History Literature / TillEulenspiegel

* ThePope: In one story, Eulenspiegel bets a rich woman four hundred ducats he can arrange that the Pope will talk with her.

* WhyDoYouKeepChangingJobs: As well as working as a jester, Eulenspiegel took up many different apprenticeships during his life. Usually he was fired after only a few days later for playing a prank on his master.
** According to one story he worked for at least a year as head herdsman to Kazimierz the Great of Poland. He worked without wages, but grew rich on the bribes townspeople would pay him to move on whenever he arrived with a huge herd of livestock to graze on the fields and pastures surrounding their town.

''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 an 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 FolkHero 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 [[SignificantBirthDate on the same day of 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.

* BlackComedy: In one story, he "cured" all the patients in a hospital. How? He stated that he wanted to make a 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.

* ExactWords: Eulenspiegel enjoys driving people crazy by taking things too literally. Only one of many examples: when the duke of Lüneburg forbade Eulenspiegel to set a foot in his country, Eulenspiegel bought a cart and filled it with soil that didn't belong to the duke.
* FolkHero: 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 to the 160th place in the election of "The Greatest German" ("Unsere Besten"). He is the only (arguably) fictional character to make the list!

* HighAltitudeInterrogation: In a classic Eulenspiegel story Till is tightroping for money, when suddenly some spectactors 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 him 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 one 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.

* ThePope: In one story, Eulenspiegel bets with a rich woman for hundred ducats he can arrange that the pope will talk with her.

* SignificantBirthDate: In Charles De Coster's novel Eulenspiegel is born on the same day as Phillipp II of Spain (21 May 1527). As fate will have it Philippe II of Spain will terrorize the Lower Countries as an adult and Eulenspiegel will lead the resistance against the Spanish king.

* WhyDoYouKeepChangingJobs: Except during the time when he worked as a jester, he did many different apprenticeships in his life. Usually he was fired only a few days later, after he pranked his master.

''Till Eulenspiegel'' (lower 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 ca. 1510 and became an best-seller by the standards of the age, being translated into Latin, French, Dutch, English and Polish within the 16th century. Till Eulenspiegel appears to have been 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.

''Till Eulenspiegel'' (lower German: '' Dyl Ulenspegel'' , Dutch: '' Tijl Uilenspiegel'' ) is a folklore character 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 ca. 1510 and became an best-seller by the standards of the age, being translated into Latin, French, Dutch, English and Polish within the 16th century. Till Eulenspiegel appears to have been 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 Uilenspiegel into a Flemish/Belgian FolkHero 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 [[SignificantBirthDate on the same day of 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.

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 Uilenspiegel into a Flemish/Belgian FolkHero who uses his intelligence and comedy to fight against the Spanish occupation during the 16th century. Uilenspiegel also got a clear background story. He was born in the Flemish village Damme [[SignificantBirthDate on the same day of Phillip II]], the Spanish king who later would lead the Eighty Year's War against the Netherlands. Eulenspiegel'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 Eulenspiegel to fight against the Spanish oppressors. He is also given a girlfriend, Nele, and a gluttonous but jolly {{Sidekick}} named Lamme Goedzak. Till 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.

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 heroic, joyful and glorious adventures of Ulenspiegel and Lamme Goedzak in the land of Flanders and elsewhere", 1867) which changed Uilenspiegel into a Flemish/Belgian FolkHero who uses his intelligence and comedy to fight against the Spanish occupation during the 16th century. Uilenspiegel also got a clear background story. He was born in the Flemish village Damme [[SignificantBirthDate on the same day of Phillip II]], the Spanish king who later would lead the Eighty Year's War against the Netherlands. Eulenspiegel'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 Eulenspiegel to fight against the Spanish oppressors. He is also given a girlfriend, Nele, and a gluttonous but jolly {{Sidekick}} named Lamme Goedzak. Till 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.

In the 19th century Belgian author Charles De Coster adapted this folklore tales into a novel which changed Uilenspiegel into a Flemish/Belgian FolkHero who uses his intelligence and comedy to fight against the Spanish occupation during the 16th century. Uilenspiegel also got a clear background story. He was born in the Flemish village Damme [[SignificantBirthDate on the same day of Phillip II]], the Spanish king who later would lead the Eighty Year's War against the Netherlands. Eulenspiegel'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 Eulenspiegel to fight against the Spanish oppressors. He is also given a girlfriend, Nele, and a gluttonous but jolly {{Sidekick}} named Lamme Goedzak. Till 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.

* ExactWords: Eulenspiegel enjoys driving people crazy by taking things too literally. Only one of many examples: when the duke of Lüneburg forbad Eulenspiegel to set a foot in his country, Eulenspiegel bought a cart and filled it with soil that didn't belong to the duke.
* FolkHero: 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 to the 160th place in the election of "The Greatest German" ("Unsere Besten"). He is the only fictional character to make the list!

* AdaptationDisplacement: Many people regard De Coster's heavily altered version as the "real" Till Eulenspiegel. Such people for instance criticised a comic series by West German publisher Rolf Kauka based on the German tradition for "ignoring" Till's role as an actively fighting rebel against tyranny, to wit the Spanish oppression of the Netherlands.

* OlderThanTheyThink: At least for those who [[AdaptionDisplacement hold De Coster's version to be the true one]]. Till Eulenspiegel lived in the 14th century and the first book recounting his adventures was published at least 15 years before the date of birth given by De Coster.

In the 19th century Belgian author Charles De Coster adapted this folklore tales into a novel which changed Uilenspiegel into a Flemish/Belgian FolkHero who uses his intelligence and comedy to fight against the Spanish occupation during the 16th century. Uilenspiegel also got a clear background story. He was born in the Flemish village Damme [[SignificantBirthDate on the same day of Phillip II]], the Spanish king who later would lead the Eighty Year's War against the Netherlands. Eulenspiegel'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 Eulenspiegel to fight against the Spanish oppressors. He is also given a girlfriend, Nele, and a gluttonous but jolly {{Sidekick}} named Lamme Goedzak. This book was filmed with French actor Gérard Philippe playing the titular hero.

* SignificantBirthDate: In Charles De Coster's novel Eulenspiegel is born on the same day as Philippe II of Spain. As fate will have it Philippe II of Spain will terrorize the Lower Countries as an adult and Eulenspiegel will lead the resistance against the Spanish king.

''Till Eulenspiegel'' (lower German: '' Dyl Ulenspegel'' , Dutch: '' Tijl Uilenspiegel'' ) is a folklore character from German and Dutch-language 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 ca. 1510 and became an best-seller by the standards of the age, being translated into Latin, French, Dutch, English and Polish within the 16th century. Till Eulenspiegel appears to have been 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 Belgian author Charles De Coster adapted this folklore tales into a novel which changed Uilenspiegel into a Flemish/Belgian FolkHero who uses his intelligence and comedy to fight against the Spanish occupation during the 16th century. Uilenspiegel also got a clear background story. He was born in the Flemish village Damme [[SignificantBirthDate on the same day of Phillip II]], the Spanish king who later would lead the Eighty Year's War against the Netherlands. Eulenspiegel'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 Eulenspiegel to fight against the Spanish oppressors. He is also given a girlfriend, Nele, and a gluttonous but jolly {{Sidekick}} named Lamme Goedzak.

''Till Eulenspiegel'' (lower German: '' Dyl Ulenspegel'' , Dutch: '' Tijl Uilenspiegel'' ) is a 16th century folklore character from Dutch, Flemish and German oral tradition. He's a jester/fool who enjoys tricking people or driving them mad by taking things too literally.

In the 19th century Belgian author Charles De Coster adapted this folklore tales into a novel which changed Uilenspiegel into a Flemish/Belgian FolkHero who uses his intelligence and comedy to fight against the Spanish occupation during the 16th century. Uilenspiegel also got a clear background story. He was born in the Flemish village Damme [[SignificantBirthDate on the same day of Philippe IV]], the Spanish king who later would lead the Eighty Year's War against the Netherlands. Eulenspiegel'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 Eulenspiegel to fight against the Spanish oppressors. He is also given a girlfriend, Nele, and a gluttonous but jolly {{Sidekick}} named Lamme Goedzak.

Comic strip artist Creator/WillyVandersteen (of ComicStrip/SuskeEnWiske fame) also drew two well known comic books about the character.

** And he also has a cameo in the ComicStrip/SuskeEnWiske album "De Krimson Crisis".

''Till Eulenspiegel'' (lower German: Dyl Ulenspegel, Dutch: Tijl Uilenspiegel) is a 16th century folklore character from Dutch, Flemish and German oral tradition. He's a jester/fool who enjoys tricking people or driving them mad by taking things too literally.

In the 19th century Belgian author Charles De Coster adapted this folklore tales into a novel which changed Uilenspiegel into a Flemish/Belgian hero who uses his intelligence and comedy to fight against the Spanish occupation during the 16th century. He gave Eulenspiegel a clear background story. He was born in the Flemish village Damme on the same day of Philippe IV, the Spanish king who later would fight the Eighty Year's War against the Netherlands. Eulenspiegel's father is Claes, who is later burned at the stake by the Spanish occupiers, and his mother is named Soetkin and later turns mad because of Claes' death. All these events motivate Eulenspiegel to fight against the Spanish oppressors. He is also given a girlfriend, Nele, and a gluttonous but jolly sidekick named Lamme Goedzak.

Comic strip artist WillyVandersteen (of SuskeEnWiske fame) also drew two well known comic books about the character.

Compare similar characters: Nasreddin from the Middle East, Herschel Ostropolier.

* AntiHero

* ComicBookAdaptation: Two albums were drawn by WillyVandersteen.
** And he also has a cameo in the SuskeEnWiske album "De Krimson Crisis".

* FolkHero

* TheTrickster

* AdaptationOverdosed: There's a song poem "Till Eulenspiegel's Lustige Streiche" ("Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks") by Creator/RichardStrauss, an opera, a full length novel by Belgian author Charles De Coster, two comic book albums by WillyVandersteen, several humor magazines, Flemish political movements, statues in both Germany and Flanders, an animated movie, and of course many collections of his stories.

* {{Squick}}: Once he shared a meal with a peasant woman. So Till, er, "added" some of his snot to the meal - the woman lost her appetite, and he could eat all of it alone.

* TheEmperorsNewClothes: There is one story involving Till painting a picture - which none who is a bastard (as in, born out of wedlock) can see. Of course, the painting is just a blank canvas.

* EverythingsWorseWithWolves: Eulenspiegel fools a braggard with a dead wolf.

* AdaptationOverdosed: There's a song poem "Till Eulenspiegel's Lustige Streiche" ("Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks") by Creator/RichardStrauss, an opera, a full length novel by Belgian author Charles De Coster, two comic book albums by WillyVandersteen, several humor magazines, Flemish political movements, statues in both Germany and Flanders, and of course many collections of his stories.

* HighAltitudeInterrogation: In a classic Eulenspiegel story Till is tightroping for money, when suddenly some spectactors 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 him 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 one 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.

* LiteralMinded: Or acts like it, anyway.

----

* MissingDad: In De Coster's novel Till's father is burned at the stake by the Spanish.

* TheSidekick: Lamme Goedzak

* ExactWords: Eulenspiegel enjoys driving people crazy by taking things to literally. Only one of many examples: when the duke of Lüneburg forbad Eulenspiegel to set a foot in his country, Eulenspiegel bought a cart and filled it with soil that didn't belong to the duke.

''Till Eulenspiegel'' (lower German: Dyl Ulenspegel, Dutch: Tijl Uilenspiegel) is a 16th century folklore character from Dutch, Flemish and German oral tradition. He's a jester/fool who enjoys tricking people or driving them mad by taking things too literally. In the 19th century Belgian author Charles De Coster adapted this folklore tales into a novel which changed Uilenspiegel into a Flemish/Belgian hero who uses his intelligence and comedy to fight against the Spanish occupation during the 16th century. Comic strip artist WillyVandersteen (of SuskeEnWiske fame) also drew two well known comic books about the character.

* WhyDoYouKeepChangingJobs: Except during the time when he worked as a jester, he did many different apprenticeships in his life. Usually just a few days until he pranked his master.

''Till Eulenspiegel'' (lower German: Dyl Ulenspegel) was a jester / fool from northern Germany and the hero of many {{folklore}} stories. Supposedly, he lived from 1300 to 1350; the first sourced, written-down stories are from the 16th century.

* AdaptationOverdosed: There are several movies, including an animated one from 2003, a Dutch series, a song poem "Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks" by noone lesser than Creator/RichardStrauss, an opera, several humor magazines bearing his name, and of course many collections of his stories.

* TheEmperorsNewClothes: There is one story involving Till painting a picture - which noone who is a bastard (as in, born out of wedlock) can see. Of course, the painting is just a blank canvas.
* EverythingsWorseWithWolves: Eulenspiegel fools a braggart with a dead wolf.
* ExactWords: When the duke of Lüneburg forbad Eulenspiegel to set a foot in his country, Eulenspiegel bought a cart and filled it with soil that didn't belong to the duke. You see what he did there. (That's just one of too many examples to mention.)