Eulenspiegel, Till (tĭl oi`lən-shpē'gəl) [Ger.,=owl-mirror, hence English Owlglass], a north German peasant clown of the 14th cent. who was immortalized in chapbooks describing his practical jokes on clerics and townsfolk. The first Till chapbook (c.1500) was probably in Saxon, but the story it told spread all over Europe and North Britain. Till is the hero of a tone poem by Richard Strauss and of many novels, poems, and stories. Tyll Ulenspiegel is one of the variant spellings.

Bibliography

See K. R. H. MacKenzie's adaptation in English, Master Tyll Owlglass (1890).

Eulenspiegel, Till

German peasant trickster of folk and literary tales. The historical Till is said to have died in 1350; anecdotes associated with his name were printed c. 1500 in Low German and from 1515 in High German. In the tales the stupid yet cunning peasant demonstrates his superiority to the narrow, dishonest, condescending townsmen, as well as to the clergy and nobility. The tales were translated into Dutch and English (c. 1520), French (1532), and Latin (1558).

Eulenspiegel, Till

wanders the Low Countries, living by his wits and avenging the evil deeds of King Philip. [Belg. Lit.: Benét, 325]

See : Adventurousness

Eulenspiegel, Till

legendary peasant known for his pranks. [Ger. Folklore: Benét, 325–326]

See : Mischievousness

Eulenspiegel, Till

roams Low Countries as soldier and deliverer. [Ger. Folklore: Benét, 325–326]

See : Wandering