Thyl Ulenspiegel du folklore au mythe [Thyl Ulenspiegel from folklore to myth]

Abstract

The figure of Thyl Ulenspiegel has been subject to numerous interpretations starting with the German folklore of the 15th century and ending with the comic strip representations of the 21st century. From a chronological perspective, the etymological evolution of the name Ulenspiegel corresponds to the transfer of the hero from the German-speaking culture to the Flemish and French-speaking culture. At the same time, this phenomenon is parallel to the appropriation of orally transmitted folk tales by the written literature. The aim of the present article is to determine whether the appropriation of the hero in Belgian literature justifies his description as a mythical or as a legendary character.