Pierre Gringore

Pierre Gringore (born c. 1475, Normandy, Fr.—died c. 1538) was a French actor-manager and playwright, best known as a writer of soties (satirical farces) for Les Enfants Sans Souci, a famous medieval guild of comic actors of which Gringore was for a time the second dignitary, Mère Sotte (Mother Fool). As Mère Sotte he enjoyed the favour of Louis XII and took advantage of his fool’s costume to launch scathing attacks against the King’s enemy Pope Julius II. After the accession of Francis I, Gringore moved to Lorraine in 1518.