{"product_id":"the-feast-of-fools-rowan-albright-9798245097763","title":"The Feast of Fools: Medieval Europe's Wild Holiday of Sacred Mischief","description":"\u003cb\u003eWhat happens when the people at the bottom get to play the people at the top-inside the very walls that represent power?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor centuries across medieval Europe, a strange, hilarious, and deeply revealing celebration erupted in winter: \u003cb\u003ethe Feast of Fools\u003c\/b\u003e. Choirboys became \"bishops.\" Lower clergy staged mock ceremonies. Townspeople and churchmen laughed together-sometimes \u003ci\u003eat\u003c\/i\u003e each other-through processions, parody sermons, costumes, noise, and role reversals that pushed sacred space to its limits.\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003cb\u003eThe Feast of Fools: Medieval Europe's Wild Holiday of Sacred Mischief\u003c\/b\u003e, you'll step into the crowded streets and echoing cathedrals where comedy wasn't just entertainment-it was a social tool. This book traces what the feast looked like on the ground, why it spread, what it meant, and why authorities eventually decided it was too dangerous to tolerate.\u003cbr\u003eYou'll explore: \u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eHow medieval \"misrule\" worked\u003c\/b\u003e-and why rule-breaking often came with rules\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eWho participated\u003c\/b\u003e, from choirboys and subdeacons to guilds and crowds\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eWhat got mocked\u003c\/b\u003e-greed, hypocrisy, pretension, political swagger-and why ridicule hit hard\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eWhy church leaders sometimes allowed it\u003c\/b\u003e, even when it embarrassed them\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cb\u003eHow reform, the Reformation, and stronger states changed the stakes\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eWhy it was suppressed by the 16th century\u003c\/b\u003e, and what survived in later festivals and satire\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003eWritten for curious readers (not specialists), this is narrative history with teeth: vivid scenes, clear explanations, and a sharp focus on how humor exposes the real wiring of a society.\u003cbr\u003eIf you like medieval life beyond knights and castles-messy, human, and complicated-this is your kind of book.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Rowan Albright\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798245097763\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Independently Published\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/22\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 130\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.35lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.28d","brand":"Rowan Albright","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48440678940927,"sku":"9798245097763","price":12.65,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_343a7f5e-7f2c-49df-8cd7-fe1d02a31711.jpg?v=1777184079","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-feast-of-fools-rowan-albright-9798245097763","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}