2. Multiple roles: Jesters served various functions, including providing entertainment, offering advice to rulers and nobles, and serving as social commentators.
3. Physical appearance: Medieval jesters were known for their colorful and extravagant dress, featuring bright patterns, bells, and sometimes animal pelts. They often wore hats with long tails or bells, and their faces might be painted or masked.
4. Variety acts: Jesters were skilled in performing tricks, juggling, acrobatics, and telling humorous stories. Some were also musicians, poets, or singers, combining their talents for comedic effect.
5. Witty banter: Jesters were expected to be witty and clever in their interactions with their masters and other courtiers. Their humor was often satirical and subversive, poking fun at social norms and the powerful.
6. Freedom of speech: Despite their position as court entertainers, jesters had a degree of freedom of speech that others didn't. Their antics and mockery could offer indirect criticism of rulers and society, while also providing a means of releasing pent-up emotions and frustrations.
7. Courtly acceptance: Jesters were generally accepted and even cherished in medieval courts, where they played a vital role in providing entertainment and serving as a source of wisdom and commentary.
8. Social status: Jesters occupied a complex social position. While they were often the subject of ridicule and mockery themselves, they were also valued for their skills and could gain wealth and influence.
9. Evolution: Over time, the role of the jester evolved, and they became more common outside of court circles. Traveling entertainers and performers in public squares, fairs, and markets took on the mantle of the medieval jester, further influencing popular culture.