What is a court jester?

Question

Well, we are having a literature project over Medeival Times, and my topic was the court jesters. I already found what they wore and what they did. But I need more info. Can you help me?

Any information on them is helpful.

Answer 1

He just sorta entertained everyone and was sort of the joke of the royal family house.

Answer 2

A court jester was a profession common during the Middle Ages. They are the equivalent of a clown today.

Answer 3

They were fools..   they were an attempt to make the royals happy..  If for some reason they failed in the attempt they could be killed..

You might be interested in hearing the song Fool's Gold by Blackmore's Night which is about the relationship between the Jester and the King.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_RmbfG3D...

Answer 4

You said you know what they wore and what they did, which was to entertain the king and court.  Here's more information.

The jester had an important role in that, of all the people at court, he was about the only one who could "tell it like it is" to the king, masked as a joke, as opposed to many of the courtiers who would agree with the king or tell him what he wanted to hear.  In this picture of a fool, he is the only one troubled by bad news for the kingdom:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Stanc...

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jester

For instance, there is a story from old Persia that the Shah's (King's) fool ridiculed everyone; when the Shah asked if there was a shortage of food, the jester said "Yes, I see Your Majesty is eating only five times a day."

http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chica...

Often, the fool was the person to whom the king could confide his troubles and personal fears; the fool had nothing to gain or lose, although he could sometimes go too far.  There are paintings of a king and his fool which show the close relationship in some cases.

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl...

http://img.tfd.com/h/t/aa347107.jpg (Henry VIII and Will Somers - a bit small)

This picture, however, is of an elite fool, and probably many didn't enjoy the confidence of their master.  Do read the links below; they give a good idea of the fool's role.

They could come from any class; if a court didn't employ them, they would make their living as strolling players.  A jester was able to amuse, juggle, dance, make music, etc.

NB: some of this information deals with Elizabethan or Shakespearean fools, which is later than Medieval times!