Holy Fools

Who are the Holy Fools? Are you among them?

Next week is April 1st, April Fool’s Day. All of us are susceptible to being fooled, and some of us may even be perpetrators of foolery. It is a good time to ask what we might learn from some of the world’s great fools. In history, the Fool has a very special and exalted position, even in church. In fact, some religions intentionally construct a role for their holy fools. They honor them and invite them in, especially on feast days. Others, usually those with much to lose, have fools foisted upon them. Alas they have to learn their lessons the hard way.

Books on Clown History

Recommended Reading

Behind My Greasepaint by Coco

Bert Williams - A Biography of the Pioneer Black Comedian by Eric Ledell Smith

The Book Of Clown by George Speaght

Bring On The Clowns by Beryl Hugil

Clown, My Life In Tatters and Smiles by Emmett Kelly and F. Beverly Kelly

The Clown In Times (Volumes 1-6) by Bruce Johnson

Clowns by Douglas Newton

Clowns by John Towsen

Clowns Of The Hope - Tradition Keepers and Delight Makers by Barton Wright

Dan Rice The Most Famous Man You've Never Heard Of by David Carlyon

Felix Adler by Anne Aull Bowber

The Fool and His Scepter by William Willeford

Fools and Jesters At The English Court by John Southworth

Grimaldi - King of Clowns by Richard Findlater

Grock - King of Clowns by Grock

Here Come The Clowns by Lowell Swortzell

Jest In Time: A Clown Chronology by Bruce Johnson

Life's A Lark by Grock

A Ring, A Horse And A Clown by John H. McConnell

Russian Clown by Oleg Popov

Clown History

Clown History is large subject. Here are some thoughts on some of the many areas.

Current History

Clown Faces on Eggs

Early European Clown History

Early Clown History

North American Clown History

Heyoka

Holy Fools

Native American Clowns

Path of the Sacred Clown

 

Some Books on

Books on Clown History

 

 

 

Path of the Sacred Clown

In my last article, I wrote of the Native American spiritual path of the Sacred Warrior. To Native Americans, the path of the Sacred Clown is also considered a spiritual calling, essential to the smooth functioning of the tribe:
In the days before the invaders came. . .we had clowns. Not clowns like you see now, with round red noses and baggy costumes. Our clowns wore all kinds of stuff. Anythin’ they felt like, they wore. And they didn’t just come out once in a while to act silly and make people laugh, our clowns were with us all the time, as important to the village as the chief, or the shaman, or the dancers, or the poets.

More Articles...

  1. Clown Faces on Eggs
  2. Early Clown History
  3. The various Holy Fools
  4. Clown Society
  5. Heyoka
  6. Native American Clowns