Jesters have been popular figures for centuries, but have you ever wondered where they originated? Also called a joker or fool, jesters were hired to tell jokes and provide entertainment to royalty. Their distinctive hats were floppy with jingle bells on each of three points. These points were to represent a donkey’s tail and ears, which were worn by the earliest jesters. With their bright clothes in motley patterns, jesters were early forms of clowns, and served the same purpose, to amuse the crowd.

While jesters were regarded as mascots, not to be taken seriously, they also served a little-known serious purpose. Although speaking in a light-hearted way, jesters were supposed to rebuke their royal masters on controversial subjects. Treading a fine line between being too lenient or too harsh, being a jester could have deadly serious consequences. They were often tasked with delivering bad news to the monarchy as well.

Jesters’ roles were obviously not entirely serious, as today we remember them as light comedians and entertainers. Most royal courts had jesters perform at celebrations. They were well paid well, as their skills included varied performance talents, such as playing lutes, dancing, acrobatics, yodeling, singing, or pantomime. The wider the range of skills, the more highly respected the jester, giving them access to the highest levels of royalty. Although their clothes were patchwork like many of today’s clowns, they often were made of the finest materials.

Today you can display your inner jester in many ways, including wearing jester head beads.