Schleich Vintage Rare Retired Court Jester 4" with staff.
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 scepter (marotte), mirroring the royal crown and scepter wielded by a monarch. Martin Luther used jest in many of his criticisms against the Catholic Church.
The life of a court jester is one that dates back to the Middle Ages and Tudor era. It's during this time that the need for a jester, who was often referred to as a servant, was required by the court. Their duties also doubled, as they were often messengers for said courts and estates, following their masters wherever they went and delivering messages - no matter how dangerous the journey - wherever they needed to go. Some court jesters made a great profit from what they did while others found out quickly that to be a jester isn't always fun and games, especially when the term 'don't shoot the messenger' becomes a stark reality.
To determine what actually constituted someone as being a jester, we must first acknowledge the fact that the term 'jester' applied to many entertainers. During the 11th and 12th centuries, the term 'minstrel,' which meant 'little servent,' commonly referred to musicians, singers, jugglers, magicians, and tumblers, according to HistoryExtra. This meant that the court jester could potentially take on any number of roles depending on what his or her talent was. These men and women were also referred to as a joculator or a joculatrix. Towards the end of the 12th century, the term 'fool' began floating about and eventually was used to refer to jesters who had earned their freedom and, with it, payment in the form of land. However, with this agreement and reward came certain terms, such as a fool needing to return to the court on a certain date every year to perform or another, similar condition.
The tradition of the court jester, a man who would amuse courtiers and monarchs with his antics and jokes, is ancient. Most people associate jesters with medieval and Renaissance Europe, but in the fact the practice of retaining a jester or fool goes back beyond the birth of Christ. In the modern era, jesters can still be found, although the official position of a royal jester at court is not often filled. Many fans of medieval history like to dress up as jesters, celebrating a rich and complex tradition. The jester can also be seen symbolically in many places, including decks of cards, where he is known as the joker.
The classic uniform of a court jester includes a tri-pointed floppy hat with bells, and brightly colored uniquely patterned clothing. Many garments in the medieval age were actually quite bright and even garish by modern standards, but the court jester would have stood out, thanks to the distinctive hat and ringing of bells which accompanied every movement. Some jesters were also gifted with jewelry, beautiful clothing, and other presents in thanks for their services, and they undoubtedly would have worn their gifts to demonstrate their favor.
The position of the court jester was actually very complicated. On the surface, a jester might be taken as a mere buffoon, but he also had to walk a fine line in the court, as he had no official place in the ranks of the court. This allowed jesters to be more free with their opinions, since their words could be considered jokes, but they had to be careful about overstepping their boundaries, as a court jester who went too far could be punished by the monarch.