Hermann Bote
Hermann Bote was a customs clerk from the German town of Brunswick who emerged as a literary figure around the turn of the sixteenth century. He is most notably recognized as the likely author of the "Till Eulenspiegel" tales, which were published anonymously in 1510. These tales center around the character of Till Eulenspiegel, a mischievous prankster who humorously targets the powerful figures of various European nations. Over the past five hundred years, these stories have captivated audiences and have been translated into numerous languages, solidifying their place in literary history. The character's exploits are rooted in folklore, claiming to narrate the life of a real prankster from the 14th century, although the historical existence of Till Eulenspiegel remains uncertain. Scholars suggest Bote's authorship based on thematic similarities to his other works and the local settings of the tales. A notable piece of evidence supporting this attribution is an acrostic in the collection that hints at Bote's name, reflecting a literary technique he used in his writings. The enduring appeal of Till Eulenspiegel has inspired various cultural adaptations, including a tone poem by composer Richard Strauss.
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Hermann Bote
Fiction Writer
- Born: c. 1467
- Died: c. 1520
Biography
Hermann Bote was a customs clerk in the German town of Brunswick who published tales and poems around the turn of the sixteenth century. Ironically, he is best known as the likely author of a collection of tales about the mythic prankster Till Eulenspiegel, published anonymously in 1510. The character of Till Eulespeigel has remained popular through the years, inspiring literary homage and a tone poem by Richard Strauss. The Eulenspiegel tales have been translated into numerous languages for more than five-hundred years. Its central character is known for his humorous and often vulgar pranks at the expense of the powerful figures of many European nations. While the book claims to tell the tale of an actual peasant prankster who died in the town of Luneberg in 1350, it is unknown whether the character of Till Eulenspiegel ever existed.
The attribution of the earliest known version of the Till Eulenspigel tales to Hermann Bote is based on similarities to his other published works, and the fact that many of the adventures of Till Eulenspiegel take place around Bote’s hometown of Brunswick. The most intriguing evidence of Bote’s authorship, however, is an acrostic formed by the first letters of the last five tales of the collection, which spell out “ERMANB”; Hermann Bote included such acrostics in his other books as well, albeit those examples spelled his name in full.