BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — This has been a terribly sad time for clowns, those purveyors of happiness whose recorded history dates back to ancient Greece. Last year was possibly the pits. Clowns ...

Olaf Tausch In ancient Egypt, Pygmy clowns would make pharaohs laugh, as depicted in hieroglyphics. And according to ancient imperial Chinese folklore, a clown named Yu Sze was the only person ...

The earliest documented clowns date all the way back to 2400 BCE in ancient Egypt. Clowns appeared in ancient Greek and Roman societies, eventually evolving into court jesters in the late Middle Ages.

As the panic about evil clowns continues to build, Fiona Macdonald finds that the dark side of the modern circus entertainer goes back to ancient Rome. “Day after day he sat before the mirror ...

They appear in most cultures—Pygmy clowns made Egyptian pharaohs laugh in 2500 BCE; in ancient imperial China, a court clown called YuSze was, according to the lore, the only guy who could poke ...

Clowns, jesters, harlequins and fools have, of course, played a similar role throughout history. In ancient Greece, they served as ribald choristers in epic dramas, while emperors in Han dynasty ...

The word "clown" may conjure up images of children's birthday parties or circus attractions, but clowning actually is a long and ancient tradition - one with a surprisingly Jewish history.

From classic clowns like Emmet Kelly (aka Weary Willy) of Ringling Bros. fame to the contemporary ones earning laughs at Fringe Festivals worldwide, clowns know how to leverage their massive ...

Of course, clowns go back much further than the days of my childhood. The whole idea goes back at least to ancient Egypt, with the more familiar white-faced character we might recognize today dating ...