gleeman
Medieval traveling entertainer
A gleeman was a medieval entertainer—a traveling singer, musician, or reciter of verse.
The term is archaic, appearing mainly in historical fiction or discussions of Anglo-Saxon England: The gleeman sang of ancient battles in the mead hall.
Unlike later minstrels attached to noble households, gleemen wandered from place to place.
Medieval Provençal lyric poet
- skaldNorse heroic poet
- bardPoet of epics
- versifierOne composing metrical lines
- minstrelTraveling performer of songs
rhymester · lyricist · sonneteer · meistersinger · griot · court poet · reciter
Traveling performer of songs
- jesterRoyal household comedian
- foolUnwise, gullible person
- harlequinMasked comic servant character
- troubadourMedieval Provençal lyric poet
lute · harp · tavern · feast · banquet · hall · court · castle
One who amuses others
- jugglerMulti-object thrower-catcher
- acrobatAgile circus performer
- tumblerFlat-bottomed drinking vessel
- buskerPublic-space entertainer seeking donations
showman · performer · musician · singer · reciter · wanderer · itinerant · roadshow
One who tells events
- tale-tellerOne who recounts stories
- raconteurSkilled storyteller
- fabulistMoral tale composer
- yarn-spinnerOne who tells tales
reciter · chronicler · oral tradition · folklore · epic · ballad · lay · saga
troubadour
Medieval Provençal lyric poet
minstrel · rhymester · lyricist · sonneteer · meistersinger · griot · court poet · reciter
minstrel
Traveling performer of songs
troubadour · lute · harp · tavern · feast · banquet · hall · court · castle · manor
entertainer
One who amuses others
- jugglerMulti-object thrower-catcher
- acrobatAgile circus performer
- tumblerFlat-bottomed drinking vessel
busker · showman · performer · musician · singer · reciter · wanderer · itinerant · roadshow · street performer
narrator
One who tells events
- tale-tellerOne who recounts stories
- raconteurSkilled storyteller
- fabulistMoral tale composer
yarn-spinner · reciter · chronicler · oral tradition · folklore · epic · ballad · lay · saga · myth