Nicolas Ferrial (1479–1536), also known as Le Févrial or Triboulet, was a

jester A jester, court jester, fool or joker was a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch employed to entertain guests during the medieval and Renaissance eras. Jesters were also itinerant performers who entertained common folk at fairs ...

for kings

Louis XII Louis XII (27 June 14621 January 1515), was King of France from 1498 to 1515 and King of Naples from 1501 to 1504. The son of Charles, Duke of Orléans, and Maria of Cleves, he succeeded his 2nd cousin once removed and brother in law at the tim ...

and

Francis I Francis I or Francis the First may refer to: * Francesco I Gonzaga (1366–1407) * Francis I, Duke of Brittany (1414–1450), reigned 1442–1450 * Francis I of France (1494–1547), King of France, reigned 1515–1547 * Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lau ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. He appears in Book 3 of

François Rabelais François Rabelais ( , , ; born between 1483 and 1494; died 1553) was a French Renaissance writer, physician, Renaissance humanist, monk and Greek scholar. He is primarily known as a writer of satire, of the grotesque, and of bawdy jokes ...

' Pantagrueline chronicles. He also appears in

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

's ''

Le Roi s'amuse ''Le roi s'amuse'' (; literally, ''The King Amuses Himself'' or ''The King Has Fun'') is a French play in five acts written by Victor Hugo. First performed on 22 November 1832 but banned by the government after one evening, the play was used for G ...

'' and its operatic version,

Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...

's ''

Rigoletto ''Rigoletto'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the 1832 play '' Le roi s'amuse'' by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had co ...

'', whose name is a blend of "Triboulet" and French ''rigoler'' (to laugh), intended to deflect the censorship that Hugo's work had received after its publication.

Biography

Ferrial was born in France in 1479, and it is believed that he suffered from

microcephaly Microcephaly (from New Latin ''microcephalia'', from Ancient Greek μικρός ''mikrós'' "small" and κεφαλή ''kephalé'' "head") is a medical condition involving a smaller-than-normal head. Microcephaly may be present at birth or it ...

, negatively impacting him neurologically and physically. Ferrial found purpose in life as the court jester for kings Louis XII and Francis I, who found him amusing in both speech and appearance. As "Triboulet," the jester was known for being extremely witty, often to the point where he would get in trouble with the royalty and nobles for his comedic material. Once, Triboulet slapped Francis I on the bum, to the enjoyment of the surrounding nobles. The monarch lost his temper and threatened to execute Triboulet. The monarch calmed down, and promised to forgive Triboulet if he could think of an apology more insulting than the offending deed. Triboulet responded: "I'm so sorry, your majesty, that I didn't recognize you! I mistook you for the Queen!" Francis I ordered that he be put to death for once again violating his order not to make jokes about the queen and her courtiers. As he had served him particularly well for many years, the king granted Triboulet the right to choose how he would die. Triboulet said (translated from the original French): "Good sire, by Saint Goody Two Shoes and Saint Fatty, patrons of insanity, I ask to die from old age." Laughing, the king ordered that Triboulet not be executed but instead be banished from the realm.

Famous quotes

Triboulet once came to the Monarch with a complaint. :Triboulet: "A noble has threatened to hang me!" :The Monarch: "Don't worry! If he hangs you I'll have him beheaded fifteen minutes later." :Triboulet: "Well, would it be possible to behead him 15 minutes before?"

References

External links

1479 births 1536 deaths Jesters French comedians French courtiers Court of Francis I of France {{France-bio-stub