Why Is Jester Important In The Middle Ages

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In the middle ages, humors were believed to control health. So patients would be prescribed to watch a jester since laughter was believed to be medecine. Jesters were important to the medieval society since they entertained the king, but their everyday life depended on if they were a court jester or peasant jester. Jesters were also more than what is commonly known. In addition to being called the fool, jesters were also called the clown or buffoon. The term jester wasn’t used until the 16 century, so they were called the gestour, jestour, fol, disour, or bourder. There were some very successful female jesters, they were called jestresses. Jesters and jestresses did more than just tell jokes, they also would do tricks, played flutes and lutes, dance, juggle, did gymnastics, pantomime, walked on a tightrope, said tongue twisters, sang, did voice tricks, and yodeled. Some jokes jesters said no one else would dare to say due to its possible relation to the king or nobility. Often jesters were well educated. Jesters were peasants with a very different life.…show more content…
Some jesters shaved their heads, to cover their baldness they would wear a colorful hat that represented a donkey’s ears and tail. To complete their outfit, some jesters would carry a fake sceptre. Court jesters and regular jesters ate different things. Court jesters would eat bread, plenty of meat, seafood, spices, cheese, and some fruits and vegetables. Jesters that lived as a peasant ate rye bread, pottage, milk, cheese, limited meat like beef, pork, or ham, fish, nuts, honey, and fruits and vegetables from their garden. All jesters entertained, either if it was for the king or the town. Depending on who they performed for, they had very different

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