| The FoolMy first direct experience of the fool in | | | | role of the fool?The fool traditionally questions. S/He |
| masking was watching Morris Dancing here at home in | | | | challenges the norm. S/He goes beyond the routine |
| Yorkshire, England. The Morris dancers were dressed | | | | and everyday. S/He crosses the boundary between |
| up in their usual dancing shoes with bells and baggy | | | | the physical and the spiritual. The fool knows both |
| pants. To be absolutely honest I have always found | | | | sides but sadly does not understand either. The fool is |
| Morris men a bit funny! Perhaps I should explain about | | | | beyond judgement but is incapable of judging. The fool |
| Cecil Sharp, no I'll leave that to a footnote.The Boars | | | | is a go-between, a hinderer, a creator and destroyer. |
| Head Morris Men were dancing in a pub car park. ( | | | | He sets things up only to break them down.To be |
| Pub short for Public House a place for drinking beer | | | | honest I love the fool, because I feel I am one, at times. |
| etc. in the UK.) They were doing the usual dances that | | | | The fool embodies the contradictions of the world. He |
| are related to fertility, good crops and harvests etc. | | | | accepts our human frailties and simultaneously |
| But of course they really don't quite have the pagan | | | | challenges them. For those of you who know the |
| beliefs off pat. Mind you when you see them drink ale | | | | symbols on the tarot cards consider the fool, for those |
| in the quantities that they did then you would realise | | | | of you who do not make some time to find out.Some |
| that they had perhaps fully understood the pagan | | | | Examples of Fools in Masquerade Italy In Masks the |
| ways of having a good time. ( Not to say all people | | | | Art of expression Cesare Poppi describes the Carnival |
| who follow the pagan ways drink lots of ale, just a | | | | at Moena in the Italian Dolomites. Two Arlechign, a local |
| convenient concept )What you are probably asking by | | | | version of Harlequin, lead the masked group. They are |
| this juncture is this to do with fools?Well the Boars | | | | dressed in chequered costumes, with a tall pointed cap |
| Head Morris Men had a masked fool. He was | | | | below which is a loose veil giving them a featureless |
| complete with boars mask pantaloons and boars | | | | appearance. They carry horse whips. Around them |
| headed stick. He also carried a bucket for collecting | | | | the crowd of cheering young boys follows their |
| cash donations for charity, or maybe beer money. He | | | | moves. Suddenly the dash into the youths slashing |
| followed the dancers mimicked them and cajoled the | | | | fiercely with the horse whips, striking vicious blows to |
| watchers for change to fill his bucket.Interestingly I | | | | the confused youngsters. Panic ensues. A pleasing |
| knew the fool quite well and in real life, with out the | | | | village scene has suddenly been turned upon its |
| mask, he would never do what he did with the mask. | | | | head.China In China, or your local China Town, when |
| Being English he was just far too polite!The Boars | | | | the New Year is celebrated the Lion Dance is |
| Head stick became a threatened cudgel, never used, | | | | performed. This often acrobatic masked dance is |
| just pointed and waved. The mask was a place to | | | | performed by, usually two dancers accompanied by |
| hide behind, for a normal everyday person. As you will | | | | two Happy Face dancers wearing their papier mache |
| find by looking further on this site the mask allows | | | | masks complete with large grins painted on them. As |
| people to change personalities. He bullied and pranced | | | | the dance progresses through the streets the dragon |
| and enjoyed his dual mission to collect money and to | | | | collects lettuces and money to help bring luck in to the |
| protect the dancers from the crowd. Sometimes the | | | | New Year. Around the dragon the two fools pester |
| children get too close. That is not allowed. Sometimes | | | | the crowd for money and simultaneously keep the |
| the dancers space is threatened by cars entering the | | | | crowd, especially the children, at a safe distance.Pacific |
| parking space. Wow! That is not a good idea!But | | | | West CoastNoohlmahlDuring Kwakwaka'wakw |
| suddenly the fool sets off in pursuit of three attractive | | | | Potlatch ceremonies in the West Coast Areas of |
| women. He rattles his bucket and rounds them up as a | | | | Canada another fool prowled around. He is Noohlmahl. |
| sheep dog would. They are pressed into donating | | | | A filthy creature with a long nose from which snot |
| generously. He just leaves his dancers unprotected to | | | | streams he is up for a laugh but should the watchers |
| fend for themselves. The next ten minutes is | | | | mention his state, especially his nose, a violent reaction |
| exchanged in good natured banter. ( The wife of the | | | | can be expected.Iriquois False Face SocietyThe Iriquois |
| fool is present! )The above is from memory, probably | | | | False Face Society also have a fool mask to support |
| about 20 years ago. In terms of mask traditions that is | | | | the processes of healing that they undertake. These |
| very recent. For mask traditions can be traced back at | | | | corn husk mask are relatively simple and disposable. |
| least 25,000 years. I am certain they go back to the | | | | As with other traditions the fool plays his amusing and |
| time of the first questioning peoples; 50,000.................or | | | | organising role.Playfulness has a major place in many |
| more years?What then is this reference to fools and | | | | masquerades.In our lives we all play the fool, despise |
| masking traditions. Well as you dig through this site you | | | | the fool in others and love the fool who entertains. |
| will find that the fool crops up in several other | | | | Sadly the fool who entertains can also be torn apart |
| traditions.In Masquerade the fool is an essential figure. | | | | by internal mental divisions.The masked fool is the one |
| On the surface he, occasionally she, is the one who | | | | who maintains order and at the same time questions it |
| keeps order. He controls the children, he stops their | | | | and sometimes on a whim destroys it. Traditionally the |
| prying eyes invading the dressing room. His stick | | | | fool treads a fine line between the known and the |
| maintains the performance area. He cracks jokes, | | | | unknown, the acceptable and the unacceptable. Even |
| entertains, juggles pulls faces and GETS VIOLENT. He | | | | without the mask I am sure you recognise the fool in |
| chases the children with a whip and hits them | | | | your life.The fool is a universal being. Today (15/12/04) I |
| mercilessly if he gets the chance. He tries to seduce | | | | lost my fool, she was our cat. If you wish to know she |
| women, and does if he can!Suddenly he becomes | | | | died of old age. She had the soft luxury of a purring |
| bored and goes away to sit and talk philosophically | | | | fur to stroke and in a moment she transformed into a |
| with a group of friends from his unmasked time. As | | | | fanged biter. She had the gourmet taste of a French |
| the conversation progresses he introduces new ideas. | | | | chef yet licked her own arse. She refused to go |
| He begins to ridicule the accepted norm. He questions | | | | outside when the wind blew, because it was cold, yet |
| the accepted reality. He attempts to turns arguments | | | | sat happily on the wet grass when it was raining and |
| on their headsThe Ubiquitous FoolThe fool is a | | | | blowing a gale. Tango, the cat, was my fool, just as I |
| ubiquitous. The fool occurs in the masking traditions of | | | | was hers when playing hide and seek. I loved her |
| North and South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, China, | | | | affection and was saddened by her rejection of the |
| ........................ if you know some more please fill in my | | | | food I gave her. All in all Tango, our family cat, was all |
| blank.Universally the fool treads the line between | | | | contradiction and beautifully herself. She is a very |
| normality and the incongruities that the world. The fool | | | | missed little being.FootnoteCecil Sharp collected folk |
| is both sensible and totally none-sensible. Not that he | | | | sings in the British Isles. Amongst folk enthusiasts he is |
| does not use his senses he just uses then in a | | | | something of a hero as he preserved may folk songs |
| different way. He questions and cajoles. He jokes and | | | | and traditions. He was instumental in helping preserve |
| makes fun of others. Yet when someone over steps | | | | the hundreds of different Morris dances. Yet as with |
| the arbitrary boundary, (who decided ) he changes. | | | | the song lyrics he collected they were purged for |
| Suddenly he becomes the quiet hearth cat, the | | | | naughty bits. Anything that went against his strict |
| sleeping feline, domesticated, sleek and silky. And as | | | | Victorian morality was censored. The whole of British |
| you stroke and pleasure the cat she begins to | | | | folk tradition was made "nice".Inspired by Masks the |
| become claws and teeth and worse growls. He | | | | Art of Expression ed. |
| becomes the raging tiger, claws and teeth.What is the | | | | |