João de Sá Panasco, The Freed Slave Who Served As Court Jester For The King Of Portugal
Public DomainPanasco’s role as a jester offered him a unique opportunity to hurl insults without repercussions.
Black men in 16th-century Europe weren’t typically afforded much opportunity, but João de Sá Panasco beat the odds to become a member of King John III of Portugal’s royal court — even if it was only as a jester.
According to Modern Rogue, little record of Panasco’s private life exists other than the knowledge that he was enslaved at one point, but accounts of his time as a court jester have survived.
The position afforded him a certain freedom despite the fact that those in the court despised his “inferior condition.” His wit and ability to hurl verbal insults, however, made him a favorite of the king.
Panasco also benefitted the king because of his roles as both “outsider and insider.” As the court’s jester, he could entertain guests and play the fool — and then act as the king’s informant after the fact.
King John III reportedly thought so highly of Panasco that he arranged a marriage for the jester and even named him a member of the Order of Santiago, otherwise known as the Military Order of Saint James of the Sword. It was an esteemed position for anyone — particularly a formerly enslaved Black man.
Of course, none of this shielded Panasco from racist remarks made by courtiers, and he eventually fell into a deep depression, turning to alcohol to cope. Still, his story is impressive, given that he worked his way from slavery to being a “gentleman of the royal household.”
