Till Eulenspiegel: His Adventures (Oxford Worlds Classics)
by Paul Oppenheimer
Category: Science

Till Eulenspiegel is the most famous German folk hero, a roving jester whose exploits, translated into dozens of languages, and influencing composers such as Richard Strauss, have fascinated and delighted millions for nearly 500 years. Surprisingly, Eulenspiegel's adventures, mocking pompous people of all sorts, have never fully been translated into English. Censored versions reduce to childishness his penetrating satire of late medieval and Renaissance life. This is the first translation of the earliest known complete edition of 1515, with interpolations from previous fragments. Its introduction re-creates the historical context of the tales, while exploring their meanings and considering the controversial question of their authorship. This edition also includes the entire set of sixteenth-century woodcuts, which perfectly illustrate Till Eulenspiegel's piercing and bawdy wit.