Sprichwortbild und Sprichwortschwank. Zum illustrativen und narrativen Potential von Metaphern in der deutschsprachigen Literatur um 1500. Von Andreas Bässler. Quellen und Forschungen zur Sprach- und Kulturgeschichte der germanischen Völker, 27. Berlin and New York: Walter de Gruyter, 2003. Pp. vii + 403. EUR 98.

Bíssler's lengthy and thorough dissertation is the first study to examine systematically the literary device he calls "metaphorical inversion " in both the "Sprichwortbild " and "Sprichwortschwank." Metaphorical inversion refers to the emphasizing of the literal as opposed to metaphorical meaning of the proverb by means of the accompanying picture or narrative. Although he concentrates on German-language textsÊhis two main examples are Brant's Narrenschiff and UlenspiegelÊthe metaphorical inversion of proverbs is found throughout Europe. Bíssler concentrates his study on "das goldene Zeitalter des Sprichworts " (p. 9), the period between 1490 and 1520. He examines the phenomenon from several different vantage points, including those of art history, the study of proverbs (paremiology), ethnology, and, of course, literary history. He points out connections to emblems, humanist hieroglyphics, riddles, illustrated fables, and pythagoric symbols, to name a few.

Katya Skow-Obenaus
The Citadel