Jester was a person whose duty it was often to amuse kings, queens, nobles, and their family and guests. The jester was sometimes called the court fool. Jesters earned their support with their wit and by performing antics much like those of today’s clowns. Jesters usually specialized in jokes and riddles. A jester wore a checkered coat and hose (called motley) of many colors. He wore a hood, sometimes decorated with an ass’s ears or the head or comb of a cock. He also wore bells attached to his skirts, the elbows of his coat, his long, pointed shoes, and the peak of his hood.
It is not known when jesters first appeared. There may have been jesters in Britain during the time of the Saxons. Licenses were issued to jesters in the 1600’s. Before that, a history of William the Conqueror (who lived in the 1000’s) names his court fool, Goles. Many later kings had jesters. Henry VIII’s jester, Will Somers, was a gift from Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. The practice of keeping a fool began to decline in the 1600’s.
The court jester enjoyed an unusual position with his employers. He was almost a member of the family, taking part in private gatherings, sharing family secrets, and playing with the children. It is easy to understand how William Shakespeare’s Hamlet felt when gravediggers uncovered the skull of his father’s jester, Yorick. Hamlet describes him as “a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy.” Most jesters were clever. Some jesters are believed to have given their kings advice.
