IMHO, an image of 'fool' as a teller-things-as-they-are, sometime with remarkable insight, is an alternative interpretation of truly wisdom and has clear-cut traces in folklore, literature and numerous stories spoken verbally from generation to generation. Curious, that 'fools' regarded and distinguished both by authorities and ordinary people first for an incredible capacity to see, so to speak, a hidden essence of any thing and any one; these notes are always turned out to be cute, right to the mark and without long pre-thinking about. Second, an absolute indifference to material welfare as value of human life + disregard social ranking.


If to deepen far into our past, it is hard to say what was the first famous 'fool' to be a category quite agreeable to the above standards…Maybe someone of ancient Egypt or Sumer that we don't know. But we know a men who corresponds this cliche from Greece. Diogenes the Cynic. The most memorable stories in his life is are, IMO, two; first, an absolute indifference to people that had reached a peak both in career and public opinion as Alexander the Great - to all the rest he is a hero and half-deity, to Diogenes he is an ordinary man that isn't worth much respect.
The second is a story with searching for an honest man within a broad daylight, by using a lantern – and this is a bit symbolic. 'Honesty' is exactly 'what as thing is' and the latern as the image may be interpreted as an additional tool giving the light of clear not-aposteriori-comprehended knowledge.




Sometimes the irreparable change of behavior appeared with no rhyme or reason with sane people, led to the new, quite strange image of them - outsiders obviously could see that instead of his/her sanity ( that had been put on one scale) he/she gain a lot of the foresaid, often supernatural abilities. Whether is it a simulation of the insanity or true insanity – the border between the first and the second is often indiscernible.


From earlier medieval ages up to 20th century 'fools' were regarded as dwelt with God-given gifts as a compensation for their virtual insanity. But it was insanity for God's sake, according to words of apostle Paul that all believing in Christ are a kind of insane, for it disproofs any speculative knowledge: "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Cor. 1:18) . Especially, more distinctive it was seen in Russia in the persons called 'yurodivy', madmen for Christ's sake.



Also the visibly insane behavior was partly seen in Middle East countries, among some wings of dervish societies, who used a spiritual practice driven into ecstasies.


However, Nasreddin Hodja as no one else comes up to a definition of of 'fool' as a jester, buffon and a representer of 'alternative' wisdom.