Who are the buffoons? Buffoons: the history of the phenomenon of buffoonery and its musical features.

You can often hear the word "buffoon" thrown in the direction of overly funny and frivolous personalities, as we often hear proverbs and sayings with the mention of buffoons, have seen their images in paintings. Who were these people in reality?

History buffoons in Russia

Buffoons - wandering artists, combining almost all types of folklore medieval Russia... The first mention of these magicians and actors dates back to the middle of the 11th century, after the baptism of Rus. Archaeologists found the "props" of buffoons - leather masks dating back to the twelfth century. The heyday of the activities of these artists, according to historians, fell on the 15th-17th centuries, after which the genre began to gradually disappear, presumably under pressure from the tsarist and church authorities leaving in folk culture only echoes of its genre in the form of a raik, a small portable puppet theater, and a booth.

Features of views

The performance began with the fact that, having passed the most noisy along the main streets, inviting the audience, the buffoons stopped in the squares, allowing the crowd to surround themselves. On this impromptu "stage" they, under the general laughter of the crowd, played various scenes, often of an indecent nature. The artists sang ditties and nursery rhymes, danced, played on musical instruments, including gusli, zhaleika, tambourine and many others. The clothes of the buffoons also stood out: bright, ridiculous, with long sleeves, as if from someone else's shoulder. For theater performances masks, improvised costumes, dances for children were also used.

The main repertoire is funny scenes satirical character, "on the topic of the day", called "games" and "mockery". Characters were always divided into "good" and "bad", and the first were usually ordinary people "from the people." Each character had its own props, image. Anyone could chew, that is, sing, dance, joke, act out scenes. But only the one whose art stood out above the level of the art of the masses with its artistry became and was called a real craftsman. “Everyone will dance, but not like a buffoon,” says a Russian proverb.

Shows like this have always been companions festivities, holidays, incl. and pagan origin, such as Shrovetide. The buffoons were welcome at weddings and even funerals. A feature of the buffoonery "shows" was close contact with the audience: not only close proximity to the audience, but also the direct involvement of onlookers in the action.

"Buffoons in Russia"

The attitude to this kind of art among the common people and among the upper classes was fundamentally different. If for peasants and petty bourgeois buffoons were always welcome guests, then the church and the authorities were always negatively disposed. Church texts even call the buffoons "demonic rumors" for the pagan motives of their songs, obscene language and the general obscene nature of the action. But there is a reason that unites the church and the princely / royal power - satire, which is saturated with the plots of ditties and performances, where negative character, displayed for the amusement of the public, could be greedy pop and stupid nobles. Therefore with 17th century begins active pressure and persecution from the upper classes under the pretext of asocial, demonic moods and crimes allegedly committed by itinerant troupes. By the time of Peter the Great, buffoons practically did not exist. They are beginning to be replaced professional theaters, separate street performances: traveling musicians, actors, magicians and bear tamers, jazz funk performers.

Inverted world of buffoons

Why, then, in medieval Russia, completely immersed in Christianity with all its asceticism, such representations enjoyed great success? In fact, this is a phenomenon characteristic of the entire medieval Europe, regardless of denominations. Wandering artists; indecent stories; the so-called "rogue novel", extremely popular in Western European medieval literature, is all a reflection of the "inverted world". This is a phenomenon in folk culture, when in certain days under certain conditions, be it holidays or carnivals, people allowed themselves absolutely opposite actions and thoughts than those that they followed in their ordinary life... This "detente" was absolutely not perceived by the people as something contrary to the strictness that they adhered to throughout the rest of the time. Didn't get around this cultural phenomenon and Russia.

V modern view buffoons - sort of circus artists entertaining the public. But in fact, their contribution to the culture was very great.

The buffoons in Russia were essentially heralds of truth. They were not afraid to show in their scenes the unsightly deeds of the boyars and even the rulers of Russia.

Factrum invites you to get acquainted with the culture of buffoons and find out why the powerful of this world did not like them.

"Skomorokhs in the Village". F. Riess

Where did the buffoons come from and when did they appear in Russia

It is not known for certain, but, most likely, wandering actors began to come to the territory of Russia from Byzantium or from more Western countries... And the word "buffoon" itself comes from the Byzantine word "skommarch" - a master of jokes. The patron saint of buffoons was Troyan - slavic god helping comedians.

The first mention of buffoonery dates back to the middle of the 11th century, and wandering jesters are even mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years. And in the 16th century, solo artists began to unite in groups, the so-called "mobs". They were quite numerous, some numbered up to a hundred people. Later, buffoons stopped actively traveling and began to organize small buffoonery villages. From there they traveled several times a month to neighboring settlements.

What did the traveling jesters do

Of course, the buffoons were talented comedians. They went to cities and villages and made people laugh, showing them funny scenes. Basically, the artists performed at the squares and fairs, but they were also invited to the boyars' mansions. The jesters also had rich props: various costumes and masks made of birch bark or leather. Changing masks, the same buffoon could play different roles. There were buffoons and good singers... They composed all their works themselves, and each mob had their own. The buffoon's music was cheerful and perky, from which the legs themselves started to dance. But they also performed sad ballads. People analyzed many works of buffoons into quotations that have survived to this day.

Most often, a trained bear, trained to show various tricks, traveled with the traveling artists. And some mobs preferred to take a bull or a goat with them. Often buffoons staged puppet shows based on fairy tales. But along with this, the wandering jesters were good experts in various signs and astrology, so they could give helpful advice for example, about the beginning of the harvest.

Most of the buffoons' works were satirical. Often, buffoons were persecuted for making fun of the boyars, clergy and common people. And if the peasants and city dwellers sincerely laughed at the scenes, then the powerful of this world were indignant and wanted to exterminate the buffoons. The Russian Church dreamed of doing this especially zealously, because in many rituals and performances they saw pagan motives.

How and why the buffoons were destroyed

Many members of the church hated buffoons and believed that they were representatives of the Troyan cult. Because of this and because of the exposure of the church in an unsightly form in the 15th century, active actions began against buffoons. They were arrested, beaten with rods and batogs, thrown into prisons, and their tools were burned at the stake. Thanks to the efforts of Archbishop Nikon in 1648, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich signed a decree prohibiting buffoonery in Russia.

Later, the buffoons left out of work began to engage in other, more pleasing to the church and the state affairs. They did not leave their acting career, but began performing in booths and at fairs. They still showed performances with tricks, puppets and trained animals, but they did it in a different way, leaving aside the ridicule.

Buffoons in Russia: how they appeared, what they were forbidden to do and how they were destroyed

Buffoons in Russia: how they appeared, what forbidden they did and how they were destroyed

Since pagan times, cheerful people in bright outfits have wandered through Russian villages and cities. The buffoons made common people and noble people laugh, enjoyed their love, and suddenly disappeared, leaving behind only proverbs and sayings. But this category of people has its own history, traditions, secrets, which are of great interest even today.

What did the buffoons do

Buffoons entertain honest people.

The buffoons were the first Russian actors: singers, dancers, trainers - they usually took bears with them. They themselves composed most of the dramatic, musical and verbal works displayed to the public.

Skomorokhs not only made people laugh - often their jokes and jokes revealed big and small problems of their time, were smashing satire. Equally talented comedians ridiculed the weaknesses of the common people, the mighty of the world this, the clergy. The funny and well-aimed words of the wandering jesters were remembered and quickly scattered around the neighborhood.

Repertoire and costumes of buffoons

A tightrope walker at the performance of buffoons.

The repertoire of itinerant actors included magic tricks, dances, little plays (games), ditties, mockery (social satire). They usually gave performances in masks to the accompaniment of tambourines, bagpipes, beeps, pity, domras. The instruments of the wandering musicians gave out merry, incendiary melodies that lured people into a perky dance. However, if they so desired, the buffoons could also perform a sad ballad that made the recently laughing crowd cry.

The works of buffoons were sometimes frivolous, which, however, did not bother the public. Such liberty was in the nature of a ritual that came from pagan rituals. Almost always, a trained bear, a favorite of the audience, took part in the performances. Next to the forest predator there was a cheerful actor dressed as a goat, who beat in spoons, danced, involving everyone in the dance.

Skoromokhs with a bear.

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According to some information, they were engaged in buffoons and fortune-telling. Even after baptism, the Russian people for a long time retained pagan traditions, trusting the sorcerers, so buffoons could freely perform various rituals. There is a legend about Zamri Mountain, located in the Moscow region. At one time, buffoons from all over the country gathered here and performed pagan rituals.

Scraps of ritual songs, music, which disappeared at dawn, were carried over many kilometers of the surroundings. The buffoonish outfits were unusually colorful. The actors wore brightly colored shirts and pants, and they usually wore funny caps with bells on their heads. Performing in squares and streets, buffoons communicated directly with the audience, involving them in the performance.

Artels of stray actors and the musical mafia

Buffoons on carols.

The buffoons began to unite in large gangs from the 16th century, and the members of such groups could be 60-100 people. Such an impressive number of people made it possible to safely travel to all corners of Russia at a time when persecution of the artists began by the tsar and the clergy. In addition, this allowed them to trade from time to time by robbery. However, in oral creativity of the people the image of a buffoon-robber, offending ordinary people, absent.

The emergence of buffoons: the secrets of ancient Russia

Everyone's fun.

It is still not known for certain where the wandering comedians came from. However, there is an initial version that the first buffoons were participants in pagan rituals who were left without work. On temples during the pagan period, whole performances were performed with the participation of mummers.

An extraordinary masquerade symbolized unity with spirits, reincarnation and at the same time closed the mummer from action evil forces- they could not recognize him under someone else's disguise. The patron saint of buffoons was considered the Slavic god Troyan, who helped the comedians in every possible way.

Destruction of buffoons

It's time and honor to know.

Immediately after the baptism, the clergy began an active struggle with wandering actors, who were equated with pagan priests. The church considered the performances of comedians to be demonic games, contrary to the church charter. In 1648, Archbishop Nikon diligently achieved the Tsar's decree on the complete prohibition of buffoonery. After this and other royal decrees, persecutions began against wandering comedians and their listeners.

The buffoons were beaten with batogs, thrown into prisons, their equipment was destroyed. The reason for the persecution lay in the intolerance of church leaders to popular amusements, the center of which were buffoons. The teachings repeated the prohibitions of dancing, music, dressing up, and other types of entertainment that came from Byzantium, which, according to the Byzantines, were associated with pagan cults and legends.

Fortunetellers for dreams, skillful healers with laughter and music, the founders mass culture who were allowed into best houses and even supported with money - buffoons. Their detailed description is given by V. Dal: "A buffoon, a buffoon, a musician, a piper, a magician, a piper, a guslar who dances with songs, jokes and tricks, an actor, a comedian, a funny man, a bear cub, a lomaka, a buffoon."

Origin

A lot of testimonies have been preserved about gifted singers and storytellers - skorokhikh - ancient writing... In particular, they are mentioned in the Tale of Bygone Years (1068). The princely fun is depicted in the frescoes of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev (1037). On one of the frescoes there are three dancing buffoons, on the other there are three musicians - two are playing on horns, and one on a harp.

It is still unknown whether the buffoonery came from Byzantium or from the West, but it can be said for sure that during their wanderings around the world, "cheerful people" came to Kiev and other Russian cities.

In Russia, as in Byzantium and in the West, buffoons formed artels, and wandered in "gangs" for their craft. Later, for a number of reasons, buffoons had to "settle", so there were buffoonery villages.

By the way, the origin of the word "buffoon" has not yet been clarified. Some researchers explained it with the verb "skomati" - to make noise. Others believe that the word "buffoon" comes from the Byzantine "skommarch", translated as a master of ridicule.

What did you do

Buffoons were constant participants and the main entertainers at village holidays, city fairs, performances in boyar mansions.

Capital: at first, nomadic artists, later began to lead a sedentary lifestyle (mainly villages in the Novgorod region).

Peculiarities

1. Since the end of the 15th century Orthodox Church led a serious struggle with buffoons, in which the decree of 1648 of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich became a victory. From now on, it was ordered to burn the buffoons' tools. “There should be silence” - read the decree of the king.

2. In addition to vagrant buffoons, there were sedentary buffoons (boyar and princely), it is believed that they owe a lot to the folk comedy.

3. The performances of the bear and the "goat" that beat the "spoons" all the time - were the highlight of the program in the costumed performances of the buffoons.

4. About the harp, the main instrument of buffoons, is mentioned in the old Russian songs and epics of the Vladimirov cycle.

5. The buffoons were known as connoisseurs of folk astrology, and therefore could give advice on when to reap, when to bury, when to get a haircut.

Rumor

German traveler Adam Olearius, who visited Russia in the 1630s, in his famous "Description of a trip to Muscovy" talks about buffoonery: puppet shows for the money of common youth and even children, and the leaders of the bears have comedians with them who, by the way, can immediately present some kind of joke or prank, like ... the Dutch with the help of dolls. To do this, they tie a sheet around the body, lift its free side up and arrange something like a stage over their heads, from which they walk the streets and show various performances from dolls on it. "