Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 23 (click to see context) from:
* CranialPlateAbility: In Russia, Munchausen and his drinking buddies are baffled by an old general who, in a nation of hard drinkers, is [[DoesNotGetDrunk drinking everyone under the table]] without ever showing signs of intoxication. Munchausen however discovers the general's secret, which is to discreetly lift the silver plate that serves him as a skull prosthesis once in a while, thus releasing the alcoholic vapors which would otherwise collect in his brain.
to:
* CranialPlateAbility: In Russia, Munchausen and his drinking buddies are baffled by an old general who, in a nation of hard drinkers, is [[DoesNotGetDrunk [[NeverGetsDrunk drinking everyone under the table]] without ever showing signs of intoxication. Munchausen however discovers the general's secret, which is to discreetly lift the silver plate that serves him as a skull prosthesis once in a while, thus releasing the alcoholic vapors which would otherwise collect in his brain.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* CranialPlateAbility: In Russia, Munchausen and his drinking buddies are baffled by an old general who, in a nation of hard drinkers, is [[DoesNotGetDrunk drinking everyone under the table]] without ever showing signs of intoxication. Munchausen however discovers the general's secret, which is to discreetly lift the silver plate that serves him as a skull prosthesis once in a while, thus releasing the alcoholic vapors which would otherwise collect in his brain.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 5,6 (click to see context) from:
The real-life Baron was born in Bodenwerder, Hanover, but joined the cavalry of UsefulNotes/TsaristRussia in 1739. He served in the Russo-Turkish War of 1735–1739, and two military campaigns in its immediate aftermath. He retired from the military in 1760, and spend the rest of his life as a Freiherr (free lord, baron) in his family's estate in Bodenwerder. He entertained local aristocrats with highly exaggerated accounts of his military career. Due to his new reputation as a witty storyteller, he was regularly visited by travelers who wanted to hear his stories.
to:
The real-life Baron was born in Bodenwerder, Hanover, but joined the cavalry of UsefulNotes/TsaristRussia in 1739. He served in the Russo-Turkish War of 1735–1739, and two military campaigns in its immediate aftermath. He retired from the military in 1760, and spend the rest of his life as a Freiherr (free lord, baron) in his family's estate in Bodenwerder. He entertained local aristocrats with highly exaggerated accounts of his military career. Due to his new reputation as a witty storyteller, he was regularly visited by travelers who wanted to hear his stories. He died childless after two marriages.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 5,6 (click to see context) from:
The real-life Baron was born in Bodenwerder, Hanover, but joined the cavalry of UsefulNotes/TsaristRussia in 1739. He served in the Russo-Turkish War of 1735–1739, and two military campaigns in its immediate aftermath. He retired from the military in 1760, and spend the rest of his life as a Freiherr (free lord, baron) in his family's estate in Bodenwerder.
to:
The real-life Baron was born in Bodenwerder, Hanover, but joined the cavalry of UsefulNotes/TsaristRussia in 1739. He served in the Russo-Turkish War of 1735–1739, and two military campaigns in its immediate aftermath. He retired from the military in 1760, and spend the rest of his life as a Freiherr (free lord, baron) in his family's estate in Bodenwerder. He entertained local aristocrats with highly exaggerated accounts of his military career. Due to his new reputation as a witty storyteller, he was regularly visited by travelers who wanted to hear his stories.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 5,6 (click to see context) from:
The real-life Baron was born in Bodenwerder, Hanover, but joined the cavalry of TsaristRussia in 1739. He served in the Russo-Turkish War of 1735–1739, and two military campaigns in its immediate aftermath. He retired from the military in 1760, and spend the rest of his life as a Freiherr (free lord, baron) in his family's estate in Bodenwerder.
to:
The real-life Baron was born in Bodenwerder, Hanover, but joined the cavalry of TsaristRussia UsefulNotes/TsaristRussia in 1739. He served in the Russo-Turkish War of 1735–1739, and two military campaigns in its immediate aftermath. He retired from the military in 1760, and spend the rest of his life as a Freiherr (free lord, baron) in his family's estate in Bodenwerder.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 3,6 (click to see context) from:
''The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen'', also known as ''The Amazing Adventures of Baron Munchausen'', or simply ''The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'' (full original name: ''Baron Munchausen's Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia'') is a 1785 novel by German writer Creator/RudolfErichRaspe, loosely based on the real-life Baron Hieronymus Karl Friedrich von Münchhausen (1720–1797), who became famous for telling preposterous but highly entertaining [[TallTale tall tales]] based on his military career. The Baron was born in Bodenwerder, Hanover, but joined the cavalry of TsaristRussia in 1739. He served in the Russo-Turkish War of 1735–1739, and two military campaigns in its immediate aftermath. He retired from the military in 1760, and spend the rest of his life as a Freiherr (free lord, baron) in his family's estate in Bodenwerder.
Baron Munchausen invites his friends for dinner and relates his extraordinary (as well as totally believable and truthful) adventures (which obviously undoubtedly happened) and travels over a bottle.
Baron Munchausen invites his friends for dinner and relates his extraordinary (as well as totally believable and truthful) adventures (which obviously undoubtedly happened) and travels over a bottle.
to:
''The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen'', also known as ''The Amazing Adventures of Baron Munchausen'', or simply ''The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'' (full original name: ''Baron Munchausen's Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia'') is a 1785 novel by German writer Creator/RudolfErichRaspe, loosely based on the real-life Baron Hieronymus Karl Friedrich von Münchhausen (1720–1797), who became famous for telling preposterous but highly entertaining [[TallTale tall tales]] based on his military career.
The real-life Baron was born in Bodenwerder, Hanover, but joined the cavalry of TsaristRussia in 1739. He served in the Russo-Turkish War of 1735–1739, and two military campaigns in its immediate aftermath. He retired from the military in 1760, and spend the rest of his life as a Freiherr (free lord, baron) in his family's estate in Bodenwerder.
In the novel, Baron Munchausen invites his friends for dinner and relates his extraordinary (as well as totally believable and truthful) adventures (which obviously undoubtedly happened) and travels over a bottle.
The real-life Baron was born in Bodenwerder, Hanover, but joined the cavalry of TsaristRussia in 1739. He served in the Russo-Turkish War of 1735–1739, and two military campaigns in its immediate aftermath. He retired from the military in 1760, and spend the rest of his life as a Freiherr (free lord, baron) in his family's estate in Bodenwerder.
In the novel, Baron Munchausen invites his friends for dinner and relates his extraordinary (as well as totally believable and truthful) adventures (which obviously undoubtedly happened) and travels over a bottle.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 3,4 (click to see context) from:
''The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen'', also known as ''The Amazing Adventures of Baron Munchausen'', or simply ''The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'' (full original name: ''Baron Munchausen's Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia'') is a 1785 novel by German writer Creator/RudolfErichRaspe, loosely based on the real-life Baron Hieronymus Karl Friedrich von Münchhausen (1720–1797), who became famous for telling preposterous but highly entertaining [[TallTale tall tales]] based on his military career.
to:
''The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen'', also known as ''The Amazing Adventures of Baron Munchausen'', or simply ''The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'' (full original name: ''Baron Munchausen's Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia'') is a 1785 novel by German writer Creator/RudolfErichRaspe, loosely based on the real-life Baron Hieronymus Karl Friedrich von Münchhausen (1720–1797), who became famous for telling preposterous but highly entertaining [[TallTale tall tales]] based on his military career.
career. The Baron was born in Bodenwerder, Hanover, but joined the cavalry of TsaristRussia in 1739. He served in the Russo-Turkish War of 1735–1739, and two military campaigns in its immediate aftermath. He retired from the military in 1760, and spend the rest of his life as a Freiherr (free lord, baron) in his family's estate in Bodenwerder.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 38,39 (click to see context) from:
* SoftWater: During one adventure, one giant kingfisher seizes the ship's captain in one claw, flies with him above a mile high, and then lets it drop into the sea. The ship's captain simply swims back to the island, looking wet but no worse for the wear.
* SuperheroSpeciation: During one of his adventures in Turkey, Munchausen is accompanied by four friends with extraordinary abilities: Berthold can reach anywhere in the world in a single step; Adolphus is capable of pulling off miraculous shots from great distances thanks to his SuperSenses; Albretch is super-strong; Gustavus possesses SuperBreath-related powers.
* SuperheroSpeciation: During one of his adventures in Turkey, Munchausen is accompanied by four friends with extraordinary abilities: Berthold can reach anywhere in the world in a single step; Adolphus is capable of pulling off miraculous shots from great distances thanks to his SuperSenses; Albretch is super-strong; Gustavus possesses SuperBreath-related powers.
to:
* SoftWater: During one adventure, one giant kingfisher seizes the ship's captain in one claw, flies with him above a mile high, and then lets it him drop into the sea. The ship's captain simply swims back to the island, looking wet but no worse for the wear.
* SuperheroSpeciation: During one of his adventures inTurkey, {{UsefulNotes/Turkey}}, Munchausen is accompanied by four friends with extraordinary abilities: Berthold can reach anywhere in the world in a single step; Adolphus is capable of pulling off miraculous shots from great distances thanks to his SuperSenses; Albretch is super-strong; has SuperStrength; Gustavus possesses SuperBreath-related powers.
* SuperheroSpeciation: During one of his adventures in
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 36 (click to see context) from:
* TheMunchausen: The {{Trope Namer}}s. Baron Munchausen is always delighted to regale his hosts with stories about his fantastic adventures what absolutely happened. Yes, he really rode one flying cannonball, tamed a roc, got swallowed by a giant fish...
to:
* TheMunchausen: The {{Trope Namer}}s. Baron Munchausen is always delighted to regale his hosts with stories about his fantastic adventures what which absolutely happened. Yes, he really rode one flying cannonball, tamed a roc, got swallowed by a giant fish...
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 34 (click to see context) from:
* KlingonPromotion: Done accidentally. A couple of farmers had climbed a tree to gather cucumbers (yes, cucumbers) when the tree is blown into the air together with them by a terrifyingly severe storm. When they finally -and safely- land, their tree falls upon the chieftain of another island, killing him on the spot. The natives are so happy to get rid of the tyrannical asshole they choose the newcomers as their new governors in gratitude for accidentally destroying their tyrant.
to:
* KlingonPromotion: Done accidentally. A couple of farmers had climbed a tree to gather cucumbers (yes, cucumbers) when the tree is blown into the air together with them by a terrifyingly severe storm. When they finally -and safely- land, their tree falls upon the chieftain of another island, killing him on the spot. The natives are so happy to get rid of the tyrannical asshole asshole, that they choose the newcomers as their new governors in gratitude for accidentally destroying their tyrant.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 32 (click to see context) from:
* HorseOfADifferentColor: In one tall tale, the Baron tames and rides a roc.
to:
* HorseOfADifferentColor: In one tall tale, the Baron tames and rides a roc.[[RocBirds Roc Bird]].
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 30 (click to see context) from:
* GreatWhiteHunter: The Baron loves telling outrageous stories about hunting trips. In his very first story, he tells how he hunted both a lion and a crocodile in Sri Lanka.
to:
* GreatWhiteHunter: The Baron loves telling outrageous stories about hunting trips. In his very first story, he tells how he hunted both a lion and a crocodile in Sri Lanka.UsefulNotes/SriLanka.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 28 (click to see context) from:
** Next time, Munchausen and his ship are SwallowedWhole by an enormous sea monster, only to discover a village of swallowed ships inside, along with their still-alive crew members. Baron and other prisoners escape by putting a large mast between the monster's jaws and sailing out.
to:
** Next time, Munchausen and his ship are SwallowedWhole by an enormous sea monster, SeaMonster, only to discover a village of swallowed ships inside, along with their still-alive crew members. Baron and other prisoners escape by putting a large mast between the monster's jaws and sailing out.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 22 (click to see context) from:
* TheDoorSlamsYou: During a stay in St. Petersburg, the Baron sees through the windows of his bedroom a flock of wild ducks swimming in a nearby pond. Immediately he picks his gun and runs out of the house in such a hurry that he strikes his face against the door.
to:
* TheDoorSlamsYou: During a stay in St. Petersburg, UsefulNotes/SaintPetersburg, the Baron sees through the windows of his bedroom a flock of wild ducks swimming in a nearby pond. Immediately he picks his gun and runs out of the house in such a hurry that he strikes his face against the door.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 3,4 (click to see context) from:
''The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen'', also known as ''The Amazing Adventures of Baron Munchausen'', or simply ''The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'' (full original name: ''Baron Munchausen's Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia'') is a 1785 novel by German writer Creator/RudolfErichRaspe, loosely based on the real-life Baron Hieronymus Karl Friedrich von Münchhausen (1720–1797), who became famous for telling preposterous but highly entertaining tall tales based on his military career.
to:
''The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen'', also known as ''The Amazing Adventures of Baron Munchausen'', or simply ''The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'' (full original name: ''Baron Munchausen's Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia'') is a 1785 novel by German writer Creator/RudolfErichRaspe, loosely based on the real-life Baron Hieronymus Karl Friedrich von Münchhausen (1720–1797), who became famous for telling preposterous but highly entertaining [[TallTale tall tales tales]] based on his military career.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 3,4 (click to see context) from:
''The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen'', also known as ''The Amazing Adventures of Baron Munchausen'', or simply ''The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'' (full original name: ''Baron Munchausen's Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia'') is a 1785 novel by German writer Creator/RudolfErichRaspe, loosely based on the real life Baron Hieronymus Karl Friedrich von Münchhausen (1720–1797), who became famous for telling preposterous but highly entertaining tall tales based on his military career.
to:
''The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen'', also known as ''The Amazing Adventures of Baron Munchausen'', or simply ''The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'' (full original name: ''Baron Munchausen's Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia'') is a 1785 novel by German writer Creator/RudolfErichRaspe, loosely based on the real life real-life Baron Hieronymus Karl Friedrich von Münchhausen (1720–1797), who became famous for telling preposterous but highly entertaining tall tales based on his military career.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
* InconsistentSpelling: When writing the German translation, Gottfried August Burger changed the baron's name to Munchhausen (which is the correct spelling).
Deleted line(s) 38 (click to see context) :
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: When writing the German translation, Gottfried August Burger changed the baron's name to Munchhausen (which is the correct spelling).
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* QuicksandSucks: But not to worry, because Munchausen pulled himself and his horse out of the bog by his own bootstraps. Or hair, depending.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
more accurate trope
Changed line(s) 40,41 (click to see context) from:
* ThatsNoMoon: One tale features the baron finding an island that turns out to be a giant fish.
to:
* ThatsNoMoon: TurtleIsland: One tale features the baron finding an island that turns out to be a giant fish.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 34 (click to see context) from:
* MisplacedWildlife: In the first story, Munchausen visits Sri Lanka and encounters a lion. To be fair, a lion subspecies (''Panthera leo sinhaleyus'') lived on Sri Lanka thirty-seven millennia ago, but neither Munchausen nor Rudolf Raspe could know this.
to:
* MisplacedWildlife: In the first story, Munchausen visits Sri Lanka and encounters a lion. To be fair, a lion subspecies (''Panthera leo sinhaleyus'') lived on Sri Lanka thirty-seven millennia ago, but neither Munchausen nor Rudolf Erich Raspe could know this.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 35 (click to see context) from:
* TheMunchausen: The [[Trope Namer}}s. Baron Munchausen is always delighted to regale his hosts with stories about his fantastic adventures what absolutely happened. Yes, he really rode one flying cannonball, tamed a roc, got swallowed by a giant fish...
to:
* TheMunchausen: The [[Trope {{Trope Namer}}s. Baron Munchausen is always delighted to regale his hosts with stories about his fantastic adventures what absolutely happened. Yes, he really rode one flying cannonball, tamed a roc, got swallowed by a giant fish...
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thesurprisingadventuresofbaronmunchausen.jpg]]
''The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen'', also known as ''The Amazing Adventures of Baron Munchausen'', or simply ''The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'' (full original name: ''Baron Munchausen's Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia'') is a 1785 novel by German writer Creator/RudolfErichRaspe, loosely based on the real life Baron Hieronymus Karl Friedrich von Münchhausen (1720–1797), who became famous for telling preposterous but highly entertaining tall tales based on his military career.
Baron Munchausen invites his friends for dinner and relates his extraordinary (as well as totally believable and truthful) adventures (which obviously undoubtedly happened) and travels over a bottle.
The adventures of the Baron became popular enough to be adapted to multiple media. Some adaptations:
!!Films:
* ''Film/{{Munchhausen}}'' (1943)
* ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBaronMunchausen'' (1988)
The story is the Public Domain and can be read in the [[https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/3154/pg3154-images.html Project Gutenberg]] in [[https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3154 several formats]], as well as [[https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/rudolph-erich-raspe/the-surprising-adventures-of-baron-munchausen here]], [[https://archive.org/details/munchausen00unknuoft/page/n5/mode/2up?view=theater here]].
----
!!The Surprising Tropes of Baron Munchausen:
* ArtisticLicenseOrnithology: In one of his tall tales, Munchausen narrates an encounter with a giant kingfisher which had placed its church-sized nest in a tree and laid at least five hundred eggs. Kingfishers are tiny birds which excavate burrows in riverbanks and lay two to ten eggs each time, but Munchausen would never allow facts to get in the way of a good story.
* BlatantLies: After telling how he and his companions escaped from a remote island inhabited by giant kingfishers, and visited a strange land inhabited by one-horned men and oxen, Munchausen says he arrived in a country where (tall)-taletellers are hanged; but he was not worried for his own safety, since he has never told a lie.
-->'''Munchausen:''' ''"This gave me no concern, as I have ever confined myself to facts".
* BringMyBrownPants: Lampshaded by the Baron when he is chased by a bear up a tree and talks about "the stream of that water of which there is plenty of supply in great fear".
* DeadlyDodging: In the first story, the Baron is running away from a lion when he finds his way blocked by a crocodile. Munchausen involuntarily falls to the ground right when the lion is pouncing, with the result that the feline springs over him and into the reptile's open jaws.
* TheDoorSlamsYou: During a stay in St. Petersburg, the Baron sees through the windows of his bedroom a flock of wild ducks swimming in a nearby pond. Immediately he picks his gun and runs out of the house in such a hurry that he strikes his face against the door.
* DubNameChange: When Saturnino Calleja wrote the Spanish version, the main character was renamed "El Barón de la Castaña" (''The Baron of Chestnuts''). Similarly, his companions in one Turkish caper were renamed: Berthold, Adolphus, Albretch and Gustavus became Zanco Largo (Long Stride), Catalejo, (Spyglass), Cargamontañas (Mountain-Carrier) and Soplido Turbulento (Turbulent Breath).
* FiendishFish: In the eight chapter, Munchausen is swallowed whole by one giant fish while bathing in the Mediterranean.
* FrozenBodyFluids: When translating the original text to German, Gottfried August Burger added an extra tall tale: Hunting in the Russian winter, Munchausen is attacked by a bear just when he has disassembled his gun to repair it. The baron takes refuge in a tree, but accidentally drops the knife he needs to assemble the gun. By directing "the stream of that water of which there is plenty of supply in great fear" onto the handle of the knife, the baron creates an icicle by which he pulls up the knife, then assembles the gun and shoots the bear.
* GettingEatenIsHarmless:
** First time, Munchausen's swallowed whole by a giant fish while swimming in the Mediterranean. While inside its stomach, he starts to move around and create a commotion, which results in the fish swimming frantically onto the surface and getting harpooned by the fishermen. The Baron emerges from the creature’s sliced stomach without a scratch.
** Next time, Munchausen and his ship are SwallowedWhole by an enormous sea monster, only to discover a village of swallowed ships inside, along with their still-alive crew members. Baron and other prisoners escape by putting a large mast between the monster's jaws and sailing out.
* GiantFlyer: In one island, Munchausen stumbles upon a church-sized nest built by a giant kingfisher. Its hatchlings are only "considerably larger than twenty full-grown vultures".
* GreatWhiteHunter: The Baron loves telling outrageous stories about hunting trips. In his very first story, he tells how he hunted both a lion and a crocodile in Sri Lanka.
* HaveAGayOldTime: As trapped inside a giant fish, whose belly is being cut open, the Baron "called out lustily to be released from a situation in which [he] was now almost suffocated".
* HorseOfADifferentColor: In one tall tale, the Baron tames and rides a roc.
* KlingonPromotion: Done accidentally. A couple of farmers had climbed a tree to gather cucumbers (yes, cucumbers) when the tree is blown into the air together with them by a terrifyingly severe storm. When they finally -and safely- land, their tree falls upon the chieftain of another island, killing him on the spot. The natives are so happy to get rid of the tyrannical asshole they choose the newcomers as their new governors in gratitude for accidentally destroying their tyrant.
* MisplacedWildlife: In the first story, Munchausen visits Sri Lanka and encounters a lion. To be fair, a lion subspecies (''Panthera leo sinhaleyus'') lived on Sri Lanka thirty-seven millennia ago, but neither Munchausen nor Rudolf Raspe could know this.
* TheMunchausen: The [[Trope Namer}}s. Baron Munchausen is always delighted to regale his hosts with stories about his fantastic adventures what absolutely happened. Yes, he really rode one flying cannonball, tamed a roc, got swallowed by a giant fish...
* SoftWater: During one adventure, one giant kingfisher seizes the ship's captain in one claw, flies with him above a mile high, and then lets it drop into the sea. The ship's captain simply swims back to the island, looking wet but no worse for the wear.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: When writing the German translation, Gottfried August Burger changed the baron's name to Munchhausen (which is the correct spelling).
* SuperheroSpeciation: During one of his adventures in Turkey, Munchausen is accompanied by four friends with extraordinary abilities: Berthold can reach anywhere in the world in a single step; Adolphus is capable of pulling off miraculous shots from great distances thanks to his SuperSenses; Albretch is super-strong; Gustavus possesses SuperBreath-related powers.
* TallTale: Munchausen loves bragging about riding cannonballs and performing even more preposterous deeds.
* ThatsNoMoon: One tale features the baron finding an island that turns out to be a giant fish.
----
''The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen'', also known as ''The Amazing Adventures of Baron Munchausen'', or simply ''The Adventures of Baron Munchausen'' (full original name: ''Baron Munchausen's Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia'') is a 1785 novel by German writer Creator/RudolfErichRaspe, loosely based on the real life Baron Hieronymus Karl Friedrich von Münchhausen (1720–1797), who became famous for telling preposterous but highly entertaining tall tales based on his military career.
Baron Munchausen invites his friends for dinner and relates his extraordinary (as well as totally believable and truthful) adventures (which obviously undoubtedly happened) and travels over a bottle.
The adventures of the Baron became popular enough to be adapted to multiple media. Some adaptations:
!!Films:
* ''Film/{{Munchhausen}}'' (1943)
* ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBaronMunchausen'' (1988)
The story is the Public Domain and can be read in the [[https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/3154/pg3154-images.html Project Gutenberg]] in [[https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3154 several formats]], as well as [[https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/rudolph-erich-raspe/the-surprising-adventures-of-baron-munchausen here]], [[https://archive.org/details/munchausen00unknuoft/page/n5/mode/2up?view=theater here]].
----
!!The Surprising Tropes of Baron Munchausen:
* ArtisticLicenseOrnithology: In one of his tall tales, Munchausen narrates an encounter with a giant kingfisher which had placed its church-sized nest in a tree and laid at least five hundred eggs. Kingfishers are tiny birds which excavate burrows in riverbanks and lay two to ten eggs each time, but Munchausen would never allow facts to get in the way of a good story.
* BlatantLies: After telling how he and his companions escaped from a remote island inhabited by giant kingfishers, and visited a strange land inhabited by one-horned men and oxen, Munchausen says he arrived in a country where (tall)-taletellers are hanged; but he was not worried for his own safety, since he has never told a lie.
-->'''Munchausen:''' ''"This gave me no concern, as I have ever confined myself to facts".
* BringMyBrownPants: Lampshaded by the Baron when he is chased by a bear up a tree and talks about "the stream of that water of which there is plenty of supply in great fear".
* DeadlyDodging: In the first story, the Baron is running away from a lion when he finds his way blocked by a crocodile. Munchausen involuntarily falls to the ground right when the lion is pouncing, with the result that the feline springs over him and into the reptile's open jaws.
* TheDoorSlamsYou: During a stay in St. Petersburg, the Baron sees through the windows of his bedroom a flock of wild ducks swimming in a nearby pond. Immediately he picks his gun and runs out of the house in such a hurry that he strikes his face against the door.
* DubNameChange: When Saturnino Calleja wrote the Spanish version, the main character was renamed "El Barón de la Castaña" (''The Baron of Chestnuts''). Similarly, his companions in one Turkish caper were renamed: Berthold, Adolphus, Albretch and Gustavus became Zanco Largo (Long Stride), Catalejo, (Spyglass), Cargamontañas (Mountain-Carrier) and Soplido Turbulento (Turbulent Breath).
* FiendishFish: In the eight chapter, Munchausen is swallowed whole by one giant fish while bathing in the Mediterranean.
* FrozenBodyFluids: When translating the original text to German, Gottfried August Burger added an extra tall tale: Hunting in the Russian winter, Munchausen is attacked by a bear just when he has disassembled his gun to repair it. The baron takes refuge in a tree, but accidentally drops the knife he needs to assemble the gun. By directing "the stream of that water of which there is plenty of supply in great fear" onto the handle of the knife, the baron creates an icicle by which he pulls up the knife, then assembles the gun and shoots the bear.
* GettingEatenIsHarmless:
** First time, Munchausen's swallowed whole by a giant fish while swimming in the Mediterranean. While inside its stomach, he starts to move around and create a commotion, which results in the fish swimming frantically onto the surface and getting harpooned by the fishermen. The Baron emerges from the creature’s sliced stomach without a scratch.
** Next time, Munchausen and his ship are SwallowedWhole by an enormous sea monster, only to discover a village of swallowed ships inside, along with their still-alive crew members. Baron and other prisoners escape by putting a large mast between the monster's jaws and sailing out.
* GiantFlyer: In one island, Munchausen stumbles upon a church-sized nest built by a giant kingfisher. Its hatchlings are only "considerably larger than twenty full-grown vultures".
* GreatWhiteHunter: The Baron loves telling outrageous stories about hunting trips. In his very first story, he tells how he hunted both a lion and a crocodile in Sri Lanka.
* HaveAGayOldTime: As trapped inside a giant fish, whose belly is being cut open, the Baron "called out lustily to be released from a situation in which [he] was now almost suffocated".
* HorseOfADifferentColor: In one tall tale, the Baron tames and rides a roc.
* KlingonPromotion: Done accidentally. A couple of farmers had climbed a tree to gather cucumbers (yes, cucumbers) when the tree is blown into the air together with them by a terrifyingly severe storm. When they finally -and safely- land, their tree falls upon the chieftain of another island, killing him on the spot. The natives are so happy to get rid of the tyrannical asshole they choose the newcomers as their new governors in gratitude for accidentally destroying their tyrant.
* MisplacedWildlife: In the first story, Munchausen visits Sri Lanka and encounters a lion. To be fair, a lion subspecies (''Panthera leo sinhaleyus'') lived on Sri Lanka thirty-seven millennia ago, but neither Munchausen nor Rudolf Raspe could know this.
* TheMunchausen: The [[Trope Namer}}s. Baron Munchausen is always delighted to regale his hosts with stories about his fantastic adventures what absolutely happened. Yes, he really rode one flying cannonball, tamed a roc, got swallowed by a giant fish...
* SoftWater: During one adventure, one giant kingfisher seizes the ship's captain in one claw, flies with him above a mile high, and then lets it drop into the sea. The ship's captain simply swims back to the island, looking wet but no worse for the wear.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: When writing the German translation, Gottfried August Burger changed the baron's name to Munchhausen (which is the correct spelling).
* SuperheroSpeciation: During one of his adventures in Turkey, Munchausen is accompanied by four friends with extraordinary abilities: Berthold can reach anywhere in the world in a single step; Adolphus is capable of pulling off miraculous shots from great distances thanks to his SuperSenses; Albretch is super-strong; Gustavus possesses SuperBreath-related powers.
* TallTale: Munchausen loves bragging about riding cannonballs and performing even more preposterous deeds.
* ThatsNoMoon: One tale features the baron finding an island that turns out to be a giant fish.
----
