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History of the Court Jester

Any mention of a jester or a court jester probably elicits pictures of a clown-like, colorfully garbed jokester. While that may have been the normal look of a jester in certain parts of Europe during medieval times, the origins and historical development of the jester is a fascinating subject to examine.

Ancient Jesters

Comedic actors during the height of the Roman Empire are viewed as being a direct precursor to the jester of medieval times. While there was no professional jester in Roman times, the comic actor most likely laid the basis for jesters in later periods, both in his comedic development and in his choice of wardrobe.

Furthermore, viewing the comic actor of Rome in this light could help to explain the dispersion of jesters throughout the courts of medieval Europe. Various Roman emperors undertook to purge the empire of actors, claiming that actors were a detriment and blight on society. As the actors fled persecution, they served to spread their craft over a larger swath of Europe, possibly leading to the growth of the jester in later years.

Jesters Around the World

Though this article will focus on the jester in Medieval Europe, I thought it important to point out that the jester or fool was a staple of cultures around the world and throughout time. China is one of the most well-documented places to have had extant jesters or fools for a large portion of its history. Similar to the medieval jesters of Europe, Chinese jesters were often employed by the shah and were tasked with lightening the mood at court. Africa also possesses a large contingent of fools, and some tribes and villages even have a fool to this day. A "town idiot," if you will.

The Stereotypical Medieval Jester

Jesters have fallen victim to a modern-day stereotype. By and large, they are viewed as having been dumb people who were adept at clownish activities such as juggling or gymnastics and who wore flamboyant outfits. Though some may have fallen into this category, many jesters were quite smart, using their wit as a tool to help diffuse tense situations at the royal court. The clothes stereotype has the most support, however, as many jesters did wear clothes that made them stand out from the crowd. Comical costumes and three-pointed hats are thought to have been the common outfit of the jester, but the three-pointed hat was probably an allusion to earlier times when jesters would instead wear donkey ears and a tail.