Eulenspiegel (lit. "Owl mirror") is the German last name of a trickster figure originating in Middle Low German folklore, and the title (in various combinations) of a large number of tales and plays over the years.

The character

The character, known as "Till Eulenspiegel" or "Tyl Eulenspiegel" in the German, appears in many cultures under a variety of names, inter alia in picaresque stories about his adventures in various regions.

In other countries he is known, among other names, as "Owlglass" in English, "Till l'Espiègle" in French, "Uilenspiegel" in Dutch and "Uilspieël" in Afrikaans. His last name if often used as an alternative term to refer to a buffoon, fool, trickster or jester.

For more on the character and dramatized versions of his adventures, see "Till Eulenspiegel" in Wikipedia[1].

Dramatised versions of the tales

The original playtext

Eulenspiegel (lit. "Owl mirror") is a German dramatic farce in one act by August von Kotzebue (1761 – 1819)[2], based on the German folkloric character "Till Eulenspiegel"[3].

The play was apparently originally written by Von Kotzebue as a libretto for an opera by this name, with music by Ludwig Wilhelm Tepper von Ferguson[4], and produced by Von Kotzebue in the German Theatre in St Petersburg in 1801 (to no great success).

Possibly reworked as a one-act farce, it was first performed in this form in the Königliches Schauspielhaus, Berlin in 1806 and the text published in German in Berlin 1807.

Translations and adaptations

International versions

A stage version of the basic tale was translated and adapted into Dutch as Uilenspiegel by Jan Steven van Esveldt Holtrop, and published by J.S. van Esveldt Holtrop, Amsterdam, 1812.

Other writers who have produced or translated the tales include Max Jacob and L. Contryn.

A number of South African versions of the tales have been written, including a number of stage plays, pantomimes and puppet plays. Among them have been:

South African versions

The Adventures of a Merry Madcap by Janice Honeyman: A colourful children’s production based on the Tyl Eulenspiegel tales. First performed at the Market Theatre in 1976.

Tyl Uilspieël: Five Afrikaans puppet plays, translated and/or adapted for use by Matie Poppekas (the puppet company at the Stellenbosch Drama Department). The bound set of typed texts are:

Die Leerling Towenaar ("The apprentice magician")
Uilspieël gee 'n Nuwe Rok ("Uilspieël give a new dress"). This text is by Rina Botha, and was based on Tijl Schenkt een Nieuw Kleed, L. Contryn's Dutch version of a puppet play by the German puppeteer Max Jacob (1888-1967)[5].
Tyl Koop 'n Nuwe Huis ("Tyl buys a new house")
Tyl Gaan na Mars ("Tyl goes to Mars")
Tyl die Bakkertjie ("Tyl the little baker")

Performance history of Eulenspiegel productions South Africa

1819: Announced for performance by Tot Nut en Vermaak in Dutch as Uilenspiegel in the African Theatre, Cape Town on 5 June. However it was postponed, taking place 12 June 1819, as afterpiece to Menschenhaat en Berouw (Von Kotzebue).

1825: Performed in Dutch as Uilenspiegel by Tot Nut en Vermaak on 4 June in De Liefhebbery Toneel, as afterpiece to De Broeders Op Den Toets (Pelletier-Volméranges).

1838: Performed in Stellenbosch in Dutch as Uilenspiegel by Door Yver Vruchtbaar (combined with the Music Association) on 24 October, with Eleonora van Rosalba (Pujos and J. Dabaytua).

1845: Performed in Dutch as Uilenspiegel by the combined company, Het Privaat Hollandsch Tooneellievend Gezelschap playing under the combined motto Tot Nut en Vermaak en Door Yver Vruchtbaar, in the Hope Street Theatre, Cape Town on 3 December, as afterpiece to Loon der Waarheid (Von Kotzebue).

1847: Performed in Dutch as Uilenspiegel by the combined company, Het Privaat Hollandsch Tooneellievend Gezelschap playing under the combined motto Tot Nut en Vermaak en Door Yver Vruchtbaar, in the Hope Street Theatre, Cape Town on 2 November, as afterpiece to De Baron van Felsheim, of De Slag by Friedberg (Bernos).

1852: Performed in Dutch as Uilenspiegel by Door Yver Bloeit de Kunst in the Bree Street Theatre, Cape Town on 16 September, with De Onechte Dochter (J.P. Meijer).

1867: Produced in Dutch as Uilenspiegel by Door Yver Bloeit de Kunst at the Theatre Royal, Cape Town on 26 June, with Het Geheim (Fournier and Arnould, tr De Bruine).

1869: Produced in Dutch as Uilenspiegel at the Odd Fellows’ Hall on 3 February by Door Yver Bloeit de Kunst, with Adelaide van Beyeren (Tréogate).

1869: The programme of 3 February by Door Yver Bloeit de Kunst is repeated on 11 February.

1976: The Adventures of a Merry Madcap by Janice Honeyman performed at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Till_Eulenspiegel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_von_Kotzebue

https://musopen.org/composer/ludwig-wilhelm-tepper-von-ferguson/

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Till_l'Espi%C3%A8gle

Opening Night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres, Stanford University Libraries[6]

Stanley Hochman 1984 McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama, McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama: An International Reference Work in 5 Volumes, Stanley Hochman, Volume 1: p. 182 [7]

http://books.google.co.za/books/about/Uilenspiegel.html?id=p3YMtwAACAAJ&redir_esc=y

F.C.L. Bosman. 1928. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855. Pretoria: J.H. de Bussy. [8]: pp. 134, 236, 255, 450-1, 456-7,

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.443, 445

Tyl Uilspieël a roneod collection of five typed Afrikaans texts used by Matie Poppekas, found in the Stellenbosch Drama Department archives in 2022.

Go to ESAT Bibliography