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Till Eulenspiegel

 Till Eulenspiegel
type
TVTItem
 Till Eulenspiegel
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Till Eulenspiegel
 Till Eulenspiegel
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TillEulenspiegel
 Till Eulenspiegel
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Till Eulenspiegel (low German: Dyl Ulenspegel or Till Ulenspiegel, Dutch: Tijl Uilenspiegel) is a folklore character originally from Low German oral tradition. He's a jester/fool who enjoys tricking people or driving them mad by taking things too literally. The first print version of his adventures, Ein kurtzweilig Lesen von Dyl Ulenspiegel, geboren uß dem Land zu Brunßwick ("An amusing reading of Till Eulenspiegel, born in the land of Brunswick"), appeared in Straßburg (now Strasbourg in France) ca. 1510 and became a best-seller by the standards of the age, being translated into Latin, French, Dutch, and Polish within the 16th century; under the name "Owlglass" he was also mentioned in Ben Jonson's play ''The Alchemist". Till Eulenspiegel appears to have been partly based on one "Tilo dictus Ulenspegel" (Tilo called Ulenspegel) who died in the town of Mölln in 1350. Some stories relate that for a time Till Eulenspiegel served king Kazimierz the Great of Poland.In the 19th century the French-speaking Belgian author Charles De Coster adapted this folklore tales into the novel La légende et les aventures héroiques joyeuses et glorieuses d'Ulenspiegel et de Lamme Goedzak au pays des Flandres et ailleurs ("The legend and the heroic, joyful and glorious adventures of Ulenspiegel and Lamme Goedzak in the land of Flanders and elsewhere", 1867) which changed Ulenspiegel into a Flemish/Belgian Folk Hero who uses his intelligence and comedy to fight against the Spanish occupation during the 16th century. Ulenspiegel also got a new background story. He was born in the Flemish village Damme on the same day as Phillip II, the Spanish king who later would lead the Eighty Year's War against the Netherlands. Ulenspiegel's father is Claes, who is later burned at the stake by the Spanish occupiers, and his mother is named Soetkin. She later turns mad because of Claes' death. All these events motivate Ulenspiegel to fight against the Spanish oppressors. He is also given a girlfriend, Nele, and a gluttonous but jolly Sidekick named Lamme Goedzak. Ulenspiegel is seen as the incarnation of the spirit of Flanders, Lamme as that of the stomach of Flanders, and Nele as that of the heart of Flanders. The novel was adapted into a film with French actor Gérard Philippe playing the titular hero.Comic strip artist Willy Vandersteen (of Suske en Wiske fame) also drew two well known comic books about the character. The first is more or less a retelling of De Coster's book with Uilenspiegel being a protestant freedom fighter taking on the Spanish occupation troops with trickery and subterfuge. The second sees him helping the Dutch by taking a ship to New Amsterdam and helping the natives fighting the corrupt Dutch governor.In Germany, Richard Strauss composed a symphonic piece, Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche (Till Eulenspiegel's merry pranks, 1895) and the East German satirical magazine Eulenspiegel, which continues to be published to this day, is named after him. There are museums dedicated to him in Kneitlingen (his birthplace), Mölln (the town where he died) and in Damme (the town where he was born according to De Coster).Compare similar characters: Nasreddin from the Middle East, Herschel of Ostropol in Jewish folklore, Anansi the spider in Carribean folklore, Brother Rabbit in Afro-American folklore and even Alfred E. Neuman of MAD Magazine and Bugs Bunny seem to be made from the same mold.
 Till Eulenspiegel
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2023-08-28T02:01:12Z
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2023-08-28T02:01:12Z
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DBTropes
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_14beeefd
type
Darker and Edgier
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_14beeefd
comment
Darker and Edgier: The Charles De Coster novel and especially the opera based on it take the character in a decidedly different direction than the original tales. De Coster makes him a jolly Robin-Hood-esque freedom fighter. The opera takes this even further and makes him a grim, determined badass in the end after all his loved ones are dead.
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 Till Eulenspiegel / int_185ea595
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The Trickster
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_185ea595
comment
The Trickster: Eulenspiegel claims that mankind wants to be tricked, thus justifying his actions.
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The Cameo
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_1b65dfad
comment
The Cameo: He has a cameo in the Suske en Wiske album "De Krimson Crisis".
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High-Altitude Interrogation
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_1f17e9fe
comment
High-Altitude Interrogation: In a classic Eulenspiegel story Till is tightroping for money, when suddenly some spectators cut the rope, causing him to fall in the river across which he had tied the rope. He climbs ashore, tells the audience he enjoyed the joke and informs them that he will make his rope trick more complicated the next day. Out of curiosity the spectators return again the following day to see what he will do. Till then explains to them that he will climb the rope while holding two bags full of shoes. But since he hasn't got that many shoes he asks the spectators to give them one of their shoes for the act. Everyone does so, but once he is on the rope Till threatens to throw the shoes in the water if the audience doesn't pay him double what they paid him the day before. The frightened spectators pay up and Till disappears, after throwing the shoes randomly in the crowd, causing the spectators to fight for their possessions.
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 Till Eulenspiegel / int_222dc873
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Black Comedy
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_222dc873
comment
Black Comedy: In one story, he "cured" all the patients in a hospital. How? He stated that he wanted to make some medicine for them... with a powder made out of the sickest one of them. After which they all wanted to prove that they were not that sick.
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 Till Eulenspiegel / int_231e8193
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Mistaken Identity
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_231e8193
comment
Mistaken Identity: One night, when Till slept inside a bee hive, two thieves who wanted to steal honey stole the hive, unaware that Till was still inside. So Till started to pull the hair of the thief in front of him and the beard of the one behind him. Both of them thought the other was bullying him and they started fighting, while Till managed to escape.
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 Till Eulenspiegel / int_26f924ef
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Court Jester
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_26f924ef
comment
Court Jester: Eulenspiegel served as one at the court of the Danish king.
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Walking the Earth
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_29292e6d
comment
Walking the Earth: Till just goes from town to town.
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Significant Birth Date
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_2edf787f
comment
Significant Birth Date: In Charles De Coster's novel Eulenspiegel is born on the same day as Phillip II of Spain (21 May 1527). As fate will have it Philip II of Spain will terrorize the Low Countries as an adult and Eulenspiegel will lead the resistance against the Spanish king.
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 Till Eulenspiegel / int_40c57041
type
Manipulative Bastard
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_40c57041
comment
Manipulative Bastard: Till is able to convince people to do things that they wouldn't do in other situations. He once made a waitress pay him for having worked so hard to eat and drink everything on his plate. He once placed a bet with a priest, daring him to defecate in the middle of his own church. The priest takes the bet, but being a bit ashamed he does it at the back where nobody is able to see him. Till still wins, because the priest didn't do it in the middle of the church, as he had dared him to.
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 Till Eulenspiegel / int_5313c266
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Bookends
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_5313c266
comment
Book Ends: Just as his funeral was uncommon, the same applied to the start of his life. As the story goes, Eulenspiegel was baptized three times.
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 Till Eulenspiegel / int_5fcedca
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Big Eater
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_5fcedca
comment
Big Eater: Lamme Goedzak
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 Till Eulenspiegel / int_6bda9a30
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Meaningful Name
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_6bda9a30
comment
This is actually referenced on tiled stove in Artus Court (a sort of hangout for merchants) in Gdańsk, where one particular tile depicted him giving this to the audience. A common joke played on new visitors was to "bet" that they won't be able to grasp the stove at the base of it - only for them to try... and find their lips at Eulenspiegel's buttocks (which was kinda true to his name - look at Meaningful Name above)
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 Till Eulenspiegel / int_6f33059b
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Iconic Outfit
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_6f33059b
comment
Iconic Outfit: Usually depicted as a medieval harlequin. In Belgium, his companion Lamme Goedzak is forever typecast by wearing a broad-rimmed hat with a headband. However where other people where a feather in their headband as adornment, Lamme wears a large wooden spoon, indicating his love of food and his ability to eat everytime and everywhere.
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 Till Eulenspiegel / int_79190971
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Karmic Trickster
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_79190971
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Karmic Trickster
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Comic-Book Adaptation
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_7c4f6612
comment
Comic-Book Adaptation: Two albums were drawn by Willy Vandersteen.
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 Till Eulenspiegel / int_8967e17f
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Back from the Dead
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_8967e17f
comment
Back from the Dead: The novel ends with Eulenspiegel's miraculous reappearance. He claims that his spirit cannot be killed.
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Sinister Minister
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_9245d989
comment
Sinister Minister: Eulenspiegel often tricks morally fallible priests.
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Mooning
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_9b2923bc
comment
Mooning This is actually referenced on tiled stove in Artus Court (a sort of hangout for merchants) in Gdańsk, where one particular tile depicted him giving this to the audience. A common joke played on new visitors was to "bet" that they won't be able to grasp the stove at the base of it - only for them to try... and find their lips at Eulenspiegel's buttocks (which was kinda true to his name - look at Meaningful Name above)
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 Till Eulenspiegel / int_a7aef9ff
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Obfuscating Stupidity
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_a7aef9ff
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Obfuscating Stupidity
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Happy Harlequin Hat
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_bb9a93b
comment
Happy Harlequin Hat: Originally didn't have one, going hatless or having a different jester hat. However, later adaptations and monuments have him wearing it.
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 Till Eulenspiegel / int_beb9a361
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Anti-Hero
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_beb9a361
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Anti-Hero: Eulenspiegel is a trickster who enjoys fooling people.
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 Till Eulenspiegel / int_ce6555f0
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Lighter and Softer
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_ce6555f0
comment
Lighter and Softer: Many early stories of him are quite crass (see: Toilet Humor, Mooning, Squick). In many stories many long after his death, he is more like a Karmic Trickster who fools stingy merchants or bad rulers.
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ToiletHumor
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Toilet Humor
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The Unfettered
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The Unfettered
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Literal-Minded
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_e2a41c3b
comment
Literal-Minded: Or acts like it, anyway. Never use Sarcasm Mode if you are his employer, he will do it.
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 Till Eulenspiegel / int_e431c24c
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Not Quite Dead
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_e431c24c
comment
Not Quite Dead: Eulenspiegel is hanged near the end of Charles De Coster's novel, but miraculously revives, claiming that his spirit cannot be killed.
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The "Fun" in "Funeral"
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_e4f48a7f
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The "Fun" in "Funeral": The guys who carried his coffin goofed up, and the coffin fell into the grave, standing upright instead of lying down. The priest decided this was OK: "He lived in a weird way, so he shall be buried in a weird way."
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 Till Eulenspiegel / int_e899b102
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Sidekick
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_e899b102
comment
Sidekick: Lamme Goedzak
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 Till Eulenspiegel / int_e9e35e8f
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Exact Words
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_e9e35e8f
comment
Exact Words: Eulenspiegel enjoys driving people crazy by taking things too literally. Only one of many examples: when the Duke of Lüneburg forbade Eulenspiegel to set foot in his country, Eulenspiegel bought a cart and filled it with soil that didn't belong to the duke. In a famous story, he goes into an inn and agrees to eat the nobleman's meal for ten guilders. After the last course is gulped down, he tries to convince the landlady that for him eating the meal SHE now owns him ten guilders (he agreed to eat the meal for ten guilders after all). Eventually they settle on him just leaving with a bottle of whine for his 'efforts'
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Folk Hero
 Till Eulenspiegel / int_ed7b2907
comment
Folk Hero: In Germany and Flanders Eulenspiegel is considered to be a folk hero. The Flemish see him as the spirit of Flanders and in 2003 the Germans even voted Eulenspiegel in 160th place in the election for "The Greatest German" ("Unsere Besten"). He is the only (arguably) fictional character to make the list!
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Till Eulenspiegel

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Till Eulenspiegel
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Comic-Book Adaptation / int_911d98d2
 Till Eulenspiegel
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Happy Harlequin Hat / int_911d98d2
 Till Eulenspiegel
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Karmic Trickster / int_911d98d2
 Till Eulenspiegel
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Rhetorical Request Blunder / int_911d98d2
 Till Eulenspiegel
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Significant Birth Date / int_911d98d2
 Till Eulenspiegel
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The Trickster / int_911d98d2