I was talking with Chris about fathers and storytelling. Horror, gypsies and scorpions, tall tales about family of never had. Brought back a lot of memories of my father’s study… the smells of cherry tobacco and old leather.
When I was seven or so, my father introduced me to Baron Munchausen… or if you want to get nit-picky, Karl Friedrich Hieronymus, Freiheirr (baron) von Münchhausen. Sort of a superhero, sort of colossal braggart, the Baron quickly became a longtime favorite of mine, and a great topic of storytelling in his own right between my father, myself, and my younger brother… (for about eight years or so… sadly, storytimes diminished after that)
Terry Gilliam made a movie about his exploits, and those of his compatriots in the late 80’s, and I might add, did a fine job of it. (With the exception of Robin Wiliams as lord of the moon… he’s too identifiable. )
One of the cool things about the baron was that he was a real person, sort of like Emperor Norton, or Will Rogers… an entertainer, who told stories. He had a huge beak of a nose, and a braided ponytail that was the fashion of Prussian soldiers of the time. After serving with the Russians against the Turks, the baron retired as a country gentleman at forty, and became well known as a first-class raconteur.The baron told extraordinary tales about his life as a soldier, hunter, and sportsman.
Some of his adventures were : Journeying to the Moon and the Sun, riding on a flying cannonball, lifting the siege of Gibraltar single-handed, finding a floating island made entirely of cheese, escaping from bandits on half a horse, falling through the center of the Earth, seducing the Empress of Russia, meeting Vulcan and Venus, being swallowed by a giant fish. That sort of thing. 🙂
Now, I’m interested in digging up a few books of the old stories… off to amazon I go. ooh! do I have to wait until July to get it? pooties.
of course, I could get a first edition, published in 1859, for big cheap at $285. 🙂 I’ll wait for the $14 reprint.
On that note, I’m going to go to bed… and dream of romancing a fine alabaster-skinned, red haired Empress… I’ve but to braid my hair. 🙂
Good night, fair folk.
