TC181: Unraveling the Enigma of April Fools’ Day

[08:35] April Fools’ Day – April 1st, is an extension of a centuries-old tradition to entertain and trick, – or is it? In today's episode we unravel this annual enigma that today we call April Fools’ Day.

This is the audio from the article  published at Troy Media & Gadgetgreg.Com. The text, while not exactly a transcript is below:

Here's the Article:

In the modern era, we find ourselves ever vigilant on April 1st, wary of pranks, hoaxes, and fake news. Yet, these antics have roots that delve deep into the past, to a time when court jesters were commonplace and laughter was the order of the day.

Long before the advent of television, movies, or the Internet, jesters, jokers, and fools roamed the land, captivating audiences with their quick wit and comedic talents. Originating in the Medieval and Renaissance periods, these entertainers often began their careers as nomads – performers, traveling from town to town, accompanied by minstrels, and regaling crowds at fairs and markets with their humorous tales.

However, it was those jesters who found favor in the courts of monarchs and noblemen who truly rose to prominence. These quick-witted individuals became valued members of the household staff, their jests serving as a welcome reprieve from the rigors of royal life.

But competition was fierce, the court jester being the career pinnacle for a talented few. Successful candidates could rise above the simple nomadic existence, entertaining peasants living in poverty surrounded by disease and filth. Their new life would be to entertain a captive audience, and enjoy stability, shelter and more to eat in one meal than others had in a week.

No doubt, everyone wanted the top job, but the supply of fools always exceeded the demand. There were no employment agencies and Monster.com was still almost 5 centuries away.

To get the attention of potential employers, jesters would take any opportunity to perform in front of the wealthy – not unlike what the paparazzi do to celebrities today.

Except you can’t behead a paparazzo, as King Henry VIII did to one fool on New Year’s Eve 1544 outside the Palace of Whitehall in London. In fact, in that era, beheadings were as common as weddings and banquets. Despite being warned, this fool pushed the monarch too far.

That night, as Henry’s temper flared, even the king’s personal jester, Will Sommers, couldn’t amuse the angry monarch. According to Sommers’ diary and stories passed down over the centuries, the ongoing commotion and Henry’s drunken rants marred the evening, with the king threatening to cast away the ships of fools and behead each and every one of the jesters.

Sommers had been serving the king for years and had become his friend, confidante and earning his trust.

Legend has it that when asked why, in all that time he didn’t fear the king’s wrath, Sommers replied, “Why should I fear a man who couldn’t keep a wife?”

At the risk of his job, and perhaps his life, he tried to convince the king that serial execution of fools wasn’t in his majesty’s best interest. Perhaps Sommers made the appeal for selfish reasons, coming from a family of fools. He attempted to convince the king that he needed to laugh, that all people need to laugh in tough times. Henry had just buried yet another wife, Catherine of Aragon, so his temperament was certainly suspect.

Failing to make an impression, Sommers eloquently reminded the king of their first meeting and how he had made a life-cha