|
|
Lost in Translation The link between spirituality and humor may extend to the Bible, but much of the book's sarcasm, irony and wordplay was lost when it was translated into Latin and other languages, according to Brooklyn College's Hershey Friedman, who published related findings in the journal Humor. "Translating Hebrew into English results in the loss of the imagery and wordplays of the Hebrew," he told Discovery News. One of Friedman's favorite passages is the "Book of Jonah," which, in the Jewish faith, is read each year on Yom Kippur. Jonah becomes such a successful prophet that people repent, fast and dress according to his guidance. "Even the animals fast," Friedman said. He explained that Jonah was meant to be a parody for readers. "In effect, God is saying, 'I sent the worst prophet I could find (Jonah) to the Assyrians, and he did not have to say very much, and they all repented. I sent numerous articulate prophets to the Israelites and they did not wish to change their idolatrous ways." "There is humor here, but the humor is used to deliver a very potent message," he added. "The humor in the Bible has a purpose. It is used to mock the idolater and the wicked." The First Joke Books Monks continued the tradition of using humor as a teaching tool in the Ioca Monachorum, a text that dates to 700 A.D. Riddles abound: Who was not born but died? (Adam). What man can kill another man without being punished? (A doctor). The earliest known collection of jokes in a book, however, is Philogelos, or "Laughter-Lover," dating to 350 A.D. in the Greco-Roman period. Ewald says many of the anecdotes concern the comedic exploits of an idiotic "egghead" character. More than 100 jokes target snooty intellectuals, irritating professors, people with bad breath and even slaveholders. One reads, "An intellectual was on a sea voyage when a big storm blew up, causing his slaves to weep in terror. 'Don't cry,' he consoled them, 'I have freed you all in my will.'" The Original Jon Stewart? Certain forms of humor have come and gone over the centuries. Nevertheless, Ewald says, "What has remained the same are the methods of deriving humor -- humor from situations and humor from words still remain the two main techniques." Incongruous situations involving animals, as well as political humor, seem to be as popular today as they were 2,500 years ago. At that time, the Greek playwright Aristophanes was the Western world's Jon Stewart, according to Ewald. In one satire of the jury system in Athens, two dogs fight over a single piece of cheese. A canine jury and judge watch over the proceedings. "Animals doing human things is always funny," Ewald said. "Aristophanes is like Jon Stewart because he makes fun of politicians," he added. "For example, he calls the politician Cleon 'Jagged Teeth' to make fun of his physical appearance." Humor's Global Reach Perhaps the most striking feature of comedy through history is what a global phenomenon it is. Tribal societies in Africa and the Americas designated clowns who spoofed all sorts of things and helped to resolve disputes. A "laughing Buddha" emerged in Buddhist, Taoist and Shinto cultures to welcome worshippers with his laughing face, protruding belly and sack full of goodies. Greenland's Innuits developed comedic insult contests to avoid physically harming each other under the worst imaginable conditions. As Polimeni observed, "To my knowledge, no anthropologist has ever suggested he or she had visited a humorless society." Related Links: Jennifer Viegas' blog: Born Animal |
advertisement
Download Human Animal News at Bottom!
|
