Editing Jester (section)

==History==
[[File:Fool or jester playing a dog shaped bagpipe, image by Petrus Gilberti, from Bible Historiale (Royal 15 D11 folio 262).jpg|thumb |200px|right|1404–1425, France. Two men smile at a jester's act, appearing to use a dog for a bagpipe.]]

=== ''Balatrones'' ===
In [[ancient Rome]], a '''{{lang|la|balatro}}''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|a:|l|a:|t|r|o:}} {{Respelling|BAH|lah|troh}}) was a professional jester or buffoon.<ref>[[Horace]] Sat. i. 2. 2. (cited by Allen)</ref> {{lang|la|Balatrones}} were paid for their jests, and the tables of the wealthy were generally open to them for the sake of the amusement they afforded.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f79ZzLC_4JsC&dq=Balatrones+were+paid+for+their+jests,+and+the+tables+of+the+wealthy+were+generally+open+to+them&pg=PA132 |title=Notes and Queries: A Medium of Inter-Communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, Etc |date=1868 |publisher=Bell |language=en}}</ref>

There are various theories about the origin of the term. In [[Horace]], Balatro is used as a proper name: {{lang|la|Servilius Balatro}}.<ref>Sat ii. 8. 21 (cited by Allen)</ref> An old scholiast derives the common word {{lang|la|balatro}} from the proper name, suggesting that buffoons were called {{lang|la|balatrones}} because {{lang|la|Servilius Balatro}} was a buffoon, though others have since objected to this account. [[Sextus Pompeius Festus|Festus]] derives the word from {{lang|la|blatea}}, and supposes buffoons to have been called {{lang|la|balatrones}} because they were dirty fellows, covered with spots of mud ({{lang|la|blateae}}) from walking.<ref>Pauli Diaconi excerpta ex libris Pompeii Festi de significatione verborum, liber II, [https://archive.org/stream/mverriiflacciqua01verruoft#page/108/mode/2up sub voce]. See also [https://archive.org/stream/deverborumsigni00fest#page/34/mode/2up here].</ref> Another writer suggests a derivation from {{lang|la|barathrum}}, because they, so to speak, carried their jesting to market, even into the very depth ({{lang|la|barathrum}}) of the shambles ({{lang|la|barathrum macelli}})<ref>Hor. Ep. i. 15. 31. (cited by Allen)</ref> {{lang|la|Balatro}} may be connected with {{lang|la|balare}}, "to bleat like a sheep", and hence, to speak sillily. Others have suggested a connection with {{lang|la|blatero}}, a busy-body.<ref>Gell. i. 15. (cited by Allen)</ref>

Jester-like figures have been common throughout the world. They were known in China, Persia, and the Aztec empire.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Jester |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/212748/fool |access-date=2012-06-07}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Otto |first=Beatrice |title=Fools Are Everywhere: The Court Jester Around the World |publisher=University of Chicago Press |year=2001 |isbn=978-0-226-64091-4 |location=Chicago}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Dalqak |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Iranica |url=https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/dalqak-buffoon-court-jester-also-sometimes-known-as-maskara}}</ref>

===English royal court jesters===
Many royal courts throughout English royal history employed entertainers and most had professional fools, sometimes called "licensed fools". Fool Societies, or groups of nomadic entertainers, were often hired to perform acrobatics and juggling.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Debra |date=2020-12-26 |title=What It Was Really Like To Be A Court Jester - Grunge |url=https://www.grunge.com/302144/what-it-was-really-like-to-be-a-court-jester/ |access-date=2022-10-16 |website=Grunge.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

Jesters were also occasionally used as psychological warfare. Jesters would ride in front of their troops, provoke or mock the enemy, and even serve as messengers. They played an important part in raising their own army's spirits by singing songs and reciting stories.<ref>{{Cite web |last=sheldon |first=Natasha |date=2018-09-19 |title=The Role of Fool was a Staple in Medieval Culture... In Some of the Most Unexpected Ways |url=https://historycollection.com/the-many-roles-of-the-medieval-fool/ |access-date=2022-10-16 |website=History Collection |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Debra |date=2020-12-26 |title=What It Was Really Like To Be A Court Jester - Grunge |url=https://www.grunge.com/302144/what-it-was-really-like-to-be-a-court-jester/ |access-date=2022-10-16 |website=Grunge.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[Henry VIII|Henry VIII of England]] employed a jester named [[Will Sommers]]. His daughter [[Mary I of England|Mary]] was entertained by [[Jane Foole]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Westfahl |first=Gary |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kaL0BwAAQBAJ&dq=Henry+VIII+of+England+employed+a+jester+named+Will+Sommers.+His+daughter+Mary+was+entertained+by+Jane+Foole.&pg=PA686 |title=A Day in a Working Life: 300 Trades and Professions through History [3 volumes]: 300 Trades and Professions through History |date=2015-04-21 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-61069-403-2 |language=en}}</ref>

During the reigns of [[Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth I]] and [[James I of England]], [[William Shakespeare]] wrote his plays and performed with his theatre company the [[Lord Chamberlain's Men]] (later called the [[King's Men (playing company)|King's Men]]). [[Clown]]s and jesters were featured in Shakespeare's plays, and the company's expert on jesting was [[Robert Armin]], author of the book ''Foole upon Foole''. In Shakespeare's ''[[Twelfth Night]]'', [[Feste]] the jester is described as "wise enough to play the fool".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shakespeare |first=William |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t8AzAQAAMAAJ&dq=In+Shakespeare's+Twelfth+Night,+Feste+the+jester+is+described+as+%22wise+enough+to+play+the+fool%22.&pg=PA95 |title=The Works of Shakespeare ....: Twelfth night; or, What you will, ed. by M. Luce |date=1906 |publisher=Methuen & Company Limited |language=en}}</ref>

In Scotland, [[Mary, Queen of Scots]], had a jester called [[Nichola (fool)|Nichola]]. Her son, King [[James VI of Scotland]], employed a jester called [[Archibald Armstrong]]. During his lifetime Armstrong was given great honours at court. He was eventually thrown out of the King's employment when he over-reached and insulted too many influential people. Even after his disgrace, books telling of his jests were sold in London streets. He held some influence at court still in the reign of [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] and estates of land in [[Ireland]]. [[Anne of Denmark]] had a Scottish jester called [[Tom Durie]]. Charles I later employed a jester called [[Jeffrey Hudson]] who was very popular and loyal. Jeffrey Hudson had the title of "Royal [[Dwarfism|Dwarf]]" because he was short of stature. One of his jests was to be presented hidden in a giant pie from which he would leap out. Hudson fought on the [[Cavalier|Royalist]] side in the [[English Civil War]]. A third jester associated with Charles I was called Muckle John.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Buckle |first=Henry Thomas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G73FAAAAMAAJ&dq=A+third+jester+associated+with+Charles+I+was+called+Muckle+John.&pg=PA201 |title=The Miscellaneous and Posthumous Works of Henry Thomas Buckle |date=1872 |publisher=Longmans, Green and Company |language=en}}</ref>

===Jester's privilege===
Jester's privilege is the ability and right of a jester to talk and mock freely without being punished. As an acknowledgement of this right, the court jester had symbols denoting their status and protection under the law. The crown ([[cap and bells]]) and sceptre ([[marotte]]) mirrored the royal crown and sceptre wielded by a monarch.<ref>{{cite web|title=Medieval Jesters – And their Parallels in Modern America|url=http://www.historyisnowmagazine.com/blog/2019/1/13/medieval-jesters-and-their-parallels-in-modern-america|access-date=2022-02-18|website=History is Now Magazine, Podcasts, Blog and Books {{!}} Modern International and American history|date=13 January 2019 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>Billington, Sandra. "A Social History of the Fool", The Harvester Press, 1984. ISBN 0-7108-0610-8</ref>

[[Martin Luther]] used jest in many of his criticisms against the Catholic Church.<ref name=hub /> In the introduction to his ''[[To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation]]'', he calls himself a court jester, and, later in the text, he explicitly invokes the jester's privilege when saying that monks should break their chastity vows.<ref name=hub>{{citation |title= Ethical consensus and the truth of laughter: the structure of moral transformations |volume= 4 |series= Morality and the meaning of life |author= Hub Zwart |publisher= [[Peeters Publishers]] |year= 1996 |isbn= 978-90-390-0412-8 |page= 156 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=zkQFtzp0ZwMC }}</ref>