The Buffoons

Backstory

by Ronald Paredes

The seminal idea for the Lost Buffoons Project appeared roughly 18 years ago, at a time early in my career as an art director, I became very invested in the research of religious/political power struggles during the Middle Ages, the crusades, the history of the Knight Templars, the formation of the Masonic Orders and several other secret organizations, the corruption of the early Popes, the whole religious institution, and how all this power has been misused to manipulate, abuse and exercise control over society in general. 

Thievery, coercion, torture, violence, murder, rape, and many other unthinkable acts were normal practices in the highest levels of the clergy and royalty while claiming impunity provided by “the almighty lord that rules in the heavens”.   

How penance would look like for these monsters?

Once at the gates of Hell these monsters who in life inflicted evil acts under the immunity provided by a false self-anointment they are confronted with the harsh reality, that there is no such thing as impunity in the afterlife. 

“Those of you who inflicted suffering and upheld a reign of darkness and evil in life are now reduced to mere, insignificant buffoons. Devoid of speech, you will spend eternity wimping out, whining and grunting your way to redemption under the influence of the vicious rattle-bells hanging from your hat.”

The Lost Buffoons are legions of ghosts, the souls in pain of those who in life misused their privileged positions of power and influence to inflict pain, horror, and suffering on others and now in the afterlife are condemned to pay for their faults. After being powerful individuals they are now reduced to wandering as deformed buffoons, punished even further by being forced to wear a hat with living rattle bells that intentionally ill-advise them and drive them stray from their path to redemption and keep them stuck in their damnation. These rattlebells are analogous to the vicious thoughts that invade the mind of a schizophrenic.

You decide how your Lost Buffoon will spend eternity and seek redemption (if there is any).