The Court Jester

This fabliau has it all: trickery, fine dining, and a wildly escalating prank that ends with gospel readings, public humiliation, and a very confused innkeeper.I give you Cortebarbe’s Li trois avugles de Compiègne (The three blind men of Compiègne).Content note: includes period-typical ableism.📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada📲 Updates & mischief: @kpethainou.bsky.social | @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook🃏 Bonus content: patreon.com/CourtJesterPodcast☕Buy me a coffee https://ko-fi.com/thecourtjesterpodcast

This Easter Sunday, the Court Jester has a special treat usually reserved for Patreon supporters—a full bonus episode, free for all listeners!Join me and the brilliant Peter Konieczny of Medievalists.net as we dive into the witty, sharp, and delightfully clever world of the Maqamat al-Hariri, one of the greatest collections of medieval Arabic trickster tales. Peter is brining one of these clever stories to life, and then we chat about the Maqamat, and about humour in translation, and about humour through time.If you’ve ever wondered what made medieval Arabic audiences laugh, or just love a good con artist with a flair for words, this one’s for you.If you enjoy it, consider supporting the Court Jester on Patreon for more episodes like this—normally behind the curtain!🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada📖 Manuscript: Maqamat al-Hariri, 1237. BnF, MS Arabe 5847, fol. 138v.📲 Updates & mischief: @kpethainou.bsky.social | @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook🃏 Bonus content: patreon.com/CourtJesterPodcast☕Buy me a coffee https://ko-fi.com/thecourtjesterpodcast

Three girls. One magical cosmetic powder. A high-stakes prep session before a big tournament. What could possibly go wrong?In the fabliau of Les .iii. meschines (The Three Girls), you decide should pay for the lost powder!📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada📲 Updates & mischief: @kpethainou.bsky.social | @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook🃏 Bonus content: patreon.com/CourtJesterPodcast☕Buy me a coffee https://ko-fi.com/thecourtjesterpodcast

Ever wondered what medieval students got up to?In this episode, we follow two broke university lads who find themselves lodging with a peasant named Gombert. From sneaky bed swaps to stolen cookware, this tale has everything: deception, seduction, and a host who really should have locked his doors.Listen now for a lesson in why letting students stay at your house has never been a good idea. 📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada📲 Updates & mischief: @kpethainou.bsky.social | @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook🃏 Bonus content: patreon.com/CourtJesterPodcast☕Buy me a coffee https://ko-fi.com/thecourtjesterpodcast

Give a warm welcome to The Court Jester's first guest storyteller!Anne Lister, medievalist, storyteller, musician and overall expert in everything there is to know about the Tale of Jaufre, joins us today and shares with us an episode from the Tale. I sat down with Anne for a very interesting interview afterwards, and you can find that on Patreon later this month. If you want to hear Anne's adaptation of the full Tale of Jaufre, you can find it here:https://open.spotify.com/show/1oTegctc66f6UT8HhDJff8?si=67737f205d714ed7Anne has also written extensively on the subject, and you can find her work below. The illustration for this episode's cover is from her book, and it's a scene from today's story.https://trivent-publishing.eu/home/169-tale-of-jaufre-pack.htmlJoin me on @kpethainou.bsky.social and follow @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook for updates and more medieval mischief.If you enjoy the podcast, consider supporting it on Patreon or send a one-time donation via Ko-fi: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/thecourtjesterpodcast⁠. Every contribution helps keep the stories coming!Title song, as usual, is Celebration by Alexander Nakarada.

A wild story of deception, wit and wicker baskets, Le prestre et la dame proves once more that some women know exactly how to get what they want.📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada📲 Updates & mischief: @kpethainou.bsky.social | @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook🃏 Bonus content: patreon.com/CourtJesterPodcast☕Buy me a coffee https://ko-fi.com/thecourtjesterpodcast

The Court Jester was selected by FeedSpot as one of the Top 20 Medieval History Podcasts on the web!What an absolute surprise! And what excellent motivation for me to tell you a story of a medieval married man and his unlikely affliction. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Le vilain de Bailleul (The peasant of Bailleul).Warning: not suitable for actual relationships or souls with dignity.📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada📲 Updates & mischief: @kpethainou.bsky.social | @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook🃏 Bonus content: patreon.com/CourtJesterPodcast☕Buy me a coffee https://ko-fi.com/thecourtjesterpodcast

A knight so dim he didn’t know where to put it. A mother-in-law who steps in to help. Two houseguests who suffer... a lot. And one red-hot awl that should’ve stayed in the drawer.Le sot chevalier (The stupid knight) is a fabliau about sex, stupidity, and why medieval hospitality was a high-risk activity.📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada📲 Updates & mischief: @kpethainou.bsky.social | @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook🃏 Bonus content:patreon.com/CourtJesterPodcast☕Buy me a coffee https://ko-fi.com/thecourtjesterpodcast

A mother wants more respect. A bishop wants to help. A random priest ends up financially and emotionally responsible for a complete stranger.This is Le prestre qui ot mere malgré sien (The priest who had a mother foisted on him) — a fabliau about guilt, identity fraud, and the medieval art of forced family.📜 Text: Translation by Nathaniel E. Dubin🎵 Title music: “Celebration” by Alexander Nakarada📲 Updates & mischief: @kpethainou.bsky.social | @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook🃏 Bonus content:patreon.com/CourtJesterPodcast☕Buy me a coffee https://ko-fi.com/thecourtjesterpodcast