Juggling - From Antiquity to the Middle Ages: the forgotten history of throwing and catching

by Thom Wall

As with dance, so with juggling--the moment that the performer finishes the routine, their act ceases to exist beyond the memory of the audience. There is no permanent record of what transpired, so studying the ancient roots of juggling is fraught with difficulty.
Using the records that do exist, juggling appears to have emerged around the world in cultures independent of one another in the ancient past. Paintings in Egypt from 2000 BCE show jugglers engaged in performance. Stories from the island nation of Tonga place juggling's creation with their goddess of the underworld--a figure who has guarded a cave since time immemorial. Juggling games and rituals are pervasive in isolated Inuit cultures in northern Canada and Greenland. Though the earliest representation of juggling is 4,000 years old, the practice is surely much older--in the same way that humans were doubtlessly singing and dancing long before the first bone flute was created.
This book is an attempt to catalogue this tangible history of juggling in human culture. It is the story of juggling, represented in art and writing from around the world, across time.
Although much has been written about modern jugglers-specific performers, their props, and their routines-little has been said about those who first developed the craft. As juggling enters a golden age in the internet era, Juggling: From Antiquity to the Middle Ages offers a look into the past--to the origins of our art form.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

129 pages, Paperback

Published January 30, 2019

About the author

Thom Wall is an American juggler who specializes in learning juggling tricks from the past. He has performed in 12 countries on four continents, including a run of his solo history show "On the Topic of Juggling" at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Thom also performed as a solo act with Cirque du Soleil’s touring big-top show Totem for four and a half years.
In 2015, La Universidad Mesoamericana, home to Mexico’s traditional circus school presented Thom with La Medalla Crotalus Scholaris. This is the institution’s highest honor, and was given to him to “indelibly recognize his career as a juggler.”
Thom holds a master’s degree in nonprofit arts administration from Drexel University, a bachelor’s degree in germanic languages and literatures from Washington University in St. Louis, and certifications in adult education from Cambridge University. In 2019, he published the textbook "Juggling - From Antiquity to the Middle Ages: the forgotten history of throwing and catching," filling a large gap in the circus and theater literature.

Reviews

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having had a fascination with the circus since childhood I was intrigued to read about the history of juggling. This book has it all - it explores the early origins of juggling, the cultures it was part of and includes a lot of excellent information whilst maintaining a chatty, accessible and conversational tone. You can instantly tell how passionate Mr Wall is about the subject, and I feel anyone with an interest in odd trivia, circus history or social history would enjoy dipping into this. The various culture and time periods it crosses makes for a rich, intricate study of jugglers and juggling through the ages.

The accompanying illustrations are a nice touch and complement the narrative whilst also breaking it up a little. It's an interesting, engaging and comprehensive introduction to the history behind juggling, and it has a lot more to it than you would initially think. The evolution of such a distinctive topic makes for captivating reading, although, naturally, there are some parts that are more compelling than others, but, of course, that is very subjective. All in all, this is a meticulously researched book that I found educational and eye-opening.

Many thanks to Modern Vaudeville Press for an ARC.

[David Haines · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. It was informative. The authors character really came through clearly in the text.

I would have given this book a higher review, perhaps a 4 star, except that (1) there were serious flaws in the formatting of the book which made it occasionally frustrating to read (for example, the clarity of the chapter divisions, and problems with the formatting of the footnotes, etc.); and (2) it was disorganized in its portrayal of the information (for example, the chapter discussing the definition of the term juggling, which was interesting, should have been much earlier in the book; the discussion of the etymology of the term should also have been much earlier on).

These flaws aside, the content was quite helpful, and this is a great book to start with for further research on the subject. It is also a helpful book for someone who is simply interested in a quick introduction to the history of Juggling.

[Will Menarndt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a delight! It's so well researched and put together. I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but this books cover is so vibrant and fun, and the book lives up to those expectations. It's a great read for anyone who is interested in history, in juggling, or in both.

[Spencer Androli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so interesting and amazing. As a juggler it makes what I do so much cooler and important. It makes me feel as though I’m adding on to the history of juggling and exploring it in ways that is defining juggling as it’s history continues. To a jugglers, I recommend this for inspiration. To non jugglers, I recommend it because it gives you a bigger picture of juggling as a whole and it just offers great information that you never knew about juggling.

[J Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Juggling - From Antiquity to the Middle Ages from Thom Wall is an interesting piece of historical research as well as a glimpse at the early days of juggling, and what came to be called juggling.

I am not a juggler so I can't speak to how this book will interest anyone who is, but I would guess it would be a fun read for them. The history aspect I can speak to and it is a very well researched book that covers a long stretch of time but with a narrow enough focus that it is digestible for anyone interested. In addition to simply learning the origins of juggling one of the most interesting aspects is the similarity of various juggling or throw and catch games that developed separately around the globe and at various times. We are all far more similar than we sometimes realize.

This is a history book, even if one written to be appreciated by a wide audience. So if history simply bores you, this might be one to skip unless your interest in juggling outweighs your dislike of history. For those who enjoy history to any degree should find this a fun and informative read if you're at all interested in either ancient or medieval history or juggling.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thom Wall's history of juggling is a fun, authoritatvie, and informative read! This is history writing at its best. The author is scrupulous in researching the history of juggling in countries and cultures the world over. And he also has a delightfully humurous take on some of the claims of juggling and jugglers that I love because he himself is a juggler and entertainer! My favorite picture in the book, which is generous in photographs, is of a lady on an ancient Greek amphora. She is juggling while her goose watches! I have a kinship with her, because my cat watches me as I juggle at home! That is a huge takeaway from this book, how people everywhere and in all times have found joy in tossing things in the air!
Thank you, Thom Wall, for this joyous book!

[Donald McClelland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to find a book on juggling and this one seemed to come my way. I am a history freak and love to know the history behind things including juggling! This book is great and has lots of pictures to accompany the text. Thom seems to give you the nitty gritty and no extra bells and whistles. This book is the only book you will need on the history of juggling. Great job Thom Wall!

[Eric Shibuya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detailed research, and (critical to further scholarship) cited. Thom writes in an engaging fashion. Anyone looking to explore the ancient history of juggling should start here.

[John Zobolas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learned so much about the history of juggling practice thoughout different cultures an ages. A MUST read for all circus and juggling practisioners around the world! Highly recommend it!

[Jake Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

A choppy first go at a scholarly global history of juggling. Should've opened (rather than closed) with the historically fluid definition of "juggling".

[Michael Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really appreciate the scholarship here. This is a book rooted in academia and the results are a comprehensive history of what we know about the history of "juggling" whatever that is.

I really appreciate that Thom Wall did not shy away stating the limits of archeology and the perspectives they are written.

This isn't a complete history, it's a summary of what we've surmised. still, this is very thorough and clear to read. Pick it up if you have the time for something fun.

[HollyLovesBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read if you like obscure topics that span an era in history that is often neglected, antiquity. Having recently read some novels from this time frame, I was drawn into the historical time and tidbits of unique information.

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