Triboulet

Triboulet (1479–1536), also known as Le Févrial or under his family name Ferrial, was a French jester for King Francis I.

Biography Little biographical information is available about Triboulet. It is known that in the Kingdom of France, there have been at least three jesters referred to as "Triboulet", with the first one serving René of Anjou and being also a playwright. The second Triboulet served Louis XII and died during his reign; the third served Francis I (and possibly also Louis XII), and the two fools were later confused as one person.

Ferrial was born in France in 1479. In unknown circumstances, Ferrial found purpose in life as professional jester to King Francis I (and perhaps also earlier for Louis XII), who kept him on at court, together with François Bourcier, "governor of Triboulet" and his brother, Nicolas Le Feurial. Triboulet appears as a character in François Rabelais' novels Gargantua and Pantagruel. (The King and the Jester) is a surviving 1907 short film by Georges Méliès. Triboulet is the subject of French writer Michel Zevaco's novel Triboulet. Triboulet appears as a joker card in the 2024 video game, Balatro.

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