9 Outlandish Stories Of Court Jesters Throughout History, From The Medieval Flatulist To Lord Minimus

Published November 9, 2023
Updated November 10, 2023

Claus Narr, Germany’s Most Famous Jester

Claus Narr

history_docu_photo/Alamy Stock PhotoClaus Narr, or Claus Narren von Ranstedt, was a German court jester in Saxony.

Like many other jesters, most of Claus Narr’s life is left out of the history books, but what record there is of the man certainly illustrates why he was so popular at court.

According to Ancient Origins, a German noble first discovered Narr when he was about nine years old. Narr was a goose tender, and the noble was amused as he watched the boy try to pick up all of his birds at once. Narr reportedly attempted to carry his goslings by looping their necks through his belt. The reason? He feared they would be stolen if he couldn’t keep an eye on them at all times.

In fact, the noble, Elector Ernst, was so amused that he asked Narr’s father if he could bring him to court. Narr’s father evidently didn’t think highly of his son’s goose-tending ability because he responded, “That would be great, Sir! I’d be relieved of a great encumbrance thereby; the youth is no good to me — he makes nothing but trouble in my house and stirs up the whole village with his pranks.”

Narr’s pranks may not have sat well with the villagers, but they certainly made him popular among the courtiers.

author
Austin Harvey
author
A staff writer for All That's Interesting since 2022, Austin Harvey has also had work published with Discover Magazine, Giddy, and Lucid, covering topics including history, and sociology. He has published more than 1,000 pieces, largely covering modern history and archaeology. He is a co-host of the History Uncovered podcast as well as a co-host and founder of the Conspiracy Realists podcast. He holds a Bachelor's degree from Point Park University. He is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
editor
Cara Johnson
editor
A writer and editor based in Charleston, South Carolina and an editor at All That's Interesting since 2022, Cara Johnson holds a B.A. in English and Creative Writing from Washington & Lee University and an M.A. in English from College of Charleston. She has worked for various publications ranging from wedding magazines to Shakespearean literary journals in her nine-year career, including work with Arbordale Publishing and Gulfstream Communications.
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Harvey, Austin. "9 Outlandish Stories Of Court Jesters Throughout History, From The Medieval Flatulist To Lord Minimus." AllThatsInteresting.com, November 9, 2023, https://allthatsinteresting.com/jesters. Accessed July 24, 2025.