highly successful writer, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. ... Jokester is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (535x789, 137 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Tübingen Jester ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (535x789, 137 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Tübingen Jester ... Tübingen, Neckar front Tübingen, a traditional university town of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, is situated 20 miles southwest of Stuttgart, on a ridge between the River Neckar and the Ammer. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Harlequin in motley attire, year 1761 by Maurice Sand Motley refers to the traditional costume of the court jester or the harlequin character in commedia dellarte. ... Some jingle bells. ... A sceptre or scepter is an ornamental staff held by a ruling monarch, a prominent item of kingly regalia. ...

History

Origins

The origins of the jester are said to have been in prehistoric Western tribal society. Pliny the Elder mentions a royal jester (planus regius) when recounting Apelles' visit to the palace of the Hellenistic King Ptolemy I. However, jesters are mainly thought of in association with the European Middle Ages. Prehistory (Greek words προ = before and ιστορία = history) is the period of human history prior to the advent of writing (which marks the beginning of recorded history). ... http://www. ... Pliny the Elder: an imaginative 19th Century portrait. ... Another Apelles was the founder of a Gnostic sect in the 2nd century; Apelles (gnostic). ... The term Hellenistic (established by the German historian Johann Gustav Droysen) in the history of the ancient world is used to refer to the shift from a culture dominated by ethnic Greeks, however scattered geographically, to a culture dominated by Greek-speakers of whatever ethnicity, and from the political dominance... For the unrelated astronomer, see Ptolemy Ptolemy I Soter (367 BC–283 BC), ruler of Egypt (reigned 323 BC - 283 BC) and founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

The jester was a symbolic twin of the king.^[1] All jesters and fools in those days were thought of as special cases whom God had touched with a childlike madness—a gift, or perhaps a curse. Mentally handicapped people sometimes found employment by capering and behaving in an amusing way. In the harsh world of medieval Europe, people who might not be able to survive any other way thus found a social niche.

German Spaßvogel, wood carving c.1658

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 461 × 599 pixelsFull resolution‎ (732 × 951 pixels, file size: 277 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A fool (Der Schalcksnarr - German) Woodcut Holzschnitt aus: Jost Amman (1539-1591): (erstmals Frankfurt am Main 1568; auch bekannt als: Das Ständebuch) Im Buch wird... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 461 × 599 pixelsFull resolution‎ (732 × 951 pixels, file size: 277 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A fool (Der Schalcksnarr - German) Woodcut Holzschnitt aus: Jost Amman (1539-1591): (erstmals Frankfurt am Main 1568; auch bekannt als: Das Ständebuch) Im Buch wird... Events January 13 - Edward Sexby, who had plotted against Oliver Cromwell, dies in Tower of London February 6 - Swedish troops of Charles X Gustav of Sweden cross The Great Belt (Storebælt) in Denmark over frozen sea May 1 - Publication of Hydriotaphia, Urn Burial and The Garden of Cyrus by...

Political significance

In societies where the Freedom of Speech was not recognized as a right, the court jester - precisely because anything he said was by definition "a jest" and "the uttering of a fool" - could speak frankly on controversial issues in a way in which anyone else would have been severely punished for, and monarchs understood the usefulness of having such a person at their side. Still, even the jester was not entirely immune from punishment, and he needed to walk a thin line and exercise careful judgment in how far he might go - which required him to be far from a "fool" in the modern sense. This article is about the general concept. ...

The position of the Joker playing card, as a wild card which has no fixed place in the hierarchy of King, Queen, Knave etc. might be a remnant of this position of the court jester. An example of a joker playing card. ... The term wild card was originally used in card games, but the term has evolved to describe what the Merriam-Webster Dictionary calls an unknown or unpredictable factor in any number of domains. ...

Islamic world

In the Islamic world Sufi mystics tell tales of Mulla Nasrudin, the legendary 14th century mystic jester of Tamerlane. Islam (Arabic: ; ( â–¶ (help· info)), the submission to God) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions and the worlds second-largest religion. ... Sufism (Arabic تصوف taṣawwuf) is a system of esoteric philosophy commonly associated with Islam. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Nasreddin (also commonly spelled Nasrudin, Nasredin, Nasruddin, Nasr Eddin, Nastradhin, Nasreddine, Nastratin, Nusrettin) was a lower Muslim cleric who lived among the Middle-eastern people in the Middle Ages. ... This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ... For the chess engine Tamerlane, see Tamerlane. ...

English royal court jesters

19th century engraving of Will Somers, Henry VIII's jester.

All royal courts in those days employed entertainers and most had professional fools of various types. Entertainment included music, juggling, clowning, and the telling of riddles. Henry VIII of England employed a jester named Will Somers. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1041x1773, 1633 KB) 300 dpi scanned image of Will Sommers, court jester to Henry VIII. Image scanned from Robert Chambers Book of Days, who died in 1871. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1041x1773, 1633 KB) 300 dpi scanned image of Will Sommers, court jester to Henry VIII. Image scanned from Robert Chambers Book of Days, who died in 1871. ... Will Somers was the most well-known court jester of Henry VIII of England[1]. Born in Shropshire, Somers came to the attention of a merchant of the staple at Calais, who brought him to Greenwich in 1525 to present to the king. ... Henry VIII redirects here. ... Early music is commonly defined as European classical music from the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Baroque. ... Juggling is a form of skillful, often artful, object manipulation. ... Clowning redirects here. ... A riddle is a statement or question having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. ... Henry VIII redirects here. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Will Somers was the most well-known court jester of Henry VIII of England[1]. Born in Shropshire, Somers came to the attention of a merchant of the staple at Calais, who brought him to Greenwich in 1525 to present to the king. ...

During the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I of England, William Shakespeare wrote his plays and performed with his theatre company the Lord Chamberlain's Men (later called the King's Men). Clowns and jesters were often featured in Shakespeare's plays, and the company's expert on jesting was Robert Armin, author of the book Fooled upon Foole. In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Feste the jester is described as "wise enough to play the fool." Indeed, to be successful in the job of King's Fool the holder had to be anything but a fool in the modern meaning of the word. This article is about Elizabeth I of England. ... James VI and I (19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scots as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James I. He ruled in Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567, when he was only one year old, succeeding his mother Mary... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Lord Chamberlains Men was the playing company that William Shakespeare worked for as actor and playwright for most of his career. ... It has been suggested that Lord Chamberlains Men be merged into this article or section. ... Title page of Armins The History of the two Maids of More-Clacke, 1609. ... Twelfth Night has at least three meanings: Twelfth Night (holiday), celebrated by some Christians Twelfth Night, or What You Will, a comedic play by William Shakespeare Twelfth Night (band), a progressive rock band This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share... In the Shakespeare comedy Twelfth Night Feste is a jester attached to the household of the Countess Olivia. ...

King James employed a famous jester called Archibald 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 himself and insulted too many influential people. Even after his disgrace books were sold in London streets of his jests. He held some influence at court still in the reign of Charles I and estates of land in Ireland. Charles later employed a jester called Jeffrey Hudson who was very popular and loyal. Jeffrey Hudson had the title of Royal Dwarf because he was very 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 the Royalist side in the English Civil War. A third jester associated with Charles I was called Muckle John. Archibald Armstrong (d. ... Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, King of Scotland and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. ... Queen Henrietta Maria with Sir Jeffrey Hudson by Van Dyck Jeffrey Hudson (June 14, 1619–1682) was a dwarf who belonged to the court of Queen Henrietta Maria of England in the years before King Charles I was deposed. ... This article is about the medical condition. ... Prince Rupert of the Rhine Cavaliers was the name used by Parliamentarians for the Royalist supporters of King Charles I during the English Civil War (1642–1651). ... For other uses, see English Civil War (disambiguation). ...

End of tradition

The tradition of Court Jesters came to an end in Britain when Charles I was overthrown in the Civil War. As a Puritan Christian republic, England under the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell had no place for such fripperies as jesters. English theatre also suffered and a good many actors and entertainers relocated to Ireland where things were little better (see Irish theatre). For other uses, see English Civil War (disambiguation). ... For the record label, see Puritan Records. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 – 3 September 1658) was an English military and political leader best known for his involvement in making England into a republican Commonwealth and for his later role as Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland. ... Oscar Wilde remains one of Irelands best-known playwrights The history of Irish theatre begins with the rise of the English administration in Dublin at the start of the 17th century. ...

After the Restoration, Charles II did not reinstate the tradition of the Court Jester but he did greatly patronize the theatre and proto-music hall entertainments, especially favouring the work of Thomas Killigrew. For other uses, see Restoration. ... Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. ... Music Hall is a form of British theatrical entertainment which reached its peak of popularity between 1850 and 1960. ... Thomas Killigrew (1612 - March 19, 1683), was an English dramatist. ...

In France and Italy, travelling groups of jesters performed plays featuring stylized characters in a form of theatre called the commedia dell'arte. A version of this passed into British folk tradition in the form of a puppet show Punch and Judy. In France the tradition of the court jester ended with the French Revolution. Commedia redirects here. ... Clothed statues of Matsu/Mazu (Chinese goddess of the Sea) Chinese folk religion comprises the religion practiced in much of China for thousands of years which included ancestor veneration and drew heavily upon concepts and beings within Chinese mythology. ... A puppet is a representational object manipulated by a puppeteer. ... For other uses, see Punch and Judy (disambiguation). ... The French Revolution (1789–1815) was a period of political and social upheaval in the political history of France and Europe as a whole, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on...

As late as 1968, however, the Canada Council awarded a $3,500 grant to Joachim Foikis of Vancouver "to revive the ancient and time-honoured tradition of town fool".^[2][3] The Canada Council for the Arts, commonly called the Canada Council, is an arts council of the Government of Canada created to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. ... For other uses, see Vancouver (disambiguation). ...

Other countries

Stańczyk by Jan Matejko
The jester is the only person at a royal ball who is troubled by the news that the Russians have captured Smolensk. This event happened in 1514.

Poland's most famous court jester was Stańczyk, whose witty jokes were usually related to current political issues, and who later became an important historical symbol for many Poles. Image File history File links Stanczyk_Matejko. ... Image File history File links Stanczyk_Matejko. ... This is a gallery of Jan Matejko’s paintings. ... StaÅ„czyk by Jan Matejko The jester is the only person at a royal ball to become worried after the news that the city of Smolensk was captured by the Russians reaches the court. ... A view of Smolensk in 1912. ... StaÅ„czyk by Jan Matejko The jester is the only person at a royal ball to become worried after the news that the city of Smolensk was captured by the Russians reaches the court. ...

In the 21st century the jester is a character beloved of all with a passion for historical drama, and the cap'n'bells will often be seen worn by participants in medieval style fayres and pageants. 20XX redirects here. ... Fayre is an alternate spelling of fair, meaning a gathering of people to celebrate life and commerce. ...

Tonga was the first Royal Court to appoint a Court Jester in modern times, Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, the King of Tonga, appointing JD Bogdanoff to the role in 1999.^[4] He was later embroiled in a financial scandal.^[5] Wikinews has news related to: King of Tonga dies, aged 88 Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, King of Tonga (4 July 1918 – 10 September 2006), GCMG (1977); GCVO (1970); KBE (1958); son of Queen Sālote Tupou III and her consort Prince Viliami Tungī Mailefihi, was the king of Tonga... Jesse Bogdonoff made headlines in 2001 and 2002 after being accused of mismanaging millions of dollars from the nation of Tonga. ... This article is about the year. ...

In 2004 English Heritage appointed Nigel Roder ("Kester the Jester") as the State Jester for England, the first since Muckle John 355 years previously.^[6] Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The standard of English Heritage English Heritage is a non-departmental public body of the United Kingdom government (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) with a broad remit of managing the historic environment of England. ... Nigel Roder (born 1967) became the court jester of England in 2004. ...

In Germany today, Till Eulenspiegel is a folkloric hero dating back to medieval times and ruling each year over Fasching or Carnival time, mocking politicians and public figures of power and authority with political satire like a modern day Court Jester. He holds a mirror to make us more aware of our times (Zeitgeist), and his sceptre or marotte is the symbol of his absolute and supreme rule. Till Eulenspiegel (IPA: , Low Saxon: Dyl Ulenspegel, Flemish: Thyl Ulenspiegel) was a trickster who originated in the Middle Low German folklore. ... See also: Carnival Corporation, Carnival Cruise Lines, Carnivàle Swabian-Alemannic carnival clowns in Wolfach, Germany A carnival parade is a public celebration, combining some elements of a circus and public street party, generally during the Carnival Season. ... This article describes the festival season. ... Political satire is a subgenre of general satire that specializes in gaining entertainment from politics, politicians and public affairs. ... This article is about the German word. ... For the record label, see Scepter Records. ... A Marotte is a prop stick or scepter with a carved head on it. ...

The jester in other media

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ...

In writing and theatre

• Wamba, Jester in Sir Walter Scott's Novel Ivanhoe.
• Dagonet, jester to King Arthur in medieval romances
• Jack Point, the tragic jester in The Yeomen of the Guard by Gilbert and Sullivan
• Rigoletto is the title character of the opera by Verdi.
• Verence first appeared in Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters as the court jester and remained so for most of the novel. Both this novel and the Fools' Guild Diary feature comic exaggerations of the "tragic fool" motif.
• Towser, jester to King John the Presbyter in Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams
• Mr Harley Quin, in the Agatha Christie collection The Mysterious Mr Quin is a modernised version of the "wise fool" who helps others see the truth.
• The anarchic Jerry Cornelius is often shown as a jester figure.
• The Jester, a 2003 novel by James Patterson and Andrew Gross.
• The Fool, a court jester in Robin Hobb's The Realm of the Elderlings books.
• The Queen's Fool, a novel by Philippa Gregory, centers around the life of a young "holy fool" named Hannah, who happens to work with and befriend William Somers (Will), the former fool/jester of King Henry VIII.

(see Shakespearean fools below) For the first Premier of Saskatchewan see Thomas Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott (August 14, 1771 - September 21, 1832) was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet popular throughout Europe. ... For other uses, see Ivanhoe (disambiguation). ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... For other uses, see King Arthur (disambiguation). ... The Yeomen of the Guard, or The Merryman and his Maid, is the eleventh of Gilbert and Sullivans operettas. ... W. S. Gilbert Arthur Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian era partnership of librettist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900). ... Giuseppe Verdi, by Giovanni Boldini, 1886 (National Gallery of Modern Art, Rome) Rigoletto is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi. ... Verence II of Lancre is a fictional character in Terry Pratchetts Discworld series. ... Terence David John Pratchett, OBE (born 28 April 1948) is a British fantasy and science fiction author, best known for his Discworld series. ... This article is about the novel. ... Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is Tad Williamss epic fantasy trilogy, comprising The Dragonbone Chair (1988), Stone of Farewell (1990) and To Green Angel Tower (1993). ... Robert Paul Tad Williams (born March 14, 1957) is the author of several fantasy and science fiction novels, including Tailchasers Song, the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series, the Otherland series, and The War of the Flowers. ... Agatha Mary Clarissa, Lady Mallowan, DBE (15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976), commonly known as Agatha Christie, was an English crime fiction writer. ... The Mysterious Mr. ... The wise fool, or the wisdom of the fool is a theme that seems to contradict itself in which the fool may have an attribute of wisdom. ... Jerry Cornelius is a fictional secret agent and adventurer created by science fiction / fantasy author Michael Moorcock. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... At the 63rd World Science Fiction Convention in Glasgow, August 2005 Robin Hobb is the pen name of Margaret Astrid Lindholm Ogden (born 1952 in California). ... The Realm of the Elderlings is a fantasy world created by Robin Hobb for her book trilogies The Farseer Trilogy, The Liveship Traders Trilogy and The Tawny Man Trilogy. ... The Queens Fool by Philippa Gregory is a 2004 historical fiction novel aimed at young adults. ... Philippa Gregory (born 9 January 1954) is a British novelist, mainly associated with the historical fiction genre. ... Will Somers was the most well-known court jester of Henry VIII of England[1]. Born in Shropshire, Somers came to the attention of a merchant of the staple at Calais, who brought him to Greenwich in 1525 to present to the king. ... Henry VIII King of England and Ireland by Hans Holbein the Younger His Grace King Henry VIII (28 June 1491–28 January 1547) was King of England and Lord of Ireland (later King of Ireland) from 22 April 1509 until his death. ...

In film and television

• Giacomo "King of Jesters, and Jester to the King" played by Danny Kaye in the 1956 film musical The Court Jester
• Timothy Claypole, a character in the BBC children's television comedy programme Rentaghost of the 1970s/80s, was a Jester (played by the late Michael Staniforth).
• The Photojournalist from Apocalypse Now is often seen as a harlequin figure.
• Funnyman, A UK horror movie about a demonic jester, The Funny Man, with a varied and imaginative repertoire of homicidal techniques and an irreverent sense of humour.
• Jester, the Court jester of King Cradock in the TV series Jane and the Dragon.
• Jester - The puppet in the Puppet Master films

Kaye entertaining U.S. troops at Sasebo, Japan, 25 Oct 1945 David Daniel Kaminsky, known as Danny Kaye (January 18, 1913 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, singer and comedian. ... The musical film is a film genre in which several songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative. ... The Court Jester is a 1956 comedy film starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, and Angela Lansbury. ... Later period cast of Rentaghost Rentaghost was a British childrens television comedy show broadcast between 1976 and 1984. ... Michael Staniforth (born 1945; died 1987) was an accomplished British stage actor, whose career included a spell as CB in the original casting of the Andrew Lloyd-Webber stage musical Starlight Express. ... Apocalypse Now is a 1979 Academy Award and Golden Globe winning American film set during the Vietnam War. ... A very popular, long-in-print series of childrens books written and illustrated by Martin Baynton. ... Puppet Master is a horror film released in 1989 by newly-formed Full Moon Features. ...

In comic books and animation

• Harley Quinn, an enemy of Batman's, the DC Comics superhero. She is girlfriend of the the Joker, the hero's nemesis.
• In the Marvel Comics comic Daredevil, The Jester is the alter-ego of villain Jonathan Powers, who appears between issues #47-49.
• The Jester is a superhero in the DC Comics universe.
• QuackerJack, a vicious jester with a weird obsession for toys in Disney's animated series Darkwing Duck.
• In the Disney animated film The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the narrator, and rather fundamental character, was Clopin, a jester.

Harley Quinn (real name Dr. Harleen Quinzel) is a fictional character, a supervillainess, in the animated series Batman: The Animated Series, later adapted into DC Comics Batman comic books. ... Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a DC Comics fictional superhero who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. ... DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ... The Joker redirects here. ... This article is about the comic book company. ... See comedian Stand up comedian List of Comedians List of British comedians comics comic book comic strip underground comics alternative comics web comic sprite comics manga graphic novel List of comic characters This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the... For people who perform risky stunts as a profession, see stunt performer. ... Jester is the name of two Marvel Comics supervillains. ... The Jester was an Golden Age superhero created by Paul Gustavson and published by Quality Comics. ... DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ... Disney redirects here. ... Darkwing Duck is an Emmy-nominated American animated television series produced by The Walt Disney Company that ran from 1991-1995 on both the syndicated programming block The Disney Afternoon and Saturday mornings on ABC. It featured an eponymous superhero anthropomorphic duck with the alter ego of Drake Mallard (voiced... Disney may refer to: The Walt Disney Company and its divisions, including Walt Disney Pictures. ... Animation refers to the process in which each frame of a film or movie is produced individually, whether generated as a computer graphic, or by photographing a drawn image, or by repeatedly making small changes to a model (see claymation and stop motion), and then photographing the result. ... The Hunchback of Notre Dame (also known as The Bells of Notre Dame in some countries) is a 1996 animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released to theaters on June 21, 1996 by Walt Disney Pictures. ... The Narrator is the entity within a story that tells the story to the reader. ... Clopin is the narrative jester character in Disneys The Hunchback of Notre Dame. ...

In video games

• Jester is a character class in the MMORPG Flyff and in the RPG Gauntlet: Dark Legacy.
• Malcolm, the mad jester of The Legend of Kyrandia adventure games
• Harle, a character in Chrono Cross who jests at expense of reality itself.
• Dhoulmagus, an evil jester in the Dragon Quest VIII game by Square Enix.
• Hecklar, an insane and sadistic court jester in Kronos Digital's fighting game Cardinal Syn.
• A nameless jester helps and hinders the player in the Infocom game Zork Zero.
• Jester, an alter-ego of Arkham, one of the main antagonists of Devil May Cry 3.
• NiGHTS Into Dreams featured two brightly colored jesters. NiGHTS, the main protagonist, who wore a purple jester outfit with a purple hat, each with carnival and dream like designs on them, and Reala, NiGHTS nemesis, who had a clownlike face, and wore red and sky blue, and red and black striped shoes with a red- and black-striped jester hat.
• Kefka Palazzo, the main antagonist in Final Fantasy VI, wears typical outfit and makeup of a jester.
• Zorn & Thorn are a pair of court jesters that serve as recurring antagonists in the RPG Final Fantasy IX.
• Dimentio is an evil magician in Super Paper Mario who wears a stylized jester costume and creates clever similes. He also wears an Italian Comedy Mask.
• There is also a Jester in the tower in the 2007 Xbox 360 game Overlord. The player can kick the jester, knocking him a great distance, making cowbell sounds when he hits the floor. The Jester also follows the player around the tower, and in the tutorial he taunts the player. The player must repeatedly hurt the jester to finish the tutorial.

An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy the notability guideline or one of the following guidelines for inclusion on Wikipedia: Biographies, Books, Companies, Fiction, Music, Neologisms, Numbers, Web content, or several proposals for new guidelines. ... This article contains a trivia section. ... This is an article about the computer and video game genre. ... This article or section may contain excessive or improper use of copyrighted images and/or audio files. ... Chrono Cross ) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for the Sony PlayStation video game console. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... SQUARE ENIX (Japanese: スクウェア・エニックス) is a Japanese producer of popular video games and manga. ... Cardinal Syn is a fighting game developed by Kronos Digital Entertainment, the creators of Criticom and Dark Rift and published by Sony through their 989 Studios. ... Zork universe Zork games Zork Anthology Zork trilogy Zork I   Zork II   Zork III Beyond Zork   Zork Zero Enchanter trilogy Enchanter   Sorcerer   Spellbreaker Other games Wishbringer   Return to Zork Zork: Nemesis   Zork Grand Inquisitor Zork: The Undiscovered Underground Topics in Zork Encyclopedia Frobozzica Characters   Kings   Creatures Timeline   Magic   Calendar Zorkmid... Zork universe Zork games Zork Anthology Zork trilogy Zork I   Zork II   Zork III Beyond Zork   Zork Zero   Planetfall Enchanter trilogy Enchanter   Sorcerer   Spellbreaker Other games Wishbringer   Return to Zork Zork: Nemesis   Zork Grand Inquisitor Zork: The Undiscovered Underground Topics in Zork Encyclopedia Frobozzica Characters   Kings   Creatures Timeline   Magic   Calendar... Devil May Cry 3: Dantes Awakening (デビルメイクライ3) is the second sequel to Devil May Cry, starring the cocky hero Dante. ... NiGHTS into Dreams. ... Artwork by Yoshitaka Amano Kefka Palazzo is a fictional character of the Square Co. ... Final Fantasy VI ) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) in 1994 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. ... This article or section may contain excessive or improper use of copyrighted images and/or audio files. ... Final Fantasy IX ) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix), and the ninth installment in the Final Fantasy video game series. ... Super Paper Mario ) is a platform/role-playing video game developed by Intelligent Systems, a division of Nintendo. ... Simile is an Italian musical term meaning similarly; it indicates that the performer should continue to apply the preceding directive, whatever it was. ... It has been suggested that Xbox 360 Elite be merged into this article or section. ... Overlord is an action-adventure game developed by Triumph Studios and published by Codemasters, in which the player takes the role of an Overlord with a goal to regain power through command of a horde of goblin-like creatures known as Minions. The game was released in North America on... The cowbell is a percussion instrument. ...

Others

• A jester, based on the Shakespearean jesters and unofficially named Elvis, is the logo of the financial website The Motley Fool.
• James Root, guitarist for metal band Slipknot, wears a Jester-like mask on stage.
• The Jester, a poker term used to describe a suited Jack/Seven - named after the poker player "The Jester" as it is his favourite hand.
• Lee Civico-Cambell (poker player and actor - star of "A Jester's Tale", "Gaylon Peglegg: Exorcist" and "The Harvest") is known as The Jester.
• Jesters Honorary Social Club is a 2-year social club at Mississippi University for Women, at Columbus, MS.
• Bob Dylan is often referenced as the 'jester' who stole the 'king's (Elvis Presley's) crown in the song American Pie.
• "Script for a Jester's Tear" is the title of the first LP (1983) by a British rock band Marillion.
• "The Jester Race" is the title of an album by the Swedish melodic death metal band In Flames. Since this album they also use a symbol called "Jesterhead" as their mascot, appearing on almost every album-cover.
• The Fool is the main and title character of a series of 12 books called "The Fool Series". He has also been used in over 200 role-plays over the internet.
• The Fool is a Trump card in a Tarot deck.
• The Jester is the mascot for Finnish ice hockey team Jokerit based out of Helsinki, Finland.
• "The Jester" is a song on the Sum 41 album Underclass Hero.
• Kourt Jester is the name of an underground Hip Hop artist.
• Jester is the name of a famous alternative indie Italian band formed by members of Elfoguelfo.
• The Jester is the mascot of St. Joseph's High School, a private all-girls Catholic school in Lakewood, CA - they are known as the St. Joseph's Jesters - "Fools for Christ", and were founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJ) in 1964. Their colors are Orange and White and their motto is "Love, Hope and Zeal".

The Motley Fool is a group of financial mavens founded in August 1994 in the USA by brothers Tom Gardner and David Gardner, who parlayed their investment newsletter into a content partnership with America Online service. ... James Jim Root (born October 2, 1971) is one of the current guitarists for Slipknot he shares lead guitarist duties with fellow bandmate Mick Thompson. ... Slipknot (sometimes typeset as SlipKnoT to fit their logo) is a Grammy winning American metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. ... This article is about the recording artist. ... Elvis redirects here. ... For other uses, see American Pie (disambiguation). ... Script for a Jesters Tear is the first album by the progressive rock band Marillion. ... Marillion is a British Rock group. ... The Jester Race is an album by the melodic death metal band In Flames. ... In Flames is a melodic death metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden founded in 1990. ... This article is about the general history, iconography, and uses of tarot cards. ... Ice hockey, known simply as hockey in areas where it is more common than field hockey, is a team sport played on ice. ... Jokerit (English: jesters or jokers in playing-card) is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. ... Helsinki (pronounced with the stress on the first syllable in Finnish — think Helsin Ki), or Helsingfors in Swedish, is the capital of Finland. ... Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. ... Undreclass Hero may refer to two diferent works from Sum 41 Underclass Hero, the fifth studio album from the band. ... Hip hop is a cultural movement that began amongst urban African American youth in New York and has since spread around the world. ... The definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of activities to do with creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. ...

Shakespearian jesters

The "Shakespearian fool" is a recurring character type in the works of William Shakespeare. They are usually very clever peasants or commoners that use their wit to outdo people of higher social standings. In this sense, they are very similar to the real fools, clowns, and jesters of the time, but their characteristics are greatly heightened for theatrical effect. They are largely heterogeneous. ^[7] The "groundlings" (theater-goers that were too poor to pay for seats and thus stood in the front by the stage) that frequented the Globe Theater were most likely particularly drawn to these Shakespearian fools or clowns. Shakespearian fools have included: Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

• Touchstone in As You Like It
• The Fool in King Lear
• Trinculo in The Tempest
• Costard in Love's Labours Lost
• Feste in Twelfth Night
• Launcelot Gobbo in The Merchant of Venice
• Lavache in All's Well That Ends Well
• Yorick in Hamlet
• A Fool in Timon of Athens
• Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Thersites in Troilus and Cressida
• Clown in Othello
• Dromio of Syracuse and Dromio of Ephesus in The Comedy of Errors
• Speed in Two Gentlemen of Verona
• Launce in Two Gentlemen of Verona
• The Gravediggers in Hamlet
• Citizen in Julius Caesar
• Clown in Measure for Measure
• Clown in The Winter's Tale

Touchstone is the name of the fool or jester character in Shakespeares play As You Like It. ... Walter Deverell,The Mock Marriage of Orlando and Rosalind, 1853 William Shakespeares As You Like It is a pastoral comedy written in 1599 or early 1600. ... King Lear and the Fool in the Storm by William Dyce (1806-1864) King Lear is a play by William Shakespeare, considered one of his greatest tragedies, based on the legend of King Lear of Britain. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Loves Labours Lost is one of William Shakespeares early comedies; it is believed to have been written around 1595-1596 and is probably contemporaneous with Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Nights Dream. ... In the Shakespeare comedy Twelfth Night Feste is a jester attached to the household of the Countess Olivia. ... Twelfth Night has at least three meanings: Twelfth Night (holiday), celebrated by some Christians Twelfth Night, or What You Will, a comedic play by William Shakespeare Twelfth Night (band), a progressive rock band This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share... Shylock and Portia (1835) by Thomas Sully The Merchant of Venice is one of William Shakespeares best-known plays, written sometime between 1596 and 1598. ... For the Chiodos album, see Alls Well That Ends Well (album). ... Yoricks skull in the gravedigger scene (5. ... For other uses, see Hamlet (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Timon (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Puck (mythology). ... For other uses, see A Midsummer Nights Dream (disambiguation). ... For the Chaucer poem, see Troilus and Criseyde. ... For other uses, see Othello (disambiguation). ... Poster for a performance The Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeares early plays, written between 1592 and 1594. ... The Two Gentlemen of Verona is a comedy by Shakespeare from early in his career. ... The Two Gentlemen of Verona is a comedy by Shakespeare from early in his career. ... The Gravediggers (or Clowns) appear briefly in Shakespeares tragedy Hamlet, making their one and only appearance at the beginning of Act v, Scene i. ... For other uses, see Hamlet (disambiguation). ... Julius Caesar is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. ... Claudio and Isabella (1850) by William Holman Hunt Measure for Measure is a play by William Shakespeare, written in 1603. ... Florizel and Perdita by Charles Robert Leslie. ...

Costumes

The costumes worn by Shakespearean fools were fairly standardized. The actor wore a ragged or patchwork coat. There were often bells along the skirt and on the elbows. They wore closed breeches with hose, with each leg of the pants a different color. A monk-like hood, covering the entire head was positioned as a cape, covering the shoulders and part of the chest. This hood was decorated with animal body parts, such as donkey's ears or the neck and head of a rooster. The animal theme was continued in the crest worn as well.

The actor had props as well. Usually he carried a short stick decorated with the doll head of a fool or puppet on the end. This was an official bauble or scepter, which had a pouch filled with air, sand, or peas attached as well.

More common for the time was the long petticoat. It was composed of several different colors and expensive materials (such as velvet). It was trimmed with yellow.

Character Breakdown

Trinculo
Trinculo is a considered a jester, but as he is only seen with the drunken butler and Caliban, he does not have the stage time to act out the qualifications of a traditional fool. At the end of the play, however, it is revealed that he works for both Stephano and the King of Naples. He is a domestic buffoon, and is outfitted accordingly.

Launce and Speed
Speed is a clever and witty servant, while Launce is simple and pastoral. There is no mention of specific dress, or any indications of the two being a domestic fool or jester.

Feste
Feste is a hired and domestic fool for Olivia. He is referred to as "an allowed fool," "a set fool," and "the jester, the the Lady Olivia's father took much delight in." There is no mention of his dress.

The Clown-Measure for Measure
While this clown is the employee of a brothel, he can still be considered a domestic fool. He should be dressed as such.

Costard
This clown is referred to as a "fool" in Act V, scene ii, but the word in this context simply refers to a silly man. He is not simple enough to be considered a natural fool, and not witty enough to be considered an artificial one. He is rather just a man from the country.

Launcelot Gobbo
No where in the play does Gobbo do anything that qualifies him as an allowed fool or jester. Still, he is considered as such, perhaps because he is called a patch and a fool. It is possible that these terms refer rather to the idea of the clown. Either way, Gobbo is proof that Shakespeare did not necessarily constantly discriminate in his qualifications of clowns, fools, and jesters.

Touchstone
Touchstone is a domestic fool belonging to the duke's brother Frederick, and is one of the witty (or "allowed") fools. Accordingly, he is often threatened with a whip, a method of punishment often used on people of this category. Further, he should be dressed appropriately, with a multi-colored outfit, bauble, and donkey or asses ears on his hood.

Lavache
He is a domestic fool, similar to Touchstone.

Clown-The Winter's Tale
He is simply a country booby.

The Fool-King Lear
The Fool is a very basic domestic buffoon. While his use of sarcasm heightens his manner of speech for stage effect, he is still a genuine fool with a lot of cunning. He is very distinguishable from other Shakespearean fools (such as Touchstone). He should be dressed in many colors, with a hood decorated with either a cock's comb, head, or neck, as this is often alluded to. He should carry a bauble with a model of a grinning head like his own.

The jester as a symbol

In Tarot, "The Fool" card of the Major Arcana (card 0, in Rider-Waite numbering, card 22 in Belgian decks, and sometimes unnumbered) represents the Spirit, God, the Monad; The Lord of the Universe; the Absolute Being. Other permutations include: Eternity, Life Power, Originating Creative Power, the Will of God, the Essence or Essential Self, Tao, Aether, Prana, Akasha, the Void, the White Brilliance, the Radiant Field of God, Omnirevelation, the Universal Light, Boundless Space, Superconsciousness, the Inner Ruler, the Plenitude, the Unmanifest, the Ancient of Days (repeated in manifest form within Key 9, the Hermit), Mysterium Magnum, the Sun at a 45 degree angle in the Eastern Heaven—always increasing, never decreasing. Look up tarot in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Fool is one the 78 cards in a Tarot deck. ... The Major Arcana (Trumps Major, Major Trumps) of the Tarot deck consists of 22 cards. ... The most popular Tarot deck today is probably what is confusingly known as the Rider-Waite-Smith, Rider-Waite, Waite-Smith, or simply the Rider deck. ...

The tarot depiction of the Fool includes a man, (or less often, a woman), Juggling unconcernedly or otherwise distracted, with a dog (sometimes cat) at his heels. The fool is in the act of unknowingly walking off the edge of a cliff, precipice or other high place. This image represents a number of human conditions: innocence, ignorance, heterodoxy, freedom, great cheer, freedom from earthly desires or passions but also perversity, audacity, truth, confidence, or cultural power. Juggling is a form of skillful, often artful, object manipulation. ...

The root of the word "fool" is from the Latin follis, which means "bag of wind" or that which contains air or breath.

In literature, the jester is symbolic of common sense and of honesty, notably King Lear, the court jester is a character used for insight and advice on the part of the monarch, taking advantage of his license 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. King Lear and the Fool in the Storm by William Dyce (1806-1864) King Lear is a play by William Shakespeare, considered one of his greatest tragedies, based on the legend of King Lear of Britain. ...

Use of the term in Israeli politics

At political debates in contemporary Israel the term "court jester" (Hebrew: ליצן החצר) is used (especially on the Left side of the spectrum) as a term of abuse for supposed dissidents who keep their criticism within limits set by the political establishment. Specifically, it is used for those who express criticism of government policies while also seeking government budgets for artistic or academic projects. The word Hebrew most likely means to cross over, referring to the Semitic people crossing over the Euphrates River. ...

Buffoon

In similar vein, Buffoon is a term for someone who provides amusement through inappropriate appearance and/or behavior. (In Australian colloquial slang Buffoon can be used affectionately like the term dag). Dag is an Australian slang term, often used as an affectionate insult{{fact}}[1] for someone who is, or is perceived to be unfashionable, lacking self consciousness about their appearance and with poor social skills yet affable and amusing. ...

Strictly, a buffoon describes a "ridiculous, but nevertheless amusing person." In broader terms, a buffoon is a clown-like, publicly amusing person, such as a court jester. In the more modern sense, the term is frequently used in a derogatory sense to describe someone considered a public fool, or someone displaying inappropriately vulgar, bumbling or ridiculous behavior that is a source of general amusement. Clowning redirects here. ... A jester or fool is a specific type of clown mostly associated with the Middle Ages. ...

The term may originate from the old Italian "buffare", meaning to puff out one's cheeks. Robin Williams's character conjectures in the movie Toys that the word "is a combination of the words 'buffer' and 'fool.' Or perhaps 'buffamotus,' he who carries the pickle." For other persons named Robin Williams, see Robin Williams (disambiguation). ... Toys is a 1992 surreal black comedy film directed by Barry Levinson. ...

Historical quote

A "tired and emotional" Earl of Rochester was involved in an amusing incident in a poem presented to the king, when he said: - Tired and emotional is a chiefly British, Irish or Australian euphemism for drunk. It was popularised by the British satirical magazine Private Eye in 1967 after being used in a spoof diplomatic memo to describe the state of Labour Cabinet minister George Brown[1], but is now used as a... For other people of this name, see John Rochester. ...

Look up buffoon in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

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Jesters

Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wiktionary (a portmanteau of wiki and dictionary) is a multilingual, Web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in over 151 languages. ... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ...

See also

• Bouffon
• Clown society
• Harlequin
• Master of the Revels
• Skomorokh
• The Queen's Fool
• Town drunk
• Trickster
• Yurodivy

This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Clown society is a term used in anthropology and sociology for a organization of comedic entertainers who have a formalized role in a culture or society. ... “Arlecchino” redirects here. ... Master of the Revels was an office within the British royal household that originally had minor responsibilities for overseeing royal festivities. ... 18th-century lubok representing Russian skomorokhs. ... The Queens Fool by Philippa Gregory is a 2004 historical fiction novel aimed at young adults. ... The depraved inhabitants of a tavern, from a nineteenth century temperance play. ... For other uses, see Trickster (disambiguation). ... The yurodivy (accented on the second syllable, юро́дивый) is the Russian version of the holy fool. ...

Notes

References

• Welsford, Enid: The Fool : His Social and Literary History (out of print) (1935 + subsequent reprints): ISBN 1-299-14274-5
• Otto, Beatrice K., “Fools Are Everywhere: The Court Jester Around the World,” Chicago University Press, 2001
• M. Conrad Hyers The Spirituality of Comedy: comic heroism in a tragic world 1996 Transaction Publishers ISBN 1560002182
• Doran, John A History of Court Fools, 1858
• Billington, Sandra A Social History of the Fool, 1984

External links

• Fooling Around the World (A history of the court jester)
• Foolish Clothing: Depictions of Jesters and Fools in the Middle Ages and Renaissance What 14th-16th century jesters wore and carried, as seen in illustrations and museum collections
• [1] Pensacola Town Jesters Of The Southern Crypt Cabal: A not so secret society

1. ^ Hyers 96, p.113
2. ^ New York Times, May 14, 1968
3. ^ http://considerthis.onlinedemocracy.ca/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=345
4. ^ http://www.thenoodlebowl.com/jesters/images/reality/jddecree.jpg
5. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3141297.stm
6. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3545218.stm
7. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=81oZXMaib6IC&pg=PA139&dq=gravediggers++hamlet#PPA17,M1