He also served as an unofficial counselor representing the ordinary people. In Europe, a costume was added and the fool became a jester, known for his quick, insulting wit. A wise word put as a joke from a fool could prevent the king from making a fool of himself. Such fools were cultivated because kings realized their value in holding up a mirror to the kings' own stupidities. So the fool could speak his mind with impunity. Sometimes retarded or physically handicapped, the fool from a lower social status was not a threat to the authority of the king. The British court jester had antecedents in Greek and Roman fools. As the chapters move on, Beatrice Otto sometimes offers conclusions, but generally the readers are left to make their own deductions. Often the original texts are given so readers can appreciate the nuances that are lost in translation. Their existence shows the extent of the phenomenon and this mere existence appears to be enough to warrant inclusion in the text. The examples follow each other without evaluation.
) The many examples range from the well-known British jester and his kind throughout the mainland of Europe, via Asia to China, which has the earliest and longest jester tradition. (Not exactly everywhere, but "he is not the product of any particular time or place". The title proclaims the thesis: fools are everywhere. Illustrations, appendix, glossary of Chinese characters, bibliography, and index. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2001. Fools Are Everywhere: The Court Jester Around the World.
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