The artwork depicts the Harlequin, the clown, the joker, the divine fool. There are many iterations that share attributes of this character, playing out across different timelines and many cultures.
He exists as Arlechino in la comedia dell arte, as Hellequin, leader of roving warrior hoards of the undead. Helle kin, translating to ‘hells kindred’ in old English. Ellekonge in Danish, meaning king of the elves. Later learned were the Heyoka of the North American Sioux tribe, the sacred clown spirit and guardian of boundaries between the living and the dead. Heyoka works in opposites, giving laughter in adversity, provoking fear through turbulent behaviour in times of peace and abundance. Straightening things that should be round, shivering in the summer heat, then going naked in bitter winter. His nature is of topsy turvy inversion, providing the balance in perspective between darkness and light.
The similarities between Heyoka and our independent European counterparts are striking. That they evolved entirely separate from one another speaks of an innate wisdom relating to the nature of the shared human condition. When our moments are at their darkest, we cannot underestimate the power of divine laughter in dissolving the things that seem unconquerable, be it famine, flood or authoritarianism.