The life of WILL SOMMER. History of the Tudors. How disabled people were treated in the past. Jester
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ส.ค. 2024
- The story of WILL SOMMER (also called Will Sommers), who was Henry VIII’s court jester and later worked for his children, provides a unique perspective on the history of the Tudors and may help to illuminate how disabled people were treated in the past, though Will’s possible physical and/or mental challenges are not made explicitly clear by contemporary sources. One of the most famous ‘court fools’ in English history, there are several pictures and paintings of Will Sommer and Henry VIII, as well as other members of the Tudor royal family and his name appears in royal financial accounts over the course of a couple of decades. Who was Will Sommer though and where did he come from? What do we really know about his life, his time at court and his eventual death?
In this Tudor history documentary from History Calling, we go back to the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I to uncover the life of Will Sommer. I will use the pictures of this well-known figure at the Tudor court to explain what Will Sommer looked like and what possible physical disabilities he may have had. I will use the written records to explain how he was treated and consider whether or not he had any kind of mental issues. We will also look at later stories told about him in the seventeenth century, long after his death in 1560 and consider how they have influenced what we know about Will Sommer, or rather, what we think we know.
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![fellow fellow - PROUD feat. INK WARUNTORN [STRING QUARTET]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/BQrVkMPTdHE/mqdefault.jpg)
How likely do you think it is that Will had a learning disability? Let me know below and check out my PATREON site for extra perks at www.patreon.com/historycalling Remember to SUBSCRIBE to my channel too.
He probably did have some sort of disability, if he needed someone to look after him.
He seems to have been treated very well. He had really nice clothes and his family was
looked after too.
Yes, compared to the life he could have led if he was in any way disabled, he did very well for himself.
As always most interesting! Would assume some mental difficulty to need a keeper, thank you for all your work.
Hi Scott. Yes, the need for a keeper suggests that to me as well.
Hard to say. I tend to think of him as a crafty fool, as he was able to turn out jokes and exhibited other skills that would’ve precluded him being simple. It may be that he merely looked simple? As to having a keeper eventually, hard to say why he should need one unless he’d been sick or injured perhaps? I know more after watching your video than I ever knew of him before, so it’s hard to make a guess.
It seems to me that to possibly have been learning disabled, Will was a smart man. To have survived at least three of the Tudor monarchs, and maybe four, is a testament to his ability to fly under the radar.
Yes, that was no mean feat, especially given how close he was to Henry VIII.
My uncle has learning difficulties... He had lots of ways of hiding things he didn't know from us as children, like telling time, or reading and writing. What he lost on one side, he was sharp on others.
He celebrated his 99th birthday March just gone. It seems it's a good idea to not know that you're getting old!! He's a great example to us all.
Interesting too... That Will "fell asleep" in the fence.... Uncle Paddy also suffered "petit mall"... Epilepsy without fitting
Even then considering that normal disabled people didn’t and still don’t have it at all easy but one could also say disabled people taken in by wealthy/powerful families were luckier than normal people: they didn’t have to serve in the military, you can intentionally play the idiot or speak your mind without running the risk of losing your head (usually), and despite your “issues” you get treated even better than normal people especially in a time before retirement pensions or social wealth-fare.
Sommers had something going for him to have survived in the courts of so many Tudor monarchs who didn't always get along with each other. Folks also felt a need to create a mythology around him, which means he must have been very remarkable or no one would have bothered.
Maybe he was on the spectrum 🤷🏻♀️ That could explain a lot
To me this guy was no fool to survive that long in the Tudor court and still have his head😊
He was the smartest of them all. No fool was he
I’m wondering if he could have been on the spectrum 🤷🏻♀️
@@LisafromNOLA Could be! My nephew is on the spectrum, and he does cosplay, loves to dress up and entertain, and can get a room roaring with laughter! And smart as heck too :)
It's striking how he was not just at court but was included in family portraits. A person who is differently abled might be called "simple and innocent" and still be clever, funny, kind, attentive -- that is, good company. Narcolepsy, which was suggested, can be accompanied by confusion which could be entertaining and also result in saying things you otherwise wouldn't. He had a memorable life. Thanks for introducing him to us!
Yes, I think he provides a very different way of looking at the Tudor court and being in the family p portraits was a rare sign of favour indeed.
There's a book on him, he was privy to Henry the eighth's thoughts. He writes a lot about the king in his diary/journal.
It’s interesting, really, how much changing concepts of neurodivergence/learning disabilities may have affected the legacy of this man. It’s fully possible for someone to have noticeable learning difficulties and struggle with the kinds of social cues and norms that would stop someone of this time angering Henry like that, whilst still being witty and clever and very good company. I’ve known many autistic people who are very quick-witted and intelligent, but lack social understanding which can make them appear “simpler” than they are - I myself have ADHD which presents very similarly, and while I’m very capable of some things I can definitely come across as naïve and dumb sometimes, and accidentally saying something socially unacceptable is a pretty major hallmark of most neurodivergent people, it was unfortunately far more dire in his situation. There’s still a lot of stigma and misunderstanding around basically all kinds of mental disorders, which absolutely will not help trying to review someone who lived so long ago. Thank you for this video, greatly enjoyed learning more about this man!
Hi Ruby, thank you for your comment and I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Yes, it is hard to know what Will's possible diagnosis would have been if he was around today given that, as you say, there's such a wide spectrum of neurodivergence.
😊
I was born with no hands (my left arm is half an arm, my right goes to my wrist) and a speech impediment. All my life I've been treated rather decently. Of course, I do come across rude people, or people who treat me like a child, not as an adult. In school, I was hardly bullied. People are surprised I was not bullied a lot. I always ask them "Would you bully a black belt martial arts student wearing a metal hook?" It is at that point they stop wondering. lol :)
First of all, I'm sorry that you've come across any rude people at all, however I'm very glad to hear that you had few problems in school and your point about being a black belt with a hook is amazing and makes me think there should be a superhero comic book written/drawn about you :-)
@@HistoryCalling I'm thinking of something for a book. Now you just put another idea in my head, & the juggling of book ideas continue. :)
@@HistoryCalling Don't be sorry. For some, it bothers them, for others, like me, I brush it off. Like a waitress in a pub screamed at me what I wanted for a drink. Screaming at me because she thought I wasn't just a bi-lateral amputee, I was deaf too she thought. I told her I wasn't deaf. I gave her a penny as a tip. :)
@Dani Hope My father spanked me and slapped me across the face, my father whipped my two older brothers with his belt, so I got into my head that being violent towards a kid is not the answer, & it worked. I always had my son on time outs, then explained to him rationally why he had his time out. That worked better than physically harming a child, because I remember as if it was yesterday, every slap, and every spanking he gave me. I'm right armed, and there's not that much fat above the elbow, it's mostly bone, so one hit could hurt a lot. Actually I did give my oldest brother a right hook once while we were playing. He fell down & had a big old bump on his nose. We weren't kids, he was in his 30s & I was in my 20s, & that's about the only time I ever hit someone. Why did I hit him? He played unfairly. He kept grabbing me, pulling me down to the ground & my dad was telling him he's not being fair, I couldn't grab him & do the same, so I got tired of his grabbings & threw my right boney arm into his nose. He still reminds me to this day on the phone about that incident. lol :)
My neighbor had a child that was born "normal" but within hours after birth developed a benign tumor or growth that eventually covered nearly half of her face. When the little girl entered kindergarten her mother took her to school and talked to the children to explain about her face and asked the kids to be her daughter's friend. She volunteered as a teacher's helper a day or two a week. The school was a small country school so many of the kids went there grades k-8. The kids were very protective of her and she suffered no bullying. The doctors recommend that she not have surgery until her face matured, she did have surgery before entering high school. I think her mother's talk on the first day of school saved years of pain and developed character in a whole school of kids.
As someone who is also disabled, I would like to thank you for talking about this (and using the correct terminology).
I agree that he was probably disabled. There are a lot of different disabilities, and there are also differences in each disability. At least most disabilities have a spectrum in them. So disabled person A might have a massive amount of struggle with symptom X, but very little difficulties with Y and Z. While person B might have very little difficulty with symptom X, but some difficulty with Y and a massive amount of struggle with Z. And person C might struggle with all of them, while E has a medium amount of difficulty with them. Some need support with pretty much everything in their lives, while others barely need any. Some have very similar challenges, while others have very different ones.
Hi Maria. Thank you for watching and commenting and I'm glad to hear from someone disabled that I approached the topic correctly. It would be interesting to know what Will's exact situation was, but sadly I don't think we've ever likely to get more information that we have at the moment. I think he provides an important and interesting insight into an often marginalised and underrepresented group of people in history though.
What a simple but excellent, thought provoking explanation for what I'm sure is a complicated situation. Thank you!
Well said! There are so many disabilities and diagnosis, and so many degrees and variations of each one, and importantly: Every single one suffering from each of them are individuals, often as different from each other as anyone else.
Excellent and true. My son is on the spectrum as well as having ADHD. Though he's at the top of his class in high school, he only really started to understand sarcasm at about the age of 14. He will occasionally use it with me and jokes a bit with me (mom) but he's still so unsure if he's doing it correctly that he doesn't talk much at school, so he's the 'quiet kid' since he doesn't know if he's going to stick his foot in his mouth. I can't imagine how difficult it is to always be afraid you'll say the wrong thing and people will 'hate' you. He's 16 now and getting a little bit better at recognizing social queues but still not that great at it. Poor kid...but a brilliant kid.
Absolutely right, and I agree wholeheartedly about the terminology used. I think people do forget there are ranges for those of us who have disabilities. Even people with the same disabilities don’t have exactly the same experiences and symptoms. Very well said indeed.
You have no idea how excited I got at this notification. There's so little information about him that i have to be intrigued. He was there for everything!
Thanks Audrianna. He did provide a different research perspective on the court.
Supposedly, he was there right at Henry’s death..only one who kept Henry laughing….remember, Henry became paranoid and suspicious…so, that is something..
He reminds me of my next door neighbor. He's differently abled and unable to live alone or do certain tasks without help because he doesn't understand, but he's so incredibly kind and funny. He comes every day to snuggle my dog for at least an hour, and he's very much like a big brother to me.
I love the story of the woman putting a pillow under his head and making sure he didn't fall as he slept. ❤️
He might have been simple but was smart enough to keep his head when so many around him lost there`s
Exactly. Not many people so close to Henry VIII lasted such a long time.
I’d say more endearing to not lose his head because his statement about Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth (and I dont mean to insult disabled people in any way with this comment Im just making an observation) doesnt seem like the brightest move to do and implies he charmed them enough to not get killed for making foolish mistakes many died for
Our beautiful daughter born in 1978 was autistic and had epilepsy, and no speech Her IQ was way high, . She loved sitting in the large bay window in our front room, which had a small garden and faced a very busy road. She loved watching the cars going by and many people passing would stop and waved to her. he kids from a nearby secondary school, before and after going to school used to collect outside our house, sometimes 40 of them making monkey noises and ridiculing her. She was heartbroken. The police station was just a few yards from our house and the police cars used to drive past and do nothing. In the end my husband involved the local paper and something was done. Little changes does it?. The shock of her passing away suddenly in 2010 put us in a dark place for many years. Now we think back to how she suffered at those teenagers hands and console ourselves that she is safe from them
As an autistic woman that sounds a lot like your precious daughter, please accept my most sincere condolences 💐. I pray her bright, beautiful spirit around you brings you comfort and peace.
Hi Tasi, I'm so sorry to read about what your daughter endured and it's infuriating that the police didn't help you all sooner. She obviously had wonderful parents and an awful lot of love in her life as well though and I'm certain she knew that. I hope when you think of her now, you're able to focus on all the happy memories.
It breaks my heart to think of your daughter being bullied. She sounded like a heavenly soul. If we knew the future lives of some of those culprits, I guarantee that some would be haunted by their cruelty. I have heard many stories of bully’s and others that committed callous acts against others becoming repentant but had to live with their shame. Not that I should wish that on anyone but it would be a very wise lesson to be learned. From your writing, I know your daughter was surrounded by love from the people who were most important to her. I am praying for peace for you. ❤️🙏
I’m so sorry for your loss. Your daughter sounds like a lovely soul.
As someone with multiple conditions/disabilities, I’m always interested in how people of the past who fell outside of “normal” lived. I have actually never heard of Will before this, so my judgment is purely based on your video. I think he was either an amazing actor or possibly fell on the autism spectrum. He must have been smart to have survived in the court for as long as he did! And he certainly had to have been charming to be so beloved that he made it into the family portraits.
I’m sure this is highly based on the media I’ve consumed over the years, but I have always associated jesters/fools with earlier periods of history than the Tudor era. I can feel a research rabbit hole on the subject coming my way…
Hi Cassie. I hope the research rabbit hole led you somewhere interesting :-) I might look at other people with disabilities (or issues viewed as disabilities at the time) in the future, as this seems to be topic a lot of people are interested in.
It appears to me that he was loved by the Tudors, he was very familiar around them, like he was the family pet!
Thank you for yet another interesting story.
It's impressive to have survived so many monarch- so many other people who were very intelligent/very close/ very powerful fell in and out of favour, whoever he was I feel like he must have had some captivating quality for Henry (a notoriously capricious monarch) to keep him close by for so long
Yes, there aren't that many people who were so close to Henry VIII who managed to survive all the way through to Elizabeth.
In a way it’s almost sweet that these jesters were regularly included in family portraits. It shows how close they were to their employers (although being close to Henry VIII was itself a curse) and while obviously many of them were treated horribly, it seems like as a disabled person in those days there was really no better position. Free room, board, food and fine clothes was certainly more than most commoners could ever obtain by themselves
Supposedly there was a record of will telling Henry after the death of Jane how everyone you love leaves you referring back to his mother dying in child bed fever. Henry was more tolerant of will than many others “above” him and he was used to pass messages between courtiers and the king when delivering “bad news” I’m so grateful for the covering of him for what a feat it was for anyone to survive the Bear pit that was the tudor court let alone 4 tudor monarchs
Another excellent podcast. I dare to say that Will was most intelligent despite a purported learning difficulty. it is just my opinion that he was far more intelligent than his employer.
Very interesting and well researched once again. The position of 'Fool' was actually a very important one; the Fool being a kind of comedian, companion and poet, but also with the ability to say non-threatening things in jest that may have been true. In some more progressive organisations Boards often have this kind of non-executive role as a way of offering challenge to 'groupthink'.
Handkerchiefs might have been tools of his trade, to juggled, or for magic tricks, etc.
Thank you. Yes, fools were a common feature of courts for a long time. It's surprising really that there doesn't seem to be more interest in them.
This was such an interesting story! Thank you for thinking of such an unusual, but fascinating person. He was simple and innocent, but smart enough to steer clear of Henry’s wrath. Perhaps the incident concerning Anne and Elizabeth points to, although angered by, a softer side of Henry. Wishful thinking on my part, but he was obviously invaluable in his simple and innocent way. You are quite special History Calling, thank you…
Thanks Amy. Lots of people seem to have enjoyed hearing about Will, so perhaps I'll look at other people with what we'd now call disabilities in future videos, as they don't always get the acknowledgement they deserve in the history books.
I agree with you. So many voices unheard.
That joke about the miller's shirt is savage! Maybe I'll be able to use it someplace...
It was good, wasn't it? There were lots of little anecdotes in that source, but that one was my favourite (which is why it made it into the video).
It sounds as though he was a trustworthy chap with a bit of fun to him. Maybe he did have learning disabilities but was taught to entertain above all else and so could fulfill the role easily. I love that the paintings show him with small pets . I can just imagine him interacting with them for the amusement of the children.
My son has special needs. It's so meaningful to learn about people in history who may have too
Definitely also I don’t think it’s a case of either he was innocent and unable to live independently or witty and clever. I think there are probably people who are autistic who would meet both descriptions.
Yes, I think they should be looked at more. Just like today, there were plenty of people living hundreds of years ago with special needs, though I will concede that some will have died very young if they were born with physical issues that require modern medicine to deal with. Nevertheless, there were still lots of people around who had things like Down's syndrome, or scoliosis (like Richard III), plus conjoined twins and those who were neurodivergent. We just don't hear about them as often.
The handkerchiefs bought for Sommers may well have been part of his 'act'.
Thank you for another great video. Please take no offence but I have all your videos in one playlist that I listen to each night to fall asleep. You have a perfect voice for narration, soothing and calm. I can't wait for next week!
No offence taken at all. Other people have said the same thing :-)
You've presented an interesting puzzle in the guise of Will Sommer. I think it's possible he had sleeping disorder which may have induced uncontrolled naps. Perhaps he had mild epilepsy or another affliction that came and went with varying intensity. This would have rendered him quite capable at times and debilitated at other instances. Sleeping illness (can't remember the exact medical term) can cause mental fluctuations. If these symptoms were exacerbated by other ailments such as allergies, ADHD, dyslexia or syphilis his mental dexterity may have been all over the map. He doesn't appear to be an idiot but mostly thoughtful, clever and well liked. I'm open to any other explanations as there are so many possibilities. You actually brought this man and his times to life in my mind and did so in less than 20 minutes. Awesome job. I love your work and how it transports me. Thank you. Please be well, be safe, be happy. Lvya much
Thanks David. Yes, it could have been a combination of ailments.
They had Will Somers in an episode of the Tudors. At the end of the episode the fool is sitting on Henry's throne laughing. It gave me chills.
Funny to think that with all that changed between the Tudor monarchs, Will was always there.
He must have had some importance to them if they kept having him put into their paintings. Even the kids struggled to be in more than one painting in a row.
Haha, good point. There are more contemporary images of Henry with Will I think, than Henry with Elizabeth!
@@HistoryCalling sad really, though when you think about it.
Though there is one good thing for him. The fact he survived such blatant sass.. sorry, disrespect, towards the king and lived shows that the Tudors, and even mad bad King Henry must have had some level of understanding or acceptance of mental disorders.
Obviously not to the level we have where we can medicate or treat and help give a life, but certainly to the level of 'no I won't execute him. He can't help it.'
Lol
Great video! Not the normal, run of the mill Tudor history, but actually a new interesting topic. At least for me 😃 Thanks!
Thanks Heather. Yes, Will was something new for me too.
History Calling, I’ve been a long time fan. I thought you outdid yourself with your recent Jackie K. video, but this video has cemented you, in my mind, as one of my all-time favorite TH-camrs. Thank you for your always interesting, faithfully researched, entertaining, and ever educational videos. You are a queen in my eyes, just as the many you have researched and presented in your videos. Xoxo
Thank you so much. That's such a lovely comment to read (and thank you too for the SuperThanks donation). :-)
Thank you for another *EXCELLENT* video.
Margaret George's the autobiography of Henry the VIII (with notes by his fool, Will Sommer) is a remarkable envisioning of Will, one of my five top books I've ever read
I think I read that book. As a teenager… when I first started being interested in English history, I’ll have to check it out at the library thanks
@@roolenoir3183 I think it's George's best novel. I must have read it 10 times. The moment she describes Henry becoming King upon his father's death. He steps into the garden and is showered upon by cherry blossoms in the breeze. And she writes the line something like "it was the luxury of new beginnings".
Henry at his best, in the beginning....
@@SkyandMoon909 Yea, I was just a teenager when it first came out. Our Librarian ( I lived in a small town ) loved historical books. So as soon as a new one came out she ordered it. It was entertaining enough to make me fall in love with all things Tudor and then Plantagenets .
@@SkyandMoon909 And yet THREE DAYS after his father's death, Henry already had the death warrants out, sentencing his father's advisors Empson & Dudley to death... I guess that WAS Henry's "best" tho, purely cos he became so spectacularly, mind-bogglingly awful later on. I don't believe he was ever a kind, decent, good person; it's just he got even worse.
I first learned of Will while reading a biography of Henry by one of several very well respected authorities on the Tudor dynasty. The author's name was Alison Weir.
Whatever Will's condition, be it physically or if it was indeed some manner of intellectual deprivation, something was in force to recommend him to such an esteemed position of trust. I don't know if it was hereditary or something familial, or if it was perhaps something he was born into, - or maybe he just aced an interview ! - who knows.
But of all the characters throughout the book, from his father's success with the wars of the roses to the passing of Elizabeth, -
for some reason, I took a particular interest in Will Sommers.
What a great topic!!
Thank you. I thought it would provide a different perspective on the Tudor court than what I usually do.
When I saw the title, I thought that it must must be one of the series "World's Most Dangerous Jobs"!
Indeed! It could be :-)
Thank you for this video., he’s been mentioned in some books and movies. Yes, could be he had a learning disability and must have been considered a valuable entertainer or an amusement? It’s good to know he was taken care of by the family long after Henry died. 🤔
Yes, I'm glad too that he always seems to have had a home with the royal family and was (by Tudor standards) well cared for.
Excellent as usual. I think, as you do, that Chapuis description of Sommer and his account of the "fool's" comments, must be regarded as the most accurate historical document. This would, of course, account for the fact that Will didn't lose his head as so many did when they crossed Henry.
Yes, Chapuys is one of the few who saw Will and who left a description of him, so I think that source deserved more weight than the later, almost fictionalised, accounts of him.
@@HistoryCalling In my limited experience, I also trust Chapuys. He is certainly opinionated ("the concubine") but factual for the most part.
I loved this video. Great work! These are the kind of videos that showcase the people who were around, albeit in the background, in these historical events. Thank you for your hard work!
Thanks Lisa. Glad you enjoyed it.
Based on the evidence presented, I’m more inclined to believe he had some sort of disability. Part of me wonders if he could have been on the ASD spectrum based on the instances of not understanding social cues, having some moments of wit and understanding (like saving the woman’s brother from execution) but still needing to be cared for. Also based on the sleeping incident, it was possible he had narcolepsy. However these are just speculations, as we none of this can be concluded without proper diagnosis. Also while it is cruel that he was mocked for being disabled, at least he was cared for because I imagine many more like him weren’t so lucky in those times. That could be an interesting topic to explore the historical treatment (more likely mistreatment) and societal views on those with disabilities.
Yes, I lean towards him having some sort of disability too, though as you say, it's impossible to diagnose with so little evidence (and much of it may not be real evidence too). I think too that he was probably better treated than most were at the time who had disabilities (sad as that is).
I also immediately thought Narcolepsy, but then thought wouldn’t there be more instances of him falling asleep like this and thus more of a well known “quirk” or characteristic of his. I wondered if maybe he’d had a series of mini strokes or TIAs throughout his life that could account for nearly all of the symptoms and descriptions of him at the time. But that’s the nurse in my coming out.
Fascinating video, I love your work @History Calling, you’re amazing!!!
Thanks! Again you have entertained while educating me! Thank you so much!!
THANKS VICKI for so kindly supporting the channel with your donation. I'm glad you enjoyed hearing about Will. I thought it would be a different way of looking at the Tudor court to view it from his perspective.
Thank you so interesting
You are very welcome :-)
I was getting nervous until I saw Sense & Sensibility at #2. That is by far my absolute favorite Jane Austen film!
For good Will to have been the jester to three monarchs, I highly doubt he was intellectually disadvantaged. He sounds like a beloved, humourous, smart man to those monarchs. He clearly was looked after very well by virtue of the clothing he was bestowed. Chaupuys was an advocate for Katherine and Mary, so it could have been a propaganda on his part regarding the incident of being banished. Who knows? Thank you for all these interesting biographies.
Thank you. Yes, I'd love to know what the real story was with him.
He is a great enigma, almost as if he existed and wasn't real all at the same time. Seems as if he didn't have learning difficulties as we think today but more issues with social interaction (or was an amazing actor able to speak his mind and then put on a countenance that gives the air of 'I couldn't mean it as I couldn't understand ' although I doubt that)
He is a very interesting topic, and surprising that he hasn't gotten the 'Tudor fetishism' that Hollywood has engaged in so recently. That us a good thing in my opinion
Yes, it's so unusual to see someone of his status appearing in royal family portraits and yet know so little about him. I'd love to know too what the story was with him - learning disability or great actor. He's an enigma as you say.
A lot would seem to depend on the nuance of the word 'simple' in this context. Blurting out toxic things about the King's family issues seems like a syndrome of some kind at work...maybe... but what we now might understand to be a recognizable personality disorder would have probably met with very little understanding then. Then there's also the suggestion of some kind of narcolepsy, which they were apparently prepared to cope with.
Definitely a good thing! I wouldn't want his representation to be disrespectful, which I feel could be a real issue with an adaptation that's not rigorous about its history to begin with
Can you imagine the outcry if Hollywood did portray fools? They would have to use disabled actors in most cases I suppose, and the fuss that would generate would be huge. Someone would be bound to take offence. I wonder if Will’s issues were more physical than anything else. I definitely think narcolepsy could have been involved, scoliosis too, but I think it’s very easy to assume that if someone has a physical disability, their intellect is also likely to be impaired. I’ve experienced that, in a hospital of all places, and I can see how it could easily have happened in Will’s time. I think it’s absolutely possible that Will could have spoken his mind, thinking he could do that, and then put on an air of ‘I couldn’t possibly understand what I said, could I?’ Thinking about it, Will could have even been useful for Henry. Courtiers could quite easily have said things in front of him thinking he wouldn’t understand, only to find he did when it was too late. I’m speculating of course, but with the way Henry’s mind worked I wouldn’t be surprised if he did make use of Will like that.
Thank you for another interesting video. As an American, in my later years, I love history, & have learned much about the Tudors, from your videos. I never knew how royalty lived and of this person “the kings fool”,. I wonder if he was disabled or just intelligent enough to know by being in service to the king, he was well taken care of, and by the numerous portraits of him with the king & family, he was certainly appreciated. It makes me think that if he gave the King brain teasers and such he’d have to be fairly intelligent. An interesting person this week, well done.
Thanks Cindy. I thought he'd be a more unusual way to look at the Tudor court.
It would be helpful if the actual role of court jester/ fool was teased open . And why or how they got to be at court at all. I understand that in the Spanish royal family there have been suggestions thst often children born with genetic defects to the aristocracy or the actual royals due to inbreeding became the equivalent of fools or servants to the family. Ref. Velazquez painting of the Infanta and G K Chesrertons poem " The Battle of Lepanto". Perhaps you might cover the wider context in later videos.
It would be interesting to know what the job title entailed. I've never seen any good descriptions of what these people did on a day to day basis though. :-(
Thanks, HC! Fascinating as always!
THANK YOU so much for all your support Stephen and I'm glad you enjoyed hearing about Will. I thought he'd provide a different outlook on the Tudors to what we're all used to.
@@HistoryCalling Yes, indeed! Very unique subject matter. It had a personal impact on me as I used to work for people with various disabilities. I thought the posthumous accounts of Sommer seemed similar to Robert Graves' depiction of the Roman emperor Claudius. Entertaining but perhaps not the best history. 😉 Be well!
Recently, I was wondering about this person. Although, I love the idea of a brilliant and witty
court jester - I still want the truth. And your detective work, cleared things up for me.
Thank you.
You're like a historian sleuth !
Why thank you :-) I try my best :-)
If I could travel back in time Will Sommer is someone I'd want to meet
Yes, it would be fascinating to find out what the real story of his life was.
He knew where all the bones were buried !
I actually don´t need the video, your voice and accent is amazing just listening to.
Excellent ! Would love to hear more about the known Royal Court Jesters throughout our history. They must have been privy to the deepest thoughts of the monarch they served & therefore quite powerful figures. There is something very endearing about these characters. Thank you.
Good lord. He was dressed better than the child Elizabeth!
Funnily enough (though I don't think it's intended to be represented in these portraits), Elizabeth's lady mistress did have to write a letter (to Cromwell I think) after Anne Boleyn's death asking that more clothes be sent for the former Princess. Henry had basically forgotten about her and without her mother there to send fabrics and garments for her, she'd outgrown her wardrobe.
Good evening to history calling
Hi Bea :-)
Will Sommer wasn't the fool, Henry was.
I'm always fascinated by the subject of your videos. Thank you for all your detailed work and your unique perspective.
You're very welcome (and may I say you have a beautiful name. I don't know if it's your real name of course, but it's one I haven't come across before and it's lovely) :-)
@@HistoryCalling Thank you. It is my real name and it is singular. Its only in getting older that I appreciate it's challenges:)
Thank you so much for this interesting video. I learned a lot! I hope that all is well in Northern Ireland.
You're welcome. Currently howling with wind and rain, but that's a Northern Irish summer for you 😆
@@HistoryCalling When I visited, it was April. And it was a case of "."If you don't like the weather wait 10 minutes." lol
I enjoy your videos. Do you think you will ever do a video on Owen Tudor and Welsh-French roots of the Tudor family? The Tudor Dynasty is fascinating to me.
I have two videos on Henry VII which (if memory serves, because I put them together ages ago now), touch on that and I'm working my way through the women of the Wars of the Roses, so Margaret Beaufort's videos will look at the start of the Tudors too.
@@HistoryCalling ok thank you.
@@HistoryCalling YAY!!! I'm fascinated with the Welsh Tudors before they took the throne (captains in their cousin Owain Glyndwr's rebel army!), Owen Tudor & Catherine de Valois, Margaret Beaufort, & Henry VII & his reign & family- he's my favourite English king, so I'm PSYCHED for 2 of your amazingly-researched vids about him!! I'd LOVE one on Owen Tudor too- I'm actually reading a bio of him atm.
Appreciate your knowledge, thank you very much!
I really like your channel and when I’m able to, I’ll be a patron. Thanks for all the hard work.
Thanks Barry :-)
Thanks!
THANK YOU so much for your generous support of the channel Frances. I hope you enjoy the video and have a lovely weekend :-)
Just for information, I’m disabled, so the idea of fools in Tudor times is fascinating to me. I’m not horrified by it in the way many able bodied people are now though. I think it’s important to ask if people would have understood learning and physical disabilities in those times. They probably wouldn’t. People with at least two of my conditions, Spina Bifida, Hydrocephalus (water on the brain) and scoliosis, wouldn’t have survived long back then, if they had survived at all, whereas I suppose people with learning disabilities would have been around. I think Will Sommer probably did have a learning disability. I think the reference to him falling asleep a lot suggests narcolepsy too, which can cause confusion. Scoliosis could be a possibility. I’ve got it and one of my shoulders is higher than the other, but in a lot of cases, cases where the scoliosis is slight, you can’t see it when the person is fully dressed. We obviously know now Richard III had a severe scoliosis. I think Edward VI had it too. Look at his portraits. One shoulder is definitely higher than the other.
You're so right that contemporaries usually didn't understand any kind of physical or mental impairment and that could lead to a lot of mistreatment of people with any issues like that. Though we baulk at the idea of Will being used/employed as a fool, it may well have been a much better option than the alternative of being left on the street to beg if he couldn't get any other employment.
@@HistoryCalling you’re right, the alternative for people like Will, assuming he did have a learning and/or physical disability, would have been begging on the streets. In many ways we do live in more enlightened times, but I think there is still a lot to be done in the area of understanding physical disabilities especially. Physical attacks on people who have physical disabilities are on the rise in the UK and there is still a lot of discrimination out there. We don’t use disabled people as fools anymore, but perhaps disabled people are taken for fools quite a lot and it’s time that changed.
I, too, was very excited at this notification. I put your videos on to listen to while I do my housework and you make washing dishes and folding laundry so much more bearable for me!! Thank you for all your videos!!
Thanks Catherine. Happy to help :-)
A great one, thanks!
Thank you too :-)
Any portrait of Henry VIII gives me the creeps! The devil stalking the earth!😱
Just be glad you weren't one of his wives 😮
Enjoyed thank you, and informative in spite of so little record being available.
You are so very well spoken. I appreciate that very much. You could narrate BBC documentaries.
As for Will having a learning disability, honestly, I don't think there's enough evidence. His gaffe would definitely notify the bounds and lines he would have to tow, because it sounds like a one-off. Then again, in 16th Century styles, who's to say he wasn't just a funny person the Royals liked to have around?
Thank you so much :-)
I don't think there's enough evidence to be sure one way or the other either, though I do lean towards him having some sort of issue due to Chapuys' comments and him having a 'keeper'. It's impossible to know what that issue might have been though.
@@HistoryCalling This subject is more intriguing to me than it should be...lol. So far, due to the painting, specifically the Henry VIII salter, you say it may appear that he has one shoulder raised higher than the other. When I look at it it seems his hood gives that illusion, so I discount this as scoliosis. Nothing else gives the impression of an outward physical disorder. This leaves two possibilities: Some sort of internal physical handicap, ie., (and it could be anything) an enlarged heart, some sort of hereditary/congenital disease, etc.
Then there's the mental side. And then this idea came - perhaps he had a mild form of "idiot" savant syndrome that focused on the artistic? His artistic savant skills focused on the humourous side of things. He had a knack of making the court laugh, yet he may have not had the normal and mundane skills of most people. Hence he needed a keeper.
Of course this is all pure speculation, no matter what or how you look at it. There just isn't good evidence. Yet it is an interesting thought experiment.
I love your content calling history. 1st question: Do you think if Mary had Married earlier she would have children or would she suffer the same fate as queen anne ? 2st question: Do you think Mary was in A tough position because in relation to her marriage; because no matter who she married someone would be angry. Great Video and my yorkie and cat says hi.
Depends how much earlier. A couple of years might not have made a difference. 10 years might have though.
Yes, both Mary and Elizabeth couldn't really marry anyone without it putting someone else's nose out of joint.
@@HistoryCalling Any children through Mary or Elizabeth would be the start of A spin off branch of the main line of the Tudors; I personally don't think Mary could have children but that's just me.
Wow, I have never heard of this man. Thank you for making this video on him!
Thank you for this. A great choice of subject and as always thoroughly researched. Will seems to have thrived during the reigns of three very different monarchs. These people found it very difficult to trust anyone - with good reason. Will presumably had an innocence or lack of guile, and I guess was valued by his employers for this. They felt able to relax with him.
Yes, he is so unusual for surviving through the reigns of people who, as you say, were vastly different to one another, despite being part of the same family.
I just wanted to comment on the last picture you showed of Henry, Mary and Will. I'd never seen that before and it struck me as very unusual to have just Henry and Mary together. Perhaps it was meant to be pre-Anne Boleyn? And regarding Will, at first glance I was strongly reminded of Mark Rylance:) Perhaps in a former life...
I think that picture might have been posthumous (though I'd need to double check).
I'm really enjoying your videos much to the dismay of bedtime. I keep saying, just one more. It is 5:15 am, just one more. 😁Fortunately I am retired and can declare night day and day night at will. My best guess is that despite any likely physical or mental challenge, Will Sommer's gifts were just a matter of charismatic charm and humorous discourse. I much enjoy imagining what was right with him without considering if anything was wrong.
A great narrative. Regardless of what descriptive words, accurate or imaginary, are written about Will Sommer, all have a common theme. Much like the roll of a proverbial “Dutch Uncle” he had the unique ability to speak frankly as well as with harsh critical comments based on his observations from the position of absurdity. He had the verbal skills to tell then in such humorous way where the hypocrisy was so subtle that even the extremely intelligent and sharp minded person went with frivolity while if said in a more serious conversation would have considered treasonous. In order to give King Henry VIII’s intellectual mind combined with a turbulence emotional quandary a break, a most unusual form of friendship must have existed between the two. It is not hard to imagine Will in the role of Henry’s confessor, confidant and conscious where banter served as the tool for free expression without repercussions for either. It goes a long way in explaining how the King could privately relax in his presence of Will and overlooked trivial offenses when Will occasionally forgot to publicly maintain the court jester role. Regardless of a shared opinion, insulting his ,at one point, a Coronation Queen and her child publicly defamed in his presence was not to be tolerated even from a Fool and was banished from court. The fact that he served and was financially well maintained in his children’s Courts indicates a long term relationship and an understanding of how significant a roll he played as the ‘calm in the middle of a storm’ in all their lives.
As someone who is engaged to an autistic person, the outburst recorded by Chapuys sounds very similar to some previous outbursts my partner has had.
So we'll done thank you. The tarot card fool kept coming up and a thought that he held some kind of mystic position was his clo6hing important because it was code for that occasion. Or am I too far down the Shakespeare authorship decoding
No, those were just some extra pictures I found of court fools which I added in to add a bit more variety to the images in the video.
Will Sommer (and Jane Fool, who I believe was identified as a “natural fool”) are some of the most interesting Tudor figures to me. I wish there was more research on disability in this time period. I think it’s very possible Will was both disabled and also very smart, though perhaps smart in a non-traditional way. He clearly managed to make himself very beloved to the Tudor family, no small feat
Based on what we know of him being a friend of the king and the idea of him being intellectually challenged, do you think is it possible that he was just unable to pick up social cues that resulted in the documented gaffes? Another possibility could be sustaining and recovering from an injury before being summoned to court that made him mentally slower than the other courtesans.
The idea of an injury is interesting and certainly possible. I don't know about it just being social cues. That might have made him seem rude to those around him, but not necessarily a 'fool' as they termed him. It's a fascinating hypothesis though.
To me there’s no need to look any further than his clumsy and dangerous name calling of Ann and Elisabeth. Certainly during those times only someone with no real sense of danger(almost like a child) would dare to come out with it. And that would also explain the usually tyrannical kings willingness to forgive him as he would see him as someone with a mind like a child who is only repeating what he hears others say. Great video I really enjoyed this🙌🏼
Yes, I don't think anyone with even a slight clue about the danger they were walking themselves into would have said that about Anne and Elizabeth at the time. He was lucky not to get himself killed!
I find it remarkable that Will is clearly a trusted part of Henry's family. The dog makes me wonder if he also cared for the family pets doing the feeding cleaning etc ( he is holding the dog.) . And if he had other duties like insuring shoes are clean ,etc.. things that are a part of every day life but not done by royalty. I say remarkable as I don't see Henry as a nice guy. .. so he tolerating a " slow" (for want of a better word ) person seem a bit out of character for Henry . ( LOL or my bias of Henry) I have known "Challenged " people who were high functioning , meaning they fit into society but saw the world differently. One I remember , thought our ecological problems were the result of dams draining the rivers of their electricity. A well meaning person ( actually persons) tried to explain how hydro- electric turbines worked , but my friend was too savvy to be fooled by that explanation ... I use this of an example of how one could participate in society without genuinely understanding concepts like Realestate, polite discourse , representative government , etc. And if that person has a mentor , they could have little serious trouble in society... as we all know.. So , after my bird walk.,.. I suspect he had some diminishing issue. Point of interest .. Only New World Monkeys have prehensile tails. So the Monkey is interesting in itself. Thanks for another interesting thought. I'll have to see if I can find out more about Fools and their job. Really. I've always been curious about that.
I suspect Henry just liked someone around him who he found amusing, as opposed to an annoyance that had to be tolerated, but I suppose (unlike his wives), it was easier for him to get rid of Will for periods of time, then bring him back to court again when he felt like it. Like you, I can't imagine the King tolerating anyone he didn't like for very long.
He may have had a diasability, but clearly he was very intelligent at the same time.
Fascinating piece. It had to have been a lot of in depth research to have painted a verbal picture of a non-Royal at court. I have to agree that no intelligent, witty person at court would have risked ticking off Henry per the ambassador ‘s account. And since there was plenty of evidence that men with developmental issues were commonly assigned the role of fool, it all makes more sense than the latter accounts. Another good job!
Thanks Dory :-)
Brilliant stuff.....ta!
Thanks Brian :-)
This quite interesting. Will's disabilities can probably be limited that neither physical or mental disabilities prevented him from riding a horse or more than holding his own at Henry XIII court. As for his great faux pas involving Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, jesters sometimes took questionable liberties with their patrons. It could have been his true opinion at that time. Learning disabilities are just becoming truly known at the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries. He would have been looked on as being "different". Thankfully being different in this case brought him a highly successful career at Court, during a dangerous time. I was diagnosed with ADHD at 55 though tested for problems in 1962. So I sympathize with the Will Somers of this world.
Yes, it is true that he might have repeated a joke, thinking Henry wouldn't mind it coming from him, then discovered his great mistake. It's hard to know though.
What I noticed in nearly all of the images you presented on Will where he was standing and you could see his legs, he is always positioned with one leg, straight down perpendicular to the ground while the other is a little diagonal, extending to the side, and sometimes the foot is even put in an odd position. It’s almost like a dance position,, or some kind of artistic posture, which Might’ve been what all of these different painters did for him and only him, but that’s hard to believe. It’s consistent in all of these images. Could it be that one leg was longer than the other, and it simply was easier for him to take a stance where the longer leg was extended out and not straight down? Take a look ! and also the Position of that foot. I think the deformity was more than humpback, and if he did have a one leg longer than the other, that most likely affected his spine, and therefore his posture, and therefore could’ve helped create the hump. And if I do prove correct in this, I’m glad to take the credit lol.
i think it could be possible that will had epilepsy or some other form of seizure disorder. it can cause disorientation, memory loss, speech problems as well as involuntary movements or sounds that may have been perceived as comical. it would also explain the ‘sleeping’ incident which could have been a seizure and the need for a keeper but the lack of an obvious physical or mental condition for the most part. epilepsy is historically misunderstood and was treated as a mental disorder for a long time which might explain the term ‘simple’ being used for him.
Yes, some form of epilepsy is certainly a possibility,
Yep, my grandfather's epilepsy was treated in a mental health/disability institution IN THE 1980s. I don't remember him having seizures cos his meds worked, but I had a boyfriend with complex, drug-resistant epilepsy, & OMFG he did some wild things during complex seizures- you'd think he was having a psychotic episode or on drugs, not having a seizure, & sadly I can see how someone with complex epilepsy like that could have been employed as a fool.
I like wills character in the book the queens fool , I love that book
Will Sommer might have led a fascinating fife due to closeness in proximity and accessibility to Royalty who had cared for him. Royalty such as King Henry VIII would have trusted him immensely and would have had treated Will Sommer as a confidant and councillor with so many secrets entrusted onto him.
Thank you.
Perhaps the possibility of being "on the autism spectrum" could apply here. High functioning thinking and verbal skills but with a limited "filter" for what would be inappropriate at times.
Thank you for an interesting story. Another Jester / Fool story line to consider is "Roland the Farter", allegedly during the time of king Henry II." =)
Sláinte
I've never heard of Roland the Farter (!) but I'll have to look him up now. :-)
Love Will Sommer! Great video on this topic!
Great job! Very interesting, thank you!
Thanks Nathan. I thought he'd be a slightly different way of looking at the Tudor court.
I just found you, and I love your voice. Subscribed.
Thank you so much and welcome aboard :-)
For some reason I'm obsessed with the Tudors
It's ok. I think most of my viewers are :-)
I read somewhere that ‘fools’ were often highly intelligent, although often physically disabled, I think this quite possible as they were able to live, even thrive, in court for many years and several regents.
Is Will… maybe history’s first meme? 😳
Do you mean mime?
@@davidlancaster8152 no. A meme… The way that they’re writing about him, I think the obvious untruths could have been a sort of running joke perhaps? I don’t know quite how to explain but it’s not too dissimilar to how we will take a person today and use their name/image in jest. I am struggling to think of a good example but chuck Norris maybe ? Or perhaps the recent “Amber Turd” everyone knows that’s not her name but you could write about her and most people would understand the joke
@@MissMentats I think you’re on to something. Seems like he went “viral” in his time, and we’re still examining his life centuries later.
@@MissMentats very cool. Thanks for explaining. Appreciate
I suspect the poor soul was afflicted with Narcolepsy, which may explain his demeanor later in life. This condition would be a cause for concern. And maybe he was a witty guy too.
William was almost viewed as a favoured pet by the descriptions and his inclusion in the court of 4 Tudors.
Edward, Mary & Elizabeth would have spent a large chunk of their youth with William as part of their father’s court. Perhaps they had a fondness for him & again looked after him like a pampered pet. He probably had mental and physical challenges but his mental capacity may have been playful & child like. Surrounded by so many sycophants and Royal court wannabes, perhaps Henry kept William at his side for William’s mental innocence appealed to Henry. Again like a trusted & favoured pet.
I think they have will portrayed as Jonathan in the psalter which suggests Henry’s closeness to his fool
I thought the woman on the far left of the family portrait was Jane the Foole? I believe she was the fool for Queen Mary I.
Considering who he worked for and continued to work for, it would have behooved the man to play deaf and mute! It's remarkable that he lived in these times without any trouble making and must have been VERY trusted. Still wondering why?
Thanks
THANK YOU so much David for your generous support of the channel. I hope you enjoyed the video and have a great weekend, wherever you are in the world.
When you mentioned he frequently fell into deep sleep I started thinking narcolepsy. Unfortunately the only way to rule that out is by a sleep study. His drooling is probably due to conditions such as Autism, Cerebral Palsy and Down’s syndrome. In my opinion he had a form of autism.
Thank you for your video. Have a great weekend. Have you been watching the new Starz show Becoming Elizabeth. It starts at the time Henry died. If you are, what are your thoughts?
I don't have Starz unfortunately :-( I'm gutted. I'm missing Outlander as well. 😥
I don't think Will Sommers had Down Syndrome. There are some very noticeable physical characteristics to that condition, which I don't think the portraits would have ignored.
I'm wondering if he had a form of epilepsy. Not every seizure appears violent. There are some that cause people to appear to "zone out" or appear to fall asleep. They can also be the result of head injuries which might have caused enough of a degree of brain damage for someone to refer to him as "simple".
@@athanksgivingbaby570
I made an assumption only. Of course people with Down Syndrome have unique features. In my opinion I it was Autism. Not a debilitating One. I was intrigued by the fact that he would fall asleep on many occasions. Maybe he had Narcolepsy. Everything I wrote is conjecture. Why did he drool? Why did he fall asleep in public? Thank you for your response. Have a good day.