About four thousand years ago, in ancient China, a jester named Yu Ze served in the court of Emperor Chiju Shih, to whom we owe the construction of the Great Wall of China.
From this time on, this character, the jester, would be granted a privilege that will be recognized throughout history: the power to make fun of the king, make suggestions to him and sometimes even influence his decisions.
Some 2000 years later, in Greece, clowns burst into what could be called the antecedent of current circus traditions.
From Greece it went to Rome, where they performed in plays. The clowns appeared during intermissions, or at the end, performing their own comic version of the play.
The word clown is of fairly recent use in our language, since it is not documented until the beginning of the 19th century. Its origin is Italian “pagliaccio”, which means sack of straw, with which the clown is compared due to its deformed figure.
Perhaps not the first clown – but the most famous – to appear in our country was called Frank Brown.
He was English and was born on April 9, 1858.
His father had also been a well-known clown in Europe.
Frank lived in the circus and that circumstance increased his vocation.
He first became an acrobat and then a clown.
He began to travel the world.
Russia, Japan, Spain, the countries of Central America hailed him.
Until at the age of 26 he arrived in Buenos Aires for the first time, where he would return several times.
After 30 years of age, he decided to settle permanently in our country.
He joins a circus with several members of the famous family of the Podesta brothers: Pablo, Jerónimo and José.
An enormous misfortune darkens his life. In an accident, his young wife and five-year-old daughter died.
It is one of those pains for which tears are not enough.
He remarried a few years later with a famous “ecuyere” or horsewoman: Rosita de la Plata, with whom they carried out risky tests with horses.
One day, during that number, they experienced a dramatic moment.
Frank led four fast horses around the circus ring. He simultaneously held his wife on his shoulders.
Suddenly the reins break.
They both fall on the track. She suffers only minor injuries. But Frank Brown is seriously injured.
In a few months he recovers, although he will have consequences so he must permanently abandon the acrobatics.
And there the clown Frank Brown is born, who comes to enjoy enormous prestige.
They frequently attended the circus, where they were seen laughing at the clean grace of the clown, Sarmiento, General Roca, Carlos Pellegrini, Rubén Darío.
Today, the name of the clown Frank Brown reminds us, with that nostalgia to which time added some myth, the excitement and inexpressible charm of the Buenos Aires children of that distant time, when this homeland of ours was transformed into a vigorous nation, as our National Anthem says.
And we do not doubt that those children, now adults, would have the image of that good clown in their retinas, and in their hearts they would feel his caressing tenderness.
But time, that implacable executioner that erases smiles and adds tears, was playing its role on the physique and spirit of Frank Brown.
And he, who like every human being would feel eternal, discovers himself to be ephemeral.
One day his circus companions celebrate his 66th birthday. At the end of that birthday party they ask him to say a few words.
He stands up and to the surprise of his companions says:
-“Today I turn 66 years old. Tonight I will perform for the last time. These days I have unintentionally evoked the past. And the present has made me hurt.
I fear that the applause I still receive is the prologue of whistles…”
Frank Brown then retired to his humble home in the Colegiales neighborhood, here in Buenos Aires, where he lived for almost 20 more years, until April 9, 1943, the day he turned exactly 85 years old.
And an af. final for this man who retired apparently in his prime, because he had the ability to understand – not all artists have it – that, and this is the af. ending that belongs to the l. Sem.
“A minute before can be infinitely better than a minute after.”
Source: Ambito
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
