Although it should be noted they weren’t called “jesters” at this point, rather usually something like “fool” or “buffoon”. Over the centuries this line of work matured and as we get into Medieval times in the Western world, we start to see court jesters that somewhat fit the common stereotype depicted today. Beyond entertaining the masses, from Egyptian Pharaoh to the first Emperor of China, the wealthy have frequently employed the services of these individuals. To begin with, the job of jester has been around going back to humanity’s earliest recorded history, as well as spanning just about every major culture on Earth.
So what was life actually like as a court jester? And as you were often putting them in good humor and otherwise making them happy, it was a position that came with a whole slew of perks. LegitMarmalade asks: Is it true medieval jesters could insult the King in any way they wanted without risk of getting executed?Īlthough you might assume that being made to wear a stupid costume, be mocked, and act like an idiot for the entertainment of fatuous rulers would be a job nobody would want- like the position of Groom of the Stool (a job which initially consisted of directly supplying the necessaries to facilitate a good and clean bowel movement to the King, as well as to monitor said fecal matter and make dietary recommendations based on what you saw there)- the position of court jester was actually an enviable one due to it involving spending so much time with those in power.
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