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