When we think of clowns today, we remember our childhood trips to the circus - Bozo the clown with his big red nose and over-size shoes, spraying water from a fake flower. But this is a far cry from clowning’s satirical history.
The origin of the word ‘clown’ is thought to have come from the word for ‘clod’, which in Scandinavian or Teutonic means “a coarse or boorish fellow; a lout”. Clowns go far back into history and there are even traces of clowns in Greek burlesque and the Roman Amphitheatre.
During the Middle Ages, ‘fools’ and court jesters entertained the kings and nobles. They held a privileged position, as long as what they did as ordered, by amusing their masters. They were versatile and could play musical instruments, sing, dance and do acrobatics – all with a touch of wit.
The jesters from early history dressed to be the object of ridicule by wearing a hood with donkey ears and sometimes a tail. This was meant to show his audience that he shouldn’t be taken seriously. This outfit eventually evolved into a three-pointed cap with bells at the ends.
It was in old England that a clown was first used to provoke laughs and provide comic relief. Much like the clown in the modern day circus, he was not really part of the main act but was usually used to ease the tension and warm up the crowd. Shakespeare used clowns in his plays; the grave diggers depicted in Hamlet were clowns, Othello had his clown and Launcelot Gobbo was Shylock's famous clown.
In France, the clown was the Pierrot. Originally, with his signature costume and powdered face, he was a happy clown as well as an accomplished dancer. Today, we usually see the Pierrot's character as a sad figure, usually with a black tear painted on his white cheek.
The Harlequin (although French by name) first originated in Italy. He wears a black mask, shaved head, and is an expert acrobat. Harlequin clowning was popularized in Pantomime.
Pantaloon also originated in Italy as ‘Pantaleone’. It is the Pantaloon who first showed us the clown as a tragic figure, laughing even though his heart was breaking. Leoncavallo's "I Pagliacci," the popular opera, depicts this and the 1928 silent film "Laugh Clown, Laugh" was based on this very opera.
So where did the depiction of today’s clown come from? The German clown had a painted face with no personal expression, but Germany also gave us today’s typical clown costume of a baggy suit, ruffled collar and oversize shoes from a character called Pickelherring.