Baron Munchhausen is a fictional literary character made after real Munchhausen: Hieronymus Karl Friedrich. His adventures are collected in the book of extraordinary achievements written by Rudolf Erich Raspe and, after him, several other writers. Munchhausen's adventures were loosely based after Hieronymus Karl Friedrich, who served in the Russian army in the war against the Turks in the 18th century. It is believed he was telling about his experience with such passion and exaggerations he got a nickname Luegenbaron (Baron of Lies).
Rudolf Erich Raspe collected some of the anecdotes from Munchhausen's life, added a lot of material from older books and the first Adventures of Baron Munchhausen were ready. The book was published in England in 1785 and was soon translated (and further expanded by new adventures) by Gottfried August Buerger. His version is today best known and this is the one Oskar Herrfurth used to select the scenes for two collections of postcards - twelve themed postcards altogether.
We present each one of them with a short description.
Rudolf Erich Raspe collected some of the anecdotes from Munchhausen's life, added a lot of material from older books and the first Adventures of Baron Munchhausen were ready. The book was published in England in 1785 and was soon translated (and further expanded by new adventures) by Gottfried August Buerger. His version is today best known and this is the one Oskar Herrfurth used to select the scenes for two collections of postcards - twelve themed postcards altogether.
We present each one of them with a short description.
Baron from Hanover was a superb storyteller. His hunting, travel, and war adventures were always exceptionally well-accepted by his many friends and acquaintances. Here we can see him at the table sharing food and wine with his audience.
Once the Baron rode his horse in the winter through deep snow. In the evening he tied his ride at a sharp stick pricking out of the snow and fell asleep. In the morning he woke up to find out he was sleeping at the church with a horse tied to the top of the tower. The snow was obviously so high the top of the church was the only thing under the level but it melted in the night leaving the horse exposed on the church's roof. Munchhausen solved the problem with a single shot - the rope broke and the horse slid down. They were on their way right after.
On another occasion, Munchhausen needed a ride. He attached some bacon on a dog's leash and waited for a duck to swallow it. The bacon got through the duck without being digested. Another duck ate it and the process repeated several times. When there were a dozen ducks, Munchhausen wrapped the leash around his waist. Just perfect to follow the ducks when they started flying across the town. Being close enough to his house, he started killing ducks until he landed in the chimney of his house.
The Baron showed his resourcefulness at fox hunting too. When he found a fox, he nailed it at the tree through the fox's tail. After cutting the front of the fox's head, hit it, and the animal jumped out of its fur saving him troubles of skinning.
There was a situation when Baron ran out of bullets right before a capital stag appeared right in front of him. So he loaded his gun with some cherry pits and shot the animal in the head. The stag ran away but they met again about a year later. This time the stag got a small cherry tree among its antlers and Munchhausen a gun with proper bullets. He shot the animal providing himself roast venison and a cherry cake at the same time.
In the war with the Turks Munchhausen's horse was wounded but the Baron didn't notice that until they stopped at the fountain in the square. A strange sound convinced him to check the back of the horse just to find out it was lost in a battle. While the animal was drinking, the water ran through its body running out of the hole where the back with the last two legs should be. Luckily he found the backside of the horse just out of town and the blacksmith tied both of the parts of the horse together.
This is where the first series of Oskar Herrfuth's themed postcards ends. We continue with the second series.
This is where the first series of Oskar Herrfuth's themed postcards ends. We continue with the second series.
There was a case where Baron von Munchhausen tried to ride over the swamp. his horse got stuck but the Baron pulled himself up for his ponytail, squeezed the horse between his legs, and rescued both out of danger.
In war, all kinds of resourcefulness are welcomed. At besieging the fortress Munchhausen jumped on the cannonball which was just shut to the fortress. From the air, he had a much better look over the situation. When another shot was fired from the fortress in direction of his army he simply switched the balls in the air and safely arrived back.
On one occasion Baron became a Turkish prisoner of war. He had to fight with bears and used an ax to defend himself. Unfortunately, he threw it too high and landed on the moon. So he planted Turkish bean which grew right to the moon horn. Baron climbed up to get an ax but the sun had dried the bean and only a part hanging down the moon didn't disintegrate. Munchhausen climbed as down as possible, cut it at the top, and bound it to the bottom part of the bean. Then he repeated the process until he returned down.
One of Munchhausen's duties in Turkish imprisonment was taking care of the bees. Once he used their honey to cover the wagon pole. That attracted the bear. The beast licked honey until the pole pierced its throat and stomach. When the Turkish sultan saw Baron's catch he almost laughed to death of laughing.
The Russian winter was so harsh Munchhausen's postilion couldn't blow any tone out of his horn. But at the kitchen fire, the tones frozen inside of the horn started melting and whole marshes and songs started coming out!
At the bank of the river in Ceylon, Baron Munchhausen was attacked by a lion. When he tried to withdraw to the river, a huge crocodile attacked him as well. Munchhausen fell down waiting for inevitable death. But nothing happened. After a while, he looked up and found the lion trapped in the crocodile's jaws. Now Baron was able to kill them both.
That's all Oskar Herrfurth made on Baron Munchhausen's adventures!
That's all Oskar Herrfurth made on Baron Munchhausen's adventures!