About the book: 1986 / Among German folk books of the 15th–16th centuries. A very prominent place is occupied by books of a comic, often accusatory-comic nature. Far from the knightly myth and refined courtly romance, they absorbed the tart juices of the folk culture of laughter, which, back in the middle of the century, burst into collections of mocking schwanks, filling them with vulgar fun, clownish wit, noise and din. Actually, such a collection of dashing schwanks was the cheerful book about Till Eulenspiegel and his mischievous adventures, which left a deep mark on European literature for several centuries. Like Doctor Faustus, Till Eulenspiegel was not a fictional figure. According to legend, he lived in Germany in the 14th century. As a local landmark in the 16th century. in Mölln (Schleswig) they showed his tombstone with an image of an owl and a mirror. Coming from a peasant family, Til was a restless tramp, a joker, a rogue, a mischievous apprentice who did not bow his head to those in power. This is how he was remembered by ordinary people, who loved to talk about his antics and daring jokes. Over time, these stories formed a collection of funny jokes, which were later replenished with anecdotes borrowed from various book and oral sources. Till Eulenspiegel became a legendary collective figure, just as in the East Khoja Nasreddin was such a collective figure.