Fools are everywhere : the court jester around the world
"Beatrice K. Otto takes us on a journey around the world in search of one of the most colorful characters in history - the court jester. Though not always clad in cap and bells, these witty, quirky characters crop up everywhere, from the courts of ancient China and the Mogul emperors of India to those of medieval Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas. Throughout history, they have lampooned anything and anyone deemed sacrosanct - religion and its representatives, self-important scholars, officials, and corrupt, lazy rulers. With a wealth of anecdotes, jokes, quotations, epigraphs, and illustrations, Otto brings to light little-known jesters, highlighting their humanizing influence on people of power and position
Cross-cultural studies
xxiii, 420 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm
9780226640914, 0226640914
44425502
Rev. of the author's thesis Cosmic caperers (doctoral--1996)