WA jester, court jester, or fool, was historically an entertainer during the medieval and Renaissance eras who was a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch employed to entertain guests. Jesters were also itinerant performers who entertained common folk at fairs and town markets. Jesters are also entertainers who perform at modern-day historically themed events.
WThe Shakespearean fool is a recurring character type in the works of William Shakespeare.
WJoan d'Acosta was a Jewish jester at the court of Czar Peter the Great of Russia in the first half of the eighteenth century.
WArchibald Armstrong, court jester, called "Archy," was a native of Cumberland, and according to tradition first distinguished himself as a sheep thief; afterwards he entered the service of James VI, with whom he became a favourite.
WIvan Aleksandrovich Balakirev was a court jester of to Peter I of Russia.
WA cap and bells is a type of fool's cap, a cap with bells worn by a court fool or jester.
WTom Durie, Duri, Dury or Derry was a Scottish fool or entertainer to Anne of Denmark.
WJamie Fleeman or Fleeming (1713–1778) was better known as "the Laird of Udny's Fool" or "the Laird of Udny's Fule" in the Scots language. Although described as a fool, he had a reputation for his clever, witty repartee and many anecdotal tales of his actions are re-capped. He was specifically mentioned in the 1845 Statistical Accounts of Scotland and characterised in novels. Fleeman is associated with the Countess of Erroll and was used by her to carry messages to Jacobite rebels. He was probably the last family jester in Scotland.
WGopal Bhar or Gopal Bhand was a court jester in medieval Bengal. He was in the court of Raja Krishnachandra (1710–1783), the then-king of Nadia in the 18th century. Gopal used to give joy to others by laughter and ridicule. The king considered Gopal as a Navaratna of his court. His statue can still be seen in the palace of Krishnachandra and in Ghurni, Krishnagar town. Gopal is believed to have possessed a keen intelligence.
WJane Foole, also known as Jane The Foole, Jane, The Queen's Fool, "Jeannne le Fol" or "Jane Hir Fole", was an English court jester. She was the jester of queens Catherine Parr and Mary I, and possibly also of Anne Boleyn. She has been described as the only female court jester ever depicted.
WJoão de Sá, known as Panasco, was a black African in the employ of King John III of Portugal, who was eventually elevated from court jester to gentleman courtier of the Royal Household.
WA marotte is a prop stick or sceptre with a carved head on it. Jesters usually used a marotte. The word is borrowed from the French, where it signifies either a fool's (literal) "bauble" or a fad.
WA minstrel was a medieval European entertainer. Originally describing any type of entertainer such as a musician, juggler, acrobat, singer or fool, the term later, from the sixteenth century, came to mean a specialist entertainer who sang songs and played musical instruments.
WPerkeo of Heidelberg was a notable jester and court dwarf of Elector Palatine Charles III Philip in Heidelberg. As guardian of the Great Heidelberg Tun, he has since become an unofficial mascot of the city and region. His name, story and image have been connected with a variety of festivals, traditional songs, cultural and scientific institutions, hotels, restaurants and private companies ever since.
WTenali Ramakrishna (born Garlapathi Ramakrishna; also known as Tenali Rama) was an Indian poet, scholar, thinker and a special advisor in the court of Sri Krishnadevaraya who ruled from C.E. 1509 to 1529. He was a Telugu poet who hailed from what is now the Andhra Pradesh region, generally known for the folk tales which focus on his wit. He was one of the Ashtadiggajas or the eight poets at the court of krishnadevaraya, the Vijayanagar emperor.He was the minister of the court
WA skomorokh was a medieval East Slavic harlequin, or actor, who could also sing, dance, play musical instruments and compose for oral/musical and dramatic performances. The etymology of the word is not completely clear. There are hypotheses that the word is derived from the Greek σκώμμαρχος ; from the Italian scaramuccia ; from the Arabic masẋara; and many others.
WWilliam "Will" Sommers was the best-known court jester of Henry VIII of England.
WStańczyk was a Polish court jester, the most famous in Polish history. He was employed by three Polish kings: Alexander, Sigismund the Old and Sigismund Augustus.
WDaniel Sylvester Battagline, also known as Sylvester The Jester, is an American magician, best known for playing a cartoon character who comes to life. He has had hundreds of stage and television appearances, including NBC’s "World's Wildest Magic," ABC’s "Champions of Magic III", Jerry Lewis's Muscular Dystrophy Telethon and The Discovery Channel’s "More Science of Magic." He has performed in multiple Las Vegas shows including opening for The Amazing Johnathan, and appearing at Caesar’s Magical Empire. He also produces a series of magic products, and has been credited with creating the illustrations for various magic publications, such as the cover for The Amazing Johnathan's Every Trick in the Book, and the poster for John Carney's "Mr. Mysto" act. In 1996, he also created a prop for the television show, "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch." He has been featured on the cover of several magic and culture-related magazines, such as the September 1998 issue of Magic.
WNicolas Ferrial, also known as Le Févrial or Triboulet (1479–1536) was a jester of kings Louis XII and Francis I of France.
WYakov Fyodorovich Turgenev was a court jester to Peter I of Russia, and a Kiev colonel.
WEugenia Martínez Vallejo was a young woman from Spain who gained notoriety for her large size and weight, contemporarily thought to be the result of Prader–Willi Syndrome.
WDavid Zancai is a street entertainer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Zancai is known for his character Zanta: a modified Santa Claus who travels the streets of downtown Toronto doing pushups and shouting "yes yes yes" and "Merry Christmess". His costume consists of nothing but shorts, boots, and a red-and-white Santa hat, even during Toronto's winters. He claims to perform this routine every day of the year except Christmas Day, and estimates he does 2,000 to 3,000 pushups per day. In 2000, Zancai fell 25 feet onto a staircase while working as a painter. He entered treatment for schizophrenia at St. Joseph's hospital, having been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder earlier in 2003. Zancai has received mixed responses to his Zanta character, and has been banned from several public areas around Toronto, including the Toronto Transit Commission.