Thursday, January 5, 2023

A Jester is Nobody’s Fool By Jeri Westerson

LUCY BURDETTE: Here at JRW, we love the advent of a brand new series. Today, I'm delighted to have Jeri Westerson here to introduce hers. She has imagined a most unusual protagonist...Take it away Jeri!


JERI WESTERSON: There is a proverb that tells us that “All places are full of fools” and I certainly can’t argue with that. But one fool in particular has always captured my imagination, possibly because he is so long-lived (as royal courts go). That would be Will Somers, Henry VIII’s court jester, who survived through Henry and all of his wives, in the court of his son Edward VI, Henry’s daughter Mary I, and even into the reign of Henry’s other daughter, Elizabeth I. 

That must have been one witty fellow. 


And yet, we know so little. He appears in a few paintings with Henry, usually somewhere in the background, and even one with a pet monkey on his shoulder; he appears in a few plays of the later time period, and in other contemporary novels. We believe he was born in Shropshire, he first shows up in the accounts at Henry’s court 28 June 1535, though we know he came to court ten years earlier, and we know the date of his death; 15 June 1560. But we don’t know exactly when he was born, if he ever married and had children, and of his personal life in general. 

There is a most interesting account written a hundred years after his death called “A Pleasant History of the Life and Death of Will Summers: How He Came First To The Be Known At Court, And By What Means He Got To Be King Henry The Eighth’s Jester; With The Entertainment That His Cousin Patch, Cardinal Wolsey’s Fool, Gave Him At The Lord’s House And How The Hogsheads Of Gold Were Known By His Means.” That’s a mouthful. Which means that there might be grains of truth in this account, but, well, mostly it can’t quite be trusted. Therefore, much of it is up for grabs. That makes my life easier as I write my series, though it’s just as easily problematic. 

“A Jester? A Jester? A funny idea a jester.” – from the 1955 film The Court Jester

But just what did a jester do? Men—and women—were fools or jesters. With two sorts of jesters: the “natural” kind of fool, meaning mentally challenged, deformed, or genetically little people, (and yes, part of their comical value was to make fun of their looks but also because they were thought to be guileless.) And then there was the cunning and crafty kind, true wits. These latter had to be quick-witted with a jibe or jest. Some were musically inclined and could sing and play for their masters (not always the monarch. Rich men and women had their own fools. Cardinal Wolsey had his own, a man named “Patch”, who became a friend of Will’s). 


A good fool could juggle, do acrobatics or at least pratfalls, was quick and often scathing with his tongue, and, most importantly, had the ear of the monarch. In my novel COURTING DRAGONS, I often have Will express he is therefore the most dangerous man in the court because he is close to the king, even calling him “uncle” or “Harry” in public. Except because of his staunch loyalty to Henry, he is also the safest man. 

And because my series is a mystery, Will Somers can also go anywhere he needs to go at court to do his amateur investigations, threading him nicely between the politics and intrigues that beset Henry VIII’s troubled reign. 


I think Will must have been a very likeable man, the sounding board for Henry and his wives, and Henry’s children, the other Tudor monarchs that came after him, whom Will must have entertained by playing with them when they were small. After all, these were Will’s family, the only family he would ever know after, on that fateful day, he was sent to the Tudor court to take up residence for the rest of his life. And like any person under those circumstances, he came to love those who became his surrogate intimates. It makes for some tender moments between fool and monarch. But it isn’t all drama, because Will is, after all, a fool, a man whose job it was to entertain, to make quips, to make fun of others. So there is, naturally, a lot of comedy as well.  

Let it not be said that he could ever turn away a good fart joke.    

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Jeri Westerson is the author of the new King’s Fool Mysteries with the reluctant sleuth Will Somers, Henry VIII’s real court jester, solving mysteries and murder at the Tudor court. She is also the author of an upcoming Sherlockian series An Irregular Detective Mystery, the multi-award-nominated Crispin Guest Medieval Noir series, paranormal books, including a gaslamp-steampunk fantasy the Enchanter Chronicles Trilogy, standalone historicals, and an LGBTQ rom/com mystery series. See it all at JeriWesterson.com.



57 comments:

  1. Congratulations on your new series, Jeri . . . Will Somers sounds like a fascinating character in a unique position. Perhaps you could tell us a bit about the “Courting Dragons” storyline?

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    1. Thanks for those kind words, Joan. We are just getting into the "Great Matter" of Henry starting the divorce proceedings against Catherine of Aragon, and will is not pleased. But an intimate moment with a male courtier finds Will possibly part of a complex conspiracy, especially when this same courtier is found dead, his throat cut. And soon thereafter he receives a blackmail note demanding he spy on the king. Amid the crisis at court when divorce threatens Queen Catherine’s place by her own lady’s maid Anne Boleyn, Will must draw on all his wit and ingenuity to get to the bottom of the treacherous and deadly goings-on at the court before further tragedy strikes . . .

      It's full of a lot of humor--about a jester, it had better!--and heart. I hope you give it a try.

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  2. Congrats on no the new series. It's definitely an intriguing main character and time period you're exploring.

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    1. People never seem to tire of hearing about the Tudors. It was definitely an intriguing erax with oodles of politicking...some of which is reflected in today's world.

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  3. Congratulations on your new series.

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  4. Congratulations on the new series. What an original idea for a sleuth character. Growing up, I was hooked on any book about Elizabeth Tudor, but it never occurred to me to wonder about the jester. And, given what a dangerous court that was, Will Somers must have been clever indeed!

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    1. I thought it could be a limited series with a lot of humor and a way to delve into the complicated politics of the era explained easily for those who might have a hard time following it. Believe me, it's a maze! In Elizabeth's reign, she had her own fool and Will was winding down his career at that point, but he, no doubt, made his appearances.

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  5. What a feat of imagination for your new series, Jeri. Totally intriguing! All the best with it.

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    1. Thanks so much, Amanda. I hope you give it a try.

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  6. Jeri, this sounds so fabulous! I am a big fan of Crispin Guest and look forward to this new series. Is Courting Dragons already out? And when will the Sherlockian series debut? You've been busy.

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    1. Hey Edith! Good to hear from you. Yes, Courting Dragons released a few days ago and tomorrow is my first in-person launch (in Pasadena) in three years! So I'm excited for that (and my husband's award-winning mead to be served there!) My Sherlockian series, An Irregular Detective Mystery starting with The Isolated Seance, is releasing in the first week of June.

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    2. award-winning mead! that sounds so interesting...

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    3. It's delish. Years ago when I started writing my Crispin Guest series, I entreated my hubby--who is a homebrewer--to make me mead so I could sip it while writing. I like to be able to taste the honey, have a little sweet, and a little effervescent. He began brewing it and soon won several awards at county fairs, including a couple of best of shows! As for sipping while writing--that became problematic. :)

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  7. JERI: Will Somers is an intriguing new sleuth, and congratulations on this new series!

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  8. Congratulations on your new series, Jeri. What an incredible premise for stories!
    In your research about Will, could you determine what type of fool the historical character actually was? Did you find any evidence about things that he said or did?

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    1. He was the clever, witty kind. There are a few instances of the same story coming up again and again that gets talked about in the second book, so I have to assume it was true. There was always a bit of jealousy and competition between fools who might have been brought to court, and Will was no different from anyone else in trying to make sure he could secure his place there. So there was some dirty and very public dealings with some of his rivals.

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  9. Congratulations on the new series, Jeri. I think a court jester is a great detective. He's there, but he often blends into the background. Perfect!

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    1. My thoughts exactly, Liz. He's kind of the perfect sleuth.

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  10. What an intriguing premise for a mystery series! Glad your title is not such as mouthful as the book you mentioned.

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    1. Ha! Yeah. I guess in earlier eras it was incumbent upon the writers of these books to make the title the synopsis. Though note: no dragons were harmed in the writing of this book.

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  11. Admirable title; super historical period, and already shelved on Hoopla. Oh boy I am standing in line.

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  12. Love this idea for a historical mystery series. Best of luck with it!

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  13. It sounds great, Jeri! Will would indeed have a fool's eye view of all the happenings in the Tudor court. I will have to look for it.

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    2. Thanks, Gillian. Since I'm pretty foolish myself, it was a perfect fit!

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  14. This is so fascinating, Jeri! I can't wait to begin this series!

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  15. Congratulations on your new series! I know next to nothing about court jesters. I’ll look for your book!

    DebRo

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    1. Thanks so much, Deb. Yeah, that's the thing. During the Middle Ages there were hundreds of them in Europe, and in China, they had a TWO THOUSAND year history of them. The Aztecs had them, and the Sacred Clowns of the Hopis could be considered jester/shaman/priest speaking truth to power and teaching valuable life lessons as they clowned. It's really a fascinating subject.

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  16. I wonder where the job of court jester came from? It just seems bizarre to me to have someone at hand to entertain at the drop of a hat. Did other royal courts such as France or Russia have jesters? At any rate I imagine the jester was the person in the know when it came to secrets and gossip-a perfect setup!

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    1. Omigosh, yes. In medieval Europe there were HUNDREDS of jesters. China had a TWO THOUSAND YEAR history of them. The ancient Romans had them. Keep 'em laughing and they won't cut off so many head, I guess.

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  17. What a brilliant idea! I can't wait to read it!

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  18. First off, I think this is a brilliant idea for an historical mystery series, and I told Jeri that when she first shared it with me. Secondly, I find it interesting that in the extant portraits of Somers, he's not shown in a fool's cap or motley - indeed, it's only in the last painting, in which it appears he might have a hunchback, that you wouldn't assume he's a quietly-dressed upper servant. Which makes me think those portraitists were either impressed by him - or a little scared of his displeasure...

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    1. Thanks, Julia. Yes. That's what I found interesting too. That he wasn't wearing motley. I think in his early days he did, but gradually got rid of the party-colored clothing and the bells, unlike other fools of his day. That meant that he was most important to the royal family.

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  19. I apologize that some of my comments are not publishing. I assure you that I am seeing and responding to all of you.

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  20. Jesters are a fascinating group.
    There was a church version that served as holy interruptors, serving as counterpoint to the Mass. They, similarly, were able to point out fallicies in those in authority.

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  21. This sounds absolutely great. I am bowled over by the brilliance of this idea. WOW. Congratulations! (now I am chanting "the chalice from the palace...")

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    1. Thanks, Hank. And I so LOVE the Danny Kaye movie. Grew up on that.

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  22. Jeri, the Blogger software decided you were spam. I just went in and unspammed you. :-) Going back now to make sure I got them all. xxxxx

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    1. THANK YOU! I have been called many things, but I prefer to be called bacon rather than spam.

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  23. The jester as a mystery main character: so brilliant! Because he's there, knows all, sees all, like a Greek chorus of one. I was a big fan of Crispin Guest.

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    1. Much appreciated, Hallie. And yes! The jester is EVERYWHERE.

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  24. This sounds like fun, Jeri. The opera Rigaletto is about a deformed man who is a jester to a cruel bunch of courtiers. It ends in tragedy, and makes me think the vulnerability of the jester is scary.

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    1. Yes, Rigoletto was actually based on a real jester, Nicolas Ferrial otherwise known as Triboulet from 16th century France for King Louis XII. A much beloved and clever fellow. There was a moment where he insulted the king so much that he was ordered to be executed. The king asked him how he wanted to die. Triboulet said, "Of old age." He was pardoned!

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  25. Sounds like a very interesting series. Someone who speaks truth to power when that power can have your head cut off at any time is a very brave person. And s/he has to be funny, too--on demand. Glad I don't have to do it!

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