by Lady Nina Amaya of Bright Hills. Atlantia

Fools are known in societies throughout the world's history.
Seneca the Younger (Rome, c. 4 BC - 65 AD) did not keep fools: "If I want to look at a fool, I have only to look in the mirror." Yet his wife retained the first known female Fool.
Certainly we are entertainers, but the Fool also holds up a mirror up to the Fool in us all, commoner or King.
Focusing today on the medieval European Fool, there are two main types: Natural and Artificial. Artificial Fools are of above average wit.  The Natural is of low intelligence, or a has a physical difference that people found funny- dwarves could be both Natural (due to stature) and Artificial (due to wit) Fools. Assuming we are all Artificial Fools, we have our work cut out for us. I will expand on our role in history and in the SCA.

Historically: Fools were a status symbol for their patron (owner), and therefore dressed well by the noble or ruler who retained them. Sometimes a tavern owner might have the wherewithal (and reason) to keep a fool. The Fool was also a nobody- no status themselves, and sometimes slept with the dogs. A Fool could say things to a ruler that would not be tolerated in another noble of rank. Criticism could be given in a jest that might be heard when an argument would not. Often a fool had the ear of the King and other nobles would try to pass information or please through the Fool to the Sovereign. Fools were sometimes given estates or even towns at retirement, and sometimes they were beheaded for the liberties they took. Fools could be marvelous musicians, wordplay artists, tumblers, jugglers, warriors, actors.

In the SCA: Talk to your baron or baroness about being "their" Fool if you wish. Win your bardic championship and they are stuck with you!
How to be a Fool? The easiest way to get everyone to recognize your Foolishness is with motley. No all Fools wore motley, however- it is not required. A bauble, or Marotte is another quick giveaway. I have not yet seen a scadian fool with a bladder on a stick, but I want one!

What are your assets? Do you blurt out inappropriately? Are you Punny? Can you juggle? I can't, but I can drop things entertainingly, or complain that I have no balls. Can you do stupid physical comedy like pulling off your thumb? Can you tell jokes? You can medievalize a joke. Not quick? Then practice a routine. Can you mimic our barons walk? Make fun of Laurels? Sing? Play a lute? If you can juggle or play an instrument, all you need is motley! You're ahead of me!
Keep a notebook of ideas, other people's jokes. Before an event google the theme for jokes. Make fun of your fellow bards: How many harpists does it take to play Greensleeves? (Apparently all of them)
The 'funniest joke in the world" - hunter calls 911 after shooting friend dead. - how to medievalize it? (mine- blind healer woman - but would  use it?)
knock knocks- 9/11 - changed it Alamo for my dad, Jesus Christ for my Baroness. (back away crossing yourself, 'Mon Dieu!')
Hand out jokes for participants to medievalize. Anachronisms can be funny- the birds, arrows of messages, then the bit of parchment- fax.
Physical humor- be bold, use sound effects. e bold? Yes, if you are to entertain you must be bold and pretend to be confident.
Physical- somersaults, armpit farts, head/handstands, fingers jump from one hand to another, finger rings, steal your thumb, moonwalk, cut off your hand...doubling spoons
Big lead up to hitting on head, sticking out tongue and rolling it in with fingers in ears
wagging tongue- throw it around. Towel with wire in it.
 Everyone practice the finger jump...

My books:
Fools Are Everywhere_ (University of Chicago Press) by Beatrice K. Otto - wonderful!!!
Clowns: A Panoramic History of Fools and Jesters, Medieval Mimes, Jongleurs and Minstrels, Pueblo Indian Delight Makers and Cheyenne Contraries, Harlequins and Pierrots, Theatrical Buffoons, etc. - very good!
Fools and Jesters of the English Court by John Southworth
Dwarfs and jesters in art With 90 illus: Erika Tietze-Conrat

And then a zillion more references- have fun!


http://www.modaruniversity.org/Fool.htm - sca fools1

Armin, Robert "Fools and Jesters: with a reprint of robert Armin's Nest of

ninnies"  Call Number: PR2417.N4 1842

 

Busby, Olive Mary "Studies in the development of the fool in the Elizabethan

drama" Call Number: PR658.F7B8 1923

 

Doran, John "The History of Court Fools"

    Call Number: Gt3670.d6

Swain, Barbara "Fools and folly during the middle ages and renaissance"

    Call Number: PN56.F6S8

Welsford, Enid "The Fool; his social and literary history."

    Call Number: GT3670.W4

Arden, Heather "Fool's plays: a study of satire in the sottie"

    Call Number: PQ514.A7 1980

Billington, Sandra "A Social History of the fool"

    Call Number: GT3670.B45 1984

Kaiser, Walter Jacob "Praisers of folly: Erasmus Rabelais, Shakespeare."

    Call Number: PA8515.K3

Lukens, Nancy "buchner's Valerio and teh theatrical fool tradition"

    Call Number: PT1828.BA7246

Willeford, William

 The Fool and his Scepter; a study of clowns and jesters and their audience.

 GV1828 .W5 Northwestern University Press, 196


: A Shakespeare Jestbook Robert Armin's Foole upon Foole (1600), A Critical, Old-Spelling Edition by H.F. Lippincott
1973 Institut Für Literatur Universität Salzburg A-5020 Salzburg, Austria.

The Jester Has Lost His Jingle by David Saltzman
The Jester Company.

The Fool. His Social and Literary History by Enid Wilsford
1935 Farrar and Rinehart Inc.

Shakespeare's Clown: Actor and text in the Elizabethan playhouse by David Wiles
1987 Cambridge University Press.

Robert Armin and Twelfth Night by Muriel C. Bradbook
1972 [Twelfth Night: A Casebook], Macmillan Press Ltd.

If you love your silk veil, it will love you back. Everything that happens with a veil onstage can look like it was meant to happen. Learn to give it the time it needs to complete the move you started; find the music that lets you and your veil express yourselves. Possess the stage for you and your beloved veil.  For beautiful entrances, wear clothing that allows you to tuck the veils in securely at the hips and shoulders. Silk veils available in class, or bring our own.



Nina hand dyes her own silks for costumes and veils. When you see a belly dancer in Maryland performing with a gorgeous silk veil, chances are it was created by Nina! She incorporates veil work into her Middle Eastern dance classes, and conducts skills workshops on working with veils for both the beginning and advanced belly dancer.

How to pick up your veil when you have dropped one or both edges!

enter:
Vintage Wrap, Cowl Neck, Tush Wrap, Neck Wrap, Criss-Cross Wrap (cover up) tucked in hat, for hands free zill work,  OR  w/veil in hands, behind or in poses.

from shoulder drape-
tent from the back- interact!
front to eyes, headslide
release front, sail behind you
envelope, undulate hand or body
veiled desert look, hand undulations

over neck-
 greek arms (wrapped around arms)
butterfly
have edge ready to cast off in front of you
reach to neck, overhead, switch hands, lean to ribbon veil, one end.

loose veil with hands centered:
twirl veil over head, front to back, back to front, or circle
throw over head to the back w/joy, to the front with dramatic pause
walk forward and back, veil in front or behind
spin, veil in front or behind
Rainbow -throw veil behind w/audience arm, follow w/ back arm
veilflips- one arm at a time F or B

Veil behind:
point foot to side, swoosh 
cross, point w/veil crossing, opening
frame body moves, arms out- good for vertical eights, frame tush for shimmy!
both hands overhead, veil ‘diappears’
flip veil over your arms,
1,2,3 pique step- ‘butterfly’
juggle - alternate arms flipping veil in front of face

Veil in front
draw veil up and behind head in one hand to ‘hide’
twirl veil in front like a rope
throw over one shoulder and spin into barrel roll; walk, letting the veil caress you

Spins-
veil tilted or straight, over one arm, in 1 hand or 2, Barrel turns, low or high arms, Tented spin- high hand in middle, spin, stop, reverse

Wrap During the Dance, tuck in hip
Veil over head, spin, look up
Creature Veil- you embrace it, it, you.
Give veil to audience, cast off, drop, or wrap/tuck for later...
Remember to hold your veil delicately; do not bunch it up in a fist.
Pause in your dance. Drag your veil behind you for effect. Be dramatic.

www.NinaAmaya.com- gorgeous silk veils available, custom work, with paypal, too!