#The court jester becomes the king professional#

Reading was also less of a pastime in the Middle Ages, as nearly every book published was solely for education. Events such as dog fighting, horse racing, and public shows were seen as beneath them, and so they had no choice but to employ entertainers in their own homes. This is a common trend in the careers of many jesters most worked until they lost their jobs, and most lost their jobs after offending somebody powerful enough to have them fired! Why did people employ jesters?ĭuring the Middle Ages, there was very little entertainment available for kings and nobles. However, he lost his position when he went too far with some of his jokes and insulted other, more important members of King James VI’s court. Archibald was so loved by the king that he was given authority over land like a noble, and was a figure of some importance in the English political landscape. One of the world’s most famous jesters was “Archibald Armstrong,” employed by English King James VI during the 1600s. If one of the annoyed soldiers was silly enough to charge at him, he’d be killed by the jester’s army. Some jesters would sing mocking songs and shout insults to annoy the opposing army, as well as juggling swords in front of them. Their wartime role was a psychological one, as they would work to both encourage their troops and demoralize their opponents. If they survived this process, they would return to their side and boost their allies’ morale with funny songs and stories. In times of war, Kings frequently used their personal jesters as messengers, and would send them across enemy lines to speak to the opposing forces.

What did jesters do during wartime?īeing a jester could be a dangerous job. Listening to the same jokes night after night would have been boring, after all most jesters worked multiple jobs in a nobleman’s court, and would occupy other positions like “keeper of hounds” or head cleaner in-between performances. However, they didn’t work the whole year round.

#The court jester becomes the king professional#

They were professional jokesters or fools who were employed solely for comedic relief, and would often be the only source of entertainment in their employer’s days. This is because jesters were the clowns of the Middle Ages. Nowadays, the word “jester” is used in much the same way as the word “clown.” Some even learned acrobatics or juggling, to further add to their list of abilities. Jesters would learn to sing, dance, recite poetry and tell stories. In medieval times, a jester was an entertainer/comedian/performer who was employed by a nobleman, king, or another high-class individual to entertain him and his guests.