One of the more well known trends of the era, jesters were commonplace in every court across Medieval Britain. Often seen adorning hats modelled after the ears of an ass, being a jester was not the most flattering position nor a particularly noble career that one might aspire to. After all, they were constantly required to degrade and debase themselves with bizarre, disgusting and potentially dangerous acts. If a court was not pleased by a jester, then it was common that they might be punished too – with the worst cases resulting in the removal of the jester’s tongue! While it may seem like a humiliating and dark fate, the reality of the matter is that jesters were afforded quite a few privileges that many ordinary workers and attendants were not. For example, as by royal decree, everything they said was to be taken as a joke, jesters often made away with making light of, or indeed insulting royals and nobles to their own faces – which would be completely illegal for anyone else in any other position. They would often reside in the castle quarters, too, and have food and drink provided for them.
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