Pickelhering or Pickelhäring was the nickname given to the comic

stock character A stock character, also known as a character archetype, is a fictional character in a work of art such as a novel, play, or a film whom audiences recognize from frequent recurrences in a particular literary tradition. There is a wide range of st ...

or stage buffoon in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

comedy troupe A comedy troupe is a group of comedians and associated personnel who work together to perform comedy as entertainment. The term is often used interchangeably with comedy group, and the troupe may specialize in a specific genre or style of comedy ...

s that travelled through

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

in the 17th century. The term literally meant "

pickled herring Pickled herring is a traditional way of preserving herring as food by pickling or curing. Most cured herring uses a two-step curing process: it is first cured with salt to extract water; then the salt is removed and the herring is brined in ...

". As with ''wurst'' ("sausage") in the name,

Hanswurst Hanswurst or Hans Wurst (German for "Johnny Sausage") was a popular coarse-comic figure of German-speaking impromptu comedy. He is "a half doltish, half cunning, partly stupid, partly knowing, enterprising and cowardly, self indulgent and merry f ...

, the figure of fun in 18th century German travelling theatres, or ''potage'' ("soup") in the name, Jean Potage, its French equivalent, the name refers to the everyday fare of the common people as opposed to the fine food of court society. ''Pickelhering'' is thus a

servant A domestic worker or domestic servant is a person who works within the scope of a residence. The term "domestic service" applies to the equivalent occupational category. In traditional English contexts, such a person was said to be "in service ...

figure in contrast to the high-ranking characters of the ''Haupt-und-Staatsaktions'', the German dramas performed by such theatres. The name also alludes to the

greed Greed (or avarice) is an uncontrolled longing for increase in the acquisition or use of material gain (be it food, money, land, or animate/inanimate possessions); or social value, such as Social status, status, or Power (social and politica ...

iness that has characterized comic characters since

Aristophanes Aristophanes (; grc, Ἀριστοφάνης, ; c. 446 – c. 386 BC), son of Philippus, of the deme In Ancient Greece, a deme or ( grc, δῆμος, plural: demoi, δημοι) was a suburb or a subdivision of Athens and other city-states ...

History

Andreas Gryphius Andreas Gryphius (german: Andreas Greif; 2 October 161616 July 1664) was a German poet and playwright. With his eloquent sonnets, which contains "The Suffering, Frailty of Life and the World", he is considered one of the most important Baroque ...

has a ''Pickelhering'' appear in his play ''Absurda Comica oder Herr Peter Squentz'' (1658) as "the king's comic advisor". In 1649, ''Pickelhering'' appears as a named character in German political satire, "Conversation between the English Pickelhering and the French Jan Potagchen, about the shameful execution of Royal Majesty in England, Scotland and Ireland."

20th century to present

In 2023 ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...

'' episode "Clown v. Board of Education," which featured a clown-themed elementary school, Pickelhering is

Bart Bart is a masculine given name, usually a diminutive of Bartholomew, sometimes of Barton, Bartolomeo, etc. Bart is a Dutch and Ashkenazi Jewish surname, and derives from the name ''Bartholomäus'', a German form of the biblical name ''Barthol ...

's answer to "the first clown to wear a double-winged neck ruff.""Clown v. Board of Education." ''

,'' Season 34 Episode 21, 2023.

References

Literature

* Beller, Manfred and Joseph Theodoor Leerssen, eds. (2007). "Character (Dramatic)" in ''Imagology: The Cultural Construction and Literary Representation of National Characters''. Amsterdam/New York: Rodopi.

Weblinks

{{Wiktionary, Pickelhering
Andreas Gryphius: ''Absurda Comica'' at Gutenberg
Stock characters by theatrical genre Comedy theatre characters Male characters in theatre

History

20th century to present

See also

References

Literature

Weblinks