jesters-msg - 9/20/99

Court jesters, jonglers. Juggling in the SCA.

NOTE: See also the files: juggling-msg, masks-msg, puppets-msg, instruments-msg, per-insanity-msg, masks-mumming-lnks, Mask-Making-art, P-Polit-Songs-art, Jestrs-Mumrs-lnks.

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    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous
                                          Stefan at florilegium.org
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From: bcdegopi at watserv1.waterloo.edu (bcdegopi)
Date: 13 Apr 90 20:46:40 GMT
Organization: University of Waterloo
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

charles at sparky.eecs.umich.edu (Charles Jacob Cohen) writes:
>Is there anyone out there with information how to be a jester in the SCA.
>I have the juggling skills, the costume is being made, but it is very
>hard for me to find any information on this subject, and in the two
>events I've been to, I haven't seen an other performing jesters.  Any
>information or sources about style and performance would be most
>appreciated.  Thanks in advance!
>
>       - Midair, the Juggler of Cynnabar

  As it happens I happen to be in the midst of researching this very topic...
  Here are some of the books I have started reading on the topic, which
  you may be interested in.  I'm sorry to say I can only give you Author,
  Title, and Library of Congress Number, as I have a print-out here, but the 
books themselves are elsewhere. 

Armin, Robert "Fools and Jesters: with a reprint of robert Armin's Nest of
ninnies"  Call Number: PR2417.N4 1842
 
Busby, Olive Mary "Studies in the development of the fool in the Elizabethan
drama" Call Number: PR658.F7B8 1923
 
Doran, John "The History of Court Fools"
    Call Number: Gt3670.d6
Swain, Barbara "Fools and folly during the middle ages and renaissance"
    Call Number: PN56.F6S8
Welsford, Enid "The Fool; his social and literary history."
    Call Number: GT3670.W4
Arden, Heather "Fool's plays: a study of satire in the sottie"
    Call Number: PQ514.A7 1980
Billington, Sandra "A Social History of the fool"
    Call Number: GT3670.B45 1984
Kaiser, Walter Jacob "Praisers of folly: Erasmus Rabelais, Shakespeare."
    Call Number: PA8515.K3
Lukens, Nancy "buchner's Valerio and teh theatrical fool tradition"
    Call Number: PT1828.BA7246

      There are many more, but these are  the one's which I have a list of
since the pretain more specifically to my topic.  You will find the comedy of
the fool is fairly varied, with many sub-types.
 
Foolishly,
 
Owain ap Emrys SAethydd,
Bcdegopi at watserv1.Waterloo.edu
Bryniau Tywnnog
Principality of Ealdormere.

From: garwood at milo.UUCP (Bert Garwood)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Jesters
Date: 4 Feb 1994 19:02:35 -0500
Organization: The Internet

Someone was asking about jesters.  Here's a book:
  Willeford, William 
 The Fool and his Scepter; a study of clowns and jesters and their audience.
 GV1828 .W5 Northwestern University Press, 1969

  I looked thru this briefly about a year ago.  Jesters seemed to be of 2
types, the "natural" fools, which in our more enlightened time we would call
mentally handicapped, and the others which were more like entertainers.  The
natural' fools were kept about because they were amusing in themselves, and
in some cases thier lords realized these special people needed a place to
stay.

   I would advise against your son calling himself a "jester pursuivant", as
the p-word refers specifically to subordinate heralds.  Those who know me
might say I fit the jester pursuivant mold, but I'm a herald with a
particularly odd way of seeing things.

Berwyn

From: alfredo1 at aol.com (Alfredo1)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Madness at events
Date: 9 Dec 1994 02:55:03 -0500

> On creating a mad character.....
> ...
> 3) You might also want to look at the history of fools and
> jesters.  

Yes.  This is true of everyone, not just those seeking to
create a mad character.  Everyone ought to look at the
history of fools and jesters.  The following discourse
is not meant to replace the research that each of you
should make into this subject, if you ever have to interact
with jesters and/or fools.
The medieval equivalent of committing a family member
to an institution was "to beg him for a fool", which
would make him a ward of the King or some other
noble better able to care for him than the family.
This noble would agree to take this burden because
of the entertainment value.  I recall reading of one
case of a fool who was himself very melancholy
but who provided much merriment by explaining
when asked (as he often was) that he had killed
several people for looking ugly.  (Can you imagine
people in our enlightened day deriving entertainment
from mass murder?)
Such fools were referred to as 'natural' fools, as
opposed to 'artificial' fools who willingly donned
motley to earn a living by their wits.  I think that
this distinction is alluded to in the old song,
"What Kind of Fool Am I?"

Alfredo el Bufon

From: ejpiii at delphi.com
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Juggler/jester wear?
Date: Fri, 30 Jun 95 20:54:54 -0500

Having juggled for many years, and having been in the SCA 20
years, I can offer a 'little' insight into the juggling garb
question. I have seen several portraits of 'jongleurs' in
European art collections. The term itself could be more likely
to mean street performer, or busker than anything else. But
juggling was part of the mix. The several I have noticed were
dressed in party colored tights, at least one had on a mask (or
smily face paint!). The clothing was actually quite gaudy,
after all they were performers. In one exhibit (in Amsterdam)
the person was juggling balls. So I think that you could get
away with that in the absence of better info. Just stick to
period looking fabric and colors.

Eddward

From: brgarwood at aol.com (BRgarwood)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Juggler/jester wear?
Date: 1 Jul 1995 13:30:38 -0400

A few years ago I found a book in the library along the lines of "The
jeater and his craft" or some such.  Try doing a subject search under
"clowns".  Anyway, it mentioned the traditional costume for fooles was
particolor yellow and green.  I don't know why.   Also I've seen it
postulated that the three-pointed jester cap developed from attatching
donkey ears to a tailed hood.   

Berwyn, who is sometimes amusing

From: charles at krusty.eecs.umich.edu (Charles J. Cohen)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Juggler/jester wear?
Date: 2 Jul 1995 18:27:11 GMT
Organization: University of Michigan AI Lab

<te2961s at acad.drake.edu> wrote:
>
>My local juggling group was asked to perform for an upcoming Ren Fair
>that is being held in our fair city. I have never been to one of these
>fairs before. We are supposed to wear period garb (duh).

>Specifically, I guess I'm looking for a peasant/jester costume.

I think I can help you with this. Hopefully people on the Rialto will
correct me if I'm wrong.  This is *purely* conjecture, I have no proof
of anything I say here. This is just a supposition from looking at
lots of pictures and seeing the types of jester outfits that are out there.

If you want a cheap jester outfit, I'd suggest the following. Go to
the Ren Faire, and ask them for some old garb that they don't want
anymore.  The peasant stuff. It can have holes in it, it doesn't
matter.  The women can wear wench garb, the men can wear regular
tunics.  The trick to jester garb is just one thing: be flashy.  Take
the garb you are given (make sure they don't want it back or that you
can alter it) and thank them. Then go to the fabric store, ask them
where the remnant table is (that has scraps of cloth on it for really
cheap prices), find all the brightly colored eye boggling shocking
fabric you can find, and buy it (will don't get too much).  Then make
patches out of it, and cover about half of your garb with it.  The
trick is to stand out in the crowd and make sure that when people look
at you, they won't take you seriously.  If you have some more money,
buy some small and large cheap jingle bells, and sew them to your
arms, neck opening, leg cuffs, and belts. Jingling is wonderful! If
you can make the silly three corner or the lyre pipe jester hat, put
bells on that too.  Basically, the trick is to just take normal
medieval garb, and go wild with it.  I am sure it is okay for women to
wear men's clothing (it is a pain to juggle under the legs in a
skirt), but men should stick to men's clothing. Male crossdressers
were found more in theatrical performances than in the jester community.

My gesture outfits are basically alternating bright red and bright
blue colors, with lots of bells on a belt (some nice chiming ones
also), with a hat with jingle bells on it.  The outfit is authentic,
but the bells, the hat, and my attitude make it a jester outfit.

Best of luck! Email me if you have any questions.

- Midair MacCormaic, a (not the only one anymore!!!) juggler in Cynnabar

From: ej613 at cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Maureen S. O'Brien)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Juggler/jester wear?
Date: 2 Jul 1995 01:12:42 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)

In a previous article, ejpiii at delphi.com () says:

>question. I have seen several portraits of 'jongleurs' in
>European art collections. The term itself could be more likely
>to mean street performer, or busker than anything else. But
>juggling was part of the mix. The several I have noticed were
>dressed in party colored tights, at least one had on a mask (or
>smily face paint!). The clothing was actually quite gaudy,
>after all they were performers. In one exhibit (in Amsterdam)

The picture I saw had both male and female jongleurs (it was in a book
on troubadours); the female costume was a gold-painted fake coat of mail,
hose, and a cloak.  Yep, she was dressed like a guy.  No wonder those
female jongleurs got a bad rep, showing their legs like that!
-- 
Maureen S. O'Brien		We are like the roses ---
ad451 at dayton.wright.edu		We are forced to grow.

From: david.razler at compudata.com (DAVID RAZLER)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Juggler/jester wear?
Date: Sun, 02 Jul 95 22:56:00 -0400
Organization: Compu-Data BBS -=- Turnersville, NJ -=- 609-232-1245

E>Having juggled for many years, and having been in the SCA
E>20 years, I can offer a 'little' insight into the juggling
E>garb question. I have seen several portraits of
E>'jongleurs' in European art collections. The term itself
E>could be more likely to mean street performer, or busker
E>than anything else. But juggling was part of the mix. The
E>several I have noticed were dressed in party colored
E>tights, at least one had on a mask (or smily face paint!).
E>The clothing was actually quite gaudy, after all they were
E>performers. In one exhibit (in Amsterdam) the person was
E>juggling balls. So I think that you could get away with
E>that in the absence of better info. Just stick to period
E>looking fabric and colors. Eddward

Everything I've seen and read shows the jongleurs wearing 
parodies of the clothing worn by the royalty and nobility - 
longer poulons, louder clashes of color (if possible), more 
ridiculous headgear and more makeup. Go for parody and loud 
and you can't go wrong!
                       AtT

Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 07:37:14 -0500 (EST)
From: Grace Morris <gmorris at cs14.pds.charlotte.nc.us>
To: sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu
Cc: "INTERNET:sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu" <sca-arts at raven.cc.ukans.edu>
Subject: Re: parti-colouring

An excellent book on the costume of entertainers, Jews, and those
considered "marginal", also good for conventions in painting:

Ruth Mellinkoff:  Outcasts:  Signs of Otherness in Northern European Art
of the Late Middle Ages.  Berkeley, 1991  Vol.1=text, Vol.2=illustrations

Jessamyn di Piemonte, Atlantia

Date sent: Sat, 31 Jul 1999 20:25:54 -0400
From: Beverly Roden <alexis at dnaco.net>
To: sca-middle at midrealm.org
Subject:[Mid] cool book!

Greetings from Alexis!

For the benefit of the 'Fools' out there, I thought I'd pass this
along...

I was at the local way-cool bookstore yesterday (Books and Co. - if
you're ever in Dayton for an event, ask any local for directions! :)
and noticed the following book in the Medieval and Renaissance
section:
"Fools & Jesters at the English Court" - John Southworth - Sutton
Publishing LTD. - $35.00  (yes, it's a British publication)  The ISBN
is 0-7509-1773-3

It was REALLY fascinating!  If Pennsic wasn't coming up, I would have
purchased it myself!  (REALLY! - and if it's still there when I come
home, I'll buy it.  If it isn't there, I'll order it!)  There were lots
of good pictures and details about court life - check this out, even if
you aren't particularly interested in having a 'Fool' Persona!

<the end>