Clowns, fools, and comedians of various kinds have been a feature of virtually every recorded culture in the history of civilisation and made significant contributions to the development of early theatre and literary drama. This is certainly true of English culture, where the fool in various disguises is found at the heart of popular dramatic activity from its earliest recorded beginnings. The court or king's fool was different from the other types owing to the special relationship he enjoyed with the king as his personal retainer. The author draws upon contemporary sources to present a unique, reign-by-reign chronicle of the English court fool, from his origins in Carolingian Europe and Celtic Ireland to Archy Armstrong, jester to James I.