The word harlequin began as the name of a demon who led the dead through the night sky — before Italian theater turned him into the most famous clown in European comedy.
A comic character in commedia dell'arte, traditionally dressed in a diamond-patterned costume; also used to describe anything multicolored or diamond-patterned.
From Italian Arlecchino, a stock character in commedia dell'arte, possibly from Old French Hellequin or Herlequin, a demon or leader of a nocturnal cavalcade of the dead. The name may ultimately trace to a Germanic source related to the mythical Wild Hunt. Key roots: Hellequin (Old French: "leader of a troop of demon riders").
The harlequin character was originally not comic at all — Hellequin was a terrifying demon who led the souls of the dead through the night sky in medieval French folklore. The transformation from nightmare figure to slapstick comedian happened when Italian actors adopted the name for their quick-witted, acrobatic servant character. The iconic diamond-patterned costume originally represented the patches on a poor servant's ragged clothes