THE KING'S JESTER - THE COURT DWARF

Because dwarfs were often intelligent and quick-witted people, rulers kept and fed them in their palaces. Although Queen Catherine de Medicis of France tried to artificially produce dwarfs by marrying very short people, she was not successful.

King Stanislas of Poland had a very famous dwarf named Nicolas Ferris. This dwarf, known as "Baby," was 21 centimeters tall and weighed 270 grams at birth. When he died, his skeleton was preserved in the Paris Museum.

Another dwarf from the same era was a Polish noble named Jozef Boruwlaski. He was 72 centimeters tall and a musician. He had a soldier brother who was 1.93 meters tall. He toured the courts of Europe and the Ottoman Empire. Boruwlaski lived to be 98 years old and left behind a child when he died in 1837.

Something Not Everyone Could Do

There were always about 5-10 dwarfs in the Ottoman courts. They were educated and trained in the Seferli ward (the section that ceremonially washes the sultans' clothes) of Enderun-ı Hümayun (the Imperial Interior Service). After growing up, they entertained the sultan and the courtiers with various oddities.

Dwarfs were not actually jesters. They were known for their intelligence and culture, and the witticisms and jokes based on these. With their clever witticisms, they did something that not everyone could do by criticizing the sultan when necessary, and this was tolerated. Sultan Bayezid I had such a dwarf named "Maskara."

Bertrandon de la Brocquière reports that when Sultan Murad II received the Ambassador of Milan in 1433, Sultan had two dwarfs and two young men acting as jesters with him. In the 16th century, there were quite a few mutes and dwarfs in the palace. It is possible to see them in miniatures from that period.

Not a Jester, But a Companion

From the expenditure records of 1666, it is understood that there were 65 mutes and 21 dwarfs in the Enderun (Interior Service). These intelligent individuals generally handled tasks that did not require physical perfection. For example, some served as library officials in the Enderun.

Those who were talented could be promoted to positions overseeing the income and expenses of hospitals in the country. There were also those who became the sultan's companions due to their pleasant conversation, sweet talk, and general knowledge.

Besides mutes and dwarfs, it is also known that eunuchs worked in the palace harem and the Enderun as disciplinary officers and could reach high positions such as the general director of waqfs (foundations). This sensitivity to employing the disabled centuries ago is noteworthy.

Bookworm

In his history book "Zübdetü’t-Tevârih," Sultan Ahmed I's imam Sâfi praises an intelligent, witty, and knowledgeable dwarf named Bekir; he says that Bekir was no less than Sultan Murad II's companion Dwarf Zeyrek. According to Sâfi's account, another dwarf named Habib would accompany the Sultan on his palace and external outings, making him laugh with some jokes.

Dwarf Zeyrek from Malatya was a complete book lover. He prepared the "Surname" that describes Sultan Murad III's Diwan (a collection of poems) and the circumcision ceremony of Prince Mehmed. In the Surname, there is even a miniature showing Dwarf Zeyrek and another book lover, Darüssaade Agha (Agha of the House of Felicity) Mehmed Agha, reading books together. During Sultan Murad III's reign, Dwarf Mehmed Agha had a fountain built in Kumkapı.

Once, the virtues of the imam were praised in the presence of Sultan Ahmed. The dwarf named Hüseyin, to be funny, said that the imam prolonged the prayer too much and bored everyone. The devout Sultan got angry and scolded, "You stay with me for 4-5 hours, during which time you are always moving and talking without getting tired, so why do you get tired of standing before God for half an hour?"

'Scapegoat'

Sultan Ibrahim I had a very small dwarf. He was so small that he could fit inside the Sultan's fur coat. On one occasion, he even stuck out his tongue at Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha from within the coat. The Grand Vizier, enraged, pulled the dwarf out of the Sultan's coat and had him strangled. This incident is cited as one of the reasons leading to the execution of Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha.

In her famous 1927 work "The Court Masque," English writer Enid Welsford (1892-1981) states: “In Europe, the festival jester and the court jester are different. The former entertains people almost like a 'scapegoat.' The latter, besides this, is believed to protect the ruler from the evil eye due to his physical difference. Since ancient Egypt, these physical imperfections have been regarded as spiritually positive and beneficial.”

Charitable Means

The presence of mutes and dwarfs in the palace is essentially related to the mercy and generosity that form the basis of Ottoman society. Mercy and charity shown to these people, who were deprived of the means to earn a living by working, were considered a way to gain spiritual merit. It also served as a means to express gratitude for one's own state. Koçi Bey advised Sultan Ibrahim, “When you go to the Has Oda (privy chamber), give a gold coin to the mutes and dwarfs. They are poor, and you will make them happy.”

In 1662, a dwarf named Hamza from outside the palace claimed he was unable to work and requested a small salary, which was granted. In 1790, a dwarf from a village, who was noticed by the grand vizier and had no one to care for him, was brought to the palace, educated, and employed.

There were also mutes and dwarfs who abused their positions in the palace. Historian Mustafa Selaniki mentions several from Sultan Murad III's palace and their punishments. When Sultan Mehmed III ascended the throne, he retired the mutes and dwarfs from the palace.

During the reign of Sultan Mahmud II, some classes were completely removed from the palace, and the tradition of keeping dwarfs in palaces was also ended.

The Last Dwarf

In the later period, there were still a few dwarfs in the palace, though not in an official capacity. Ali Şamil from Ahlat, brought from the East by Enver Pasha and standing 110 cm tall, was taken into Ulviye Sultan's palace after Enver Pasha fled. His quick wit soon endeared him to everyone. He had the intelligence to make those who mocked his short stature regret it. When Damat İsmail Hakkı Bey left his wife and moved to Anatolia, he took Ali Şamil with him. Ali Şamil (Güler) then became the dwarf of the Çankaya Mansion. He died in Izmir (Smyrna) in 1974.

Tom Thumb

Hayati Hassid, born in 1851 in Thessaloniki to David and Ester Hassid, stopped growing at age five. He was 76 centimeters tall and weighed 17 kilograms. He knew seven languages: Turkish, Arabic, French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Greek.

He spent a few years in the palace, but then got bored and went to Paris to work on stage. He participated in exhibitions at world fairs and toured various countries. He was known as "The Turkish Tom Thumb" or Hayati Hassid Pasha. He was famous for singing with a childlike voice.

When the war broke out in 1914, he was on tour in Australia. The government suspected him of being an Ottoman spy and detained him. His profession indeed made it feasible to gather intelligence. He was released shortly after signing a pledge. His lawsuit for unpaid wages was dismissed because he was a foreigner.

The Greek consul in Melbourne, noting he was born in Thessaloniki, took him in. Hayati Bey went to America and met his childhood friend Leon Ben Mayor in Cincinnati. He accepted Ben Mayor's offer to stay at his home for 5 dollars a week. He earned 40 dollars a week and slept in the cradle of Ben Mayor’s child. Over time, his health deteriorated, and he died on April 27, 1919.

Are Pygmies Dwarfs?

People whose height and limb size are smaller than those of normal-sized individuals of their race are called dwarfs. The word dwarf (cüce) is Persian and especially refers to a bird chick. Cücük has a similar meaning.

It is not correct to consider the Pygmies in Africa, Eskimos in Greenland, Samoyeds from Norway to the Yenisei region, and Papuans in Oceania as dwarfs because they belong to naturally short-statured races.

The French word pygmée comes from the ancient Greek word pygmaîos (dwarf). In this language, pygmē means fist, which refers to the length from fist to elbow, approximately a cubit.

True dwarfism results from diseases affecting certain glands and bones. It is not hereditary. Normal people can have dwarf children, and dwarfs can have normal-sized children.

Dwarfs show significant differences among themselves. Based on their common characteristics, dwarfs can be divided into two major categories: 1- Abnormal dwarfs. They have limited intelligence and are infertile. Their movements resemble those of children. Such dwarfs do not live long. 2- Normal dwarfs. They are normal in every aspect and can be even more intelligent than average. Their lifespan is the same as that of normal people.

Dwarfs have often been featured in fairy tales, the most famous being the seven dwarfs in "Snow White." Walt Disney’s film based on the Brothers Grimm's fairy tale introduced these dwarfs to the world. In a Turkish film on the same subject, dwarfs from various parts of the country played the dwarf roles. Dwarfs were present in European courts and even in noble households. In Pushkin's "The Moor of Peter the Great," there is a depiction of a dwarf: “The unfortunate young girl opened her eyes. Seeing that no one else was around, she asked the servant to call the dwarf. A little later, the dwarf rolled in like a ball. Upon hearing he was called, Swallow (the dwarf's nickname) climbed the stairs as fast as his short legs could carry him and ran to the young mistress. Natasha sat him beside her and dismissed the servant. The dwarf's tiny body was in constant motion. He meddled in everything, knew everything, held the household in his grasp thanks to his intelligence, and ran the house despotically, causing other servants to gnash their teeth at him. Gavrila Afanasyevich listened to his reports, complaints, and small requests; Tatyana Afanasyevna sought his opinion; and Natasha trusted him immensely, confiding all her young heart's secrets to him.”