The Court Jester

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?Come for the fart jokes, stay for the drama. You can decide who you think should pay for the lost powder!Join 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 for bonus episodes and exclusive content.The translation featured in this episode is Nathaniel E. Dubin’s edition.Title song: Celebration by Alexander Nakarada.

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. Join 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 for bonus episodes and exclusive content. Not a fan of commitment? You can also send a one-time donation via Ko-fi: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/thecourtjesterpodcast⁠.The translation featured in this episode is Nathaniel E. Dubin’s edition.Title song: Celebration by Alexander Nakarada.

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, today's fabliau proves once more that some women know exactly how to get what they want.The Court Jester is in reality Kleio Pethainou, a medievalist exploring the world of medieval humour.Join 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 for bonus episodes and exclusive content. Not a fan of commitment? You can also send a one-time donation via Ko-fi: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/thecourtjesterpodcast⁠.The translation featured in this episode is Nathaniel E. Dubin’s edition.Title song: Celebration by Alexander Nakarada.

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. The fabliaux ends with a message that you should be used to, by now - remember not to use it as relationship advice.The Court Jester is in reality Kleio Pethainou, a medievalist exploring the world of medieval humour—one tale at a time.Join 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 for bonus episodes and exclusive content: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/CourtJesterPodcast⁠. Not a fan of commitment? You can also send a one-time donation via Ko-fi: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/thecourtjesterpodcast⁠. Every contribution helps keep the stories coming!The translation featured in this episode is Nathaniel E. Dubin’s edition.Title song: Celebration by Alexander Nakarada.

Today’s story is about a very stupid knight who was taught an important life lesson. As usual, consume in context.The Court Jester is in reality Kleio Pethainou, a medievalist researching medieval humour. If you are also a medievalist, or storyteller, have a look at this project and get in touch. https://trivent-publishing.eu/89-storytelling-middle-ages Join me on X @kpethainou and follow @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook. If you like what you hear, consider supporting the podcast on Patreon, and you'll get bonus episodes and other good things. Just go to ⁠https://www.patreon.com/CourtJesterPodcast⁠⁠ or, if commitment isn't your thing, you can send a donation at ko-fi: ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/thecourtjesterpodcast⁠⁠. The translation I am using is this one: ⁠https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7950162.Nathaniel_E_Dubin⁠ The title song is 'Celebration' by Alexander Nakarada.

Today’s story is about a priest who found himself with a new mum, and about his mum. As usual, consume in context.The Court Jester is in reality Kleio Pethainou, a medievalist researching medieval humour. If you are also a medievalist, or storyteller, have a look at this project and get in touch. https://trivent-publishing.eu/89-storytelling-middle-ages Join me on X @kpethainou and follow @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook. If you like what you hear, consider supporting the podcast on Patreon, and you'll get bonus episodes and other good things. Just go to ⁠https://www.patreon.com/CourtJesterPodcast⁠⁠ or, if commitment isn't your thing, you can send a donation at ko-fi: ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/thecourtjesterpodcast⁠⁠. The translation I am using is this one: ⁠https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7950162.Nathaniel_E_Dubin⁠ The title song is 'Celebration' by Alexander Nakarada.

Today’s story is about a priest who had to wing it. As usual, consume in context. The Court Jester is in reality Kleio Pethainou, a medievalist researching medieval humour. If you are also a medievalist, or storyteller, have a look at this project and get in touch. https://trivent-publishing.eu/89-storytelling-middle-ages Join me on X @kpethainou and follow @thecourtjesterpodcast on Facebook. If you like what you hear, consider supporting the podcast on Patreon, and you'll get bonus episodes and other good things. Just go to ⁠https://www.patreon.com/CourtJesterPodcast⁠⁠ or, if commitment isn't your thing, you can send a donation at ko-fi: ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/thecourtjesterpodcast⁠⁠. The translation I am using is this one: ⁠https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7950162.Nathaniel_E_Dubin⁠ The title song is 'Celebration' by Alexander Nakarada.