“Are you really serious?”
-
Paul van der Velde
Abstract
Four possible examples of humour, jokes or puns from early India are discussed: two from Buddhism (the Khaggavisāṇa-sutta or ‘Song of the Rhinoceros’ and an example from the sermons of the Buddha on the mythical origin of the Brahmin caste system) and two from the Ṛgveda. It appears that humour quickly loses its value and meaning once the original context is forgotten. What was once maybe intended as a joke or persiflage may soon change into something serious. What was then maybe cynically intended had to be reinterpreted to fit in the authoritative tradition. For recognizing what may have been humorous, we have to reconstruct the original context, meanwhile accepting the influence of changing contexts on the reception of ancient texts.
Abstract
Four possible examples of humour, jokes or puns from early India are discussed: two from Buddhism (the Khaggavisāṇa-sutta or ‘Song of the Rhinoceros’ and an example from the sermons of the Buddha on the mythical origin of the Brahmin caste system) and two from the Ṛgveda. It appears that humour quickly loses its value and meaning once the original context is forgotten. What was once maybe intended as a joke or persiflage may soon change into something serious. What was then maybe cynically intended had to be reinterpreted to fit in the authoritative tradition. For recognizing what may have been humorous, we have to reconstruct the original context, meanwhile accepting the influence of changing contexts on the reception of ancient texts.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- About the contributors ix
-
Part I. Humour as tool and topic (essays)
- Humour, risk and religion 3
- Religion and humour 11
- The unquenchable laughter of the gods 17
- Is the application of modern humour theories on historical cases a joke? 23
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Part II. Christianity and Judaism in Late Antiquity
- Derisive laughter and religious identity in ancient Christianity 33
- Opponent or advocate? 47
- “This joke has gone on for long enough” 63
- The smile of the martyr 81
- Divine mockery and laughing Rabbis 93
- Converting comedians 107
- Biblical fun 127
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Part III. The Qur’an and early Arabic literature
- Humour and its ethics 145
- A laughing God, between Sunni approval and Shi’ite rejection 155
- Poetic parodies of Islamic discourses by Abū Nuwās 183
- Greek and Buddhist jokes and their corresponding versions in classical Arabic literature 207
-
Part IV. Buddhism
- How is this sutra different from my ass? 221
- Finicking monkeys 235
- “Are you really serious?” 253
-
Part V. Conclusion
- Humour in religion 273
- Index 301
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- About the contributors ix
-
Part I. Humour as tool and topic (essays)
- Humour, risk and religion 3
- Religion and humour 11
- The unquenchable laughter of the gods 17
- Is the application of modern humour theories on historical cases a joke? 23
-
Part II. Christianity and Judaism in Late Antiquity
- Derisive laughter and religious identity in ancient Christianity 33
- Opponent or advocate? 47
- “This joke has gone on for long enough” 63
- The smile of the martyr 81
- Divine mockery and laughing Rabbis 93
- Converting comedians 107
- Biblical fun 127
-
Part III. The Qur’an and early Arabic literature
- Humour and its ethics 145
- A laughing God, between Sunni approval and Shi’ite rejection 155
- Poetic parodies of Islamic discourses by Abū Nuwās 183
- Greek and Buddhist jokes and their corresponding versions in classical Arabic literature 207
-
Part IV. Buddhism
- How is this sutra different from my ass? 221
- Finicking monkeys 235
- “Are you really serious?” 253
-
Part V. Conclusion
- Humour in religion 273
- Index 301
