In the strict hierarchical Catholic courts of medieval Europe, perceived slights could bring the pane of death. Amongst this was a popular but nevertheless underappreciated oddity—the Jester, the fool, the court clown, or the joker.
No doubt the word elicits some images in your mind—a red-black motley costume, a cap jingling with bells and marotte or sceptre. The Shakespearean fool, like or Feste from Twelfth Night, weave their way around characters with unforgettable humour and wit. Or The Fool, one of the twenty-two trump cards in the Major Arcana, with a cousin in the Joker card of a typical playing deck. In the modern day, characters like the prophetic Patchface in ASIOF, Harley Quinn from Batman, Jimbo from Balatro and Skyrim’s Cicero carry the image of the jester into contemporary popular culture often with the association of madness.
Jesters, however, weren’t mad. Rather, they held a unique place in the puritanical culture of medieval Europe with its complex social rituals; the jester was the lone individual who was allowed to defy all conventions as members of a noble household, elevating them above other comedic performers.
The jester’s comedy derived not just from their talent as a performer, but their willingness to break unwritten social rules. A form of medieval “dark humour,” whose target was often the rulers, lords, ladies and priests that demanded unquestionable respect from those below them.
Isaac Asimov wrote that “the secret of the successful fool is that he’s no fool at all.” This is another unappreciated element of the jester archetype. In their time jestering, these individuals discussed current events, satirised happenings of the court and made subtle yet provocative commentaries. English statesman Thomas Cromwell noted that the jester Will Sommer was a “poor man’s friend” able to challenge the selfish opulence of the Royal family with satire.
In many cases, jesters themselves were anomalies within their societies. For some in the lower-class, particularly women, foreigners and the differently-abled, jestering was the best form of upward social mobility. Archy Armstrong was a sheep thief before his career as a jester. João de Sá was an African and an ex-slave employed by King John III of Portugal. The legacy of jesters with dwarfism and other physical disabilities is long and storied, among them Perkeo of Heidelberg, Jeffrey Hudson and Don Diego de Acedo.
Some jesters likely had developmental disabilities. The term “natural fool” was used to describe some fools who unconsciously broke social rules, and that trait made them talented jesters. Jane Foole was a favourite “fool woman” of three English Queens, who, along with Will Sommer, was painted as part of the Royal family.
All of these individuals achieved success that they never could have otherwise because of the unique position of the jester. In the brutal system of feudalism, jestering was their most effective form of resistance—to unabashedly mock the society that believed the lower class and disabled were put in their place by God.
When Jeffrey Hudson was mocked by a nobleman, Hudson challenged him to duel. The nobleman came with a squirt gun, expecting a humorous performance. Hudson arrived with a pistol and shot him square in the forehead.
The contemporary image of the jester as a manic but servile jokester is a massive disservice to the witty, rebellious, intelligent and impactful personalities that were attracted to the position. It also erases the proud history of the diverse jester. It shows that resistance from within comes in many forms and the oppressed have always found ways to resist and ridicule the systems that persecuted them.
Moreover, in the age of short-form social media content, the use of comedy to influence thought has never been greater. Drag queen Belinda Gread satirised the ‘anti-woke’ and pro-nuclear pipedreams of the Liberal Party throughout the 2025 election. Punter’s Politics creates satirical videos aimed at educating the average Australian. Purplepingers draws attention to the housing crisis by publicly promoting squatting in the many empty houses, and Nazeem Hussain has used his comedy routines as a platform to support the Palestinian struggle.
It's hard not to see the similarities between the modern satirical political influencer and the medieval jester. But the question is, are they truly following the legacy by holding truth to power? As author Terry Pratchett said, “satire is meant to ridicule power. If you are laughing at people who are hurting, it's not satire, it's bullying.” So, if anything, don’t give your time to sycophantic performers, jingling their fool’s caps for the snickering upper class—support the comedians who are trying to make a difference. They’re following a long, foolish legacy.
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