Romanian humour
Encyclopedia
Romanian humour, like all of Romanian culture, has many affinities with five other groups: the Latins (namely the French
and Italians), the Balkan people (Greeks
, the Slavs, and Turks
), the Germanic peoples and the Hungarians.
. His name is derived from a (se) păcăli ('to fool oneself/somebody') and, since this word cannot be found in any other related language, we can safely assume that he's part of pure Romanian humour.
The Ottoman
influence brought the Balkan spirit and with it other characters and situations. Anton Pann
's Nastratin Hogea is a classic example of an urban tradesman. As Jewish people settled in the Romanian regions, two other characters joined Romanian humour: Iţic and Ştrul, a pair of cunning Jews, mainly seen as ingenious but avaricious shopkeepers.
With modernization and urbanization, especially during the Communist regime, Romanians needed a new character, different from the traditional Păcală, and he was found in Bulă
, the tragicomic absolute idiot. In 2006 Bulă was voted the 59th greatest Romanian.
With the fall of communism and facing capitalism, a new kind of joke became popular: that of Alinuţa, a sadistic and stupid 10-year old girl. Example: Alinuţa: "Mum, I don't like grandma." Mum: "Shut up, we eat what we have!"
Scotsmen are presented as stingy, mean, dumb and feisty kilt-wearing skulks, who act against common sense just to save a small amount of money.
Russians:
Somalis are seen as underweight and hungry.
Albanians are seen as very technologically impaired.
Hungarians are seen as proud, but naive. The stereotypical Hungarian is called Ianoş
and usually is accompanied by a Romanian named Ion
.
. For example, Moldovans
pronounce /tch/ as /sh/ and /e/ as /i/, Oltenians make use of the perfect simple (rarely used in other regions) and the Transylvanians use some words of Hungarian and German origin such as 'musai' (meaning must) or 'fain' (meaning nice), as well as starting most sentences with the interjection "No" (not a negative, but meaning So or Well).
jokes belong to the absurd genre.
, political jokes were very popular, although they were illegal and dangerous to tell. In the democratic Romania, these jokes are still popular, although the themes changed: now the politicians are seen either as hopelessly corrupt, greedy or as nationalist madmen.
As Ben Lewis put it in his essay, "Communism
was a humor-producing machine. Its economic theories and system of repression created inherently funny situations. There were jokes under fascism
and the Nazis too, but those systems did not create an absurd, laugh-a-minute reality like communism."
Radio Erevan
: just like in the most countries of the former Eastern bloc, Radio Erevan jokes were popular during the Communist times.
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
and Italians), the Balkan people (Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
, the Slavs, and Turks
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
), the Germanic peoples and the Hungarians.
Characters
The earliest Romanian character found in an anecdote is PăcalăPăcală
Păcală is a fictional character in Romanian folklore, literature and humor. An irreverent young man, seemingly a peasant, he reserves contempt and irony for the village authorities , but often plays the fool...
. His name is derived from a (se) păcăli ('to fool oneself/somebody') and, since this word cannot be found in any other related language, we can safely assume that he's part of pure Romanian humour.
The Ottoman
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
influence brought the Balkan spirit and with it other characters and situations. Anton Pann
Anton Pann
Anton Pann , was an Ottoman-born Wallachian composer, musicologist, and Romanian-language poet, also noted for his activities as a printer, translator, and schoolteacher...
's Nastratin Hogea is a classic example of an urban tradesman. As Jewish people settled in the Romanian regions, two other characters joined Romanian humour: Iţic and Ştrul, a pair of cunning Jews, mainly seen as ingenious but avaricious shopkeepers.
With modernization and urbanization, especially during the Communist regime, Romanians needed a new character, different from the traditional Păcală, and he was found in Bulă
BULA
Bula or BULA may refer to:*The Canadian aircraft category Basic Ultra-Light Aeroplane*Bula, Camarines Sur*Bula, Indonesia*Bula River in Tatarstan and Chuvashia, Russia*Beach Ultimate Lovers Association...
, the tragicomic absolute idiot. In 2006 Bulă was voted the 59th greatest Romanian.
With the fall of communism and facing capitalism, a new kind of joke became popular: that of Alinuţa, a sadistic and stupid 10-year old girl. Example: Alinuţa: "Mum, I don't like grandma." Mum: "Shut up, we eat what we have!"
Ethnic jokes
Roma:- Jokes about the Tigani(Gypsy) ethnic minority in Romanian. Recurring themes are stealing, refusing to work, having too many children, atrocious personal hygiene and bad personal finance management – essentially all the stereotypeStereotypeA stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
s about gypsies in Romania. Romanians passionately hate Gypsies, and currently hold them lower than slaves.
Scotsmen are presented as stingy, mean, dumb and feisty kilt-wearing skulks, who act against common sense just to save a small amount of money.
Russians:
- A poor Russian fisherman catches a little fish which grants him three wishes. The first wish was "A big vodka". The wish is granted and the fisherman drinks it, then asks the fish for another one. "I want that the whole Volga to be made out of vodka." The wish is granted and the fisherman swims in it and drinks from it. Afterward he is asked for the last wish. He says "You know what? I want another vodka".
Somalis are seen as underweight and hungry.
- Q: In what part of Somalia is the density of population greatest?
- A: It depends on the direction of the wind.
Albanians are seen as very technologically impaired.
- Q: How can you stop an Albanian tank?
- A: You shoot the soldier that is pushing it.
- Q: Why is there a rubber-band shortage in Albania?
- A: They're saving them for their satellite launch.
Hungarians are seen as proud, but naive. The stereotypical Hungarian is called Ianoş
Janos
Janos may refer to:*Janos, an alternative-rock band out of Las Cruces, NM*János, male Hungarian given name, a variant of John-Places:*Janos, Chihuahua, town in Mexico*Janos , a municipality of Chihuahua-People:...
and usually is accompanied by a Romanian named Ion
Ion (name)
Ion is a common Romanian given name for males. It is equivalent to the English name John and has the same etymology as "John", tracing back to a Hebrew name. Ion can also be a surname in Romanian....
.
- The ClujCluj-NapocaCluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
local administration discusses erecting of a statue of Avram IancuAvram IancuAvram Iancu was a Transylvanian Romanian lawyer who played an important role in the local chapter of the Austrian Empire Revolutions of 1848–1849. He was especially active in the Ţara Moţilor region and the Apuseni Mountains...
. A councilor says "The statue should have a hand pointing to HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, so the Hungarians would know we're watching them". Another one suggests that "in one hand, Iancu should hold a noose, so they would know what to expect should they try to steal TransylvaniaTransylvaniaTransylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
". Another councilor suggests that "there should be a Hungarian in the noose". Then, Gheorghe FunarGheorghe FunarGheorghe Funar is a nationalist Romanian politician, who rose to fame as mayor of Cluj-Napoca between 1992 and 2004-Biography:...
(the well-known former nationalistNationalismNationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
Mayor of Cluj) says "I say we replace the Hungarian every day!".
Regions of Romania
One feature of Romanian humour is that apart from the ethnic jokes, there are also jokes about people of other regions. They are usually told using the way each region uses the Romanian languageRomanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
. For example, Moldovans
Moldovans
Moldovans or Moldavians are the largest population group of Moldova...
pronounce /tch/ as /sh/ and /e/ as /i/, Oltenians make use of the perfect simple (rarely used in other regions) and the Transylvanians use some words of Hungarian and German origin such as 'musai' (meaning must) or 'fain' (meaning nice), as well as starting most sentences with the interjection "No" (not a negative, but meaning So or Well).
- OlteniaOlteniaOltenia is a historical province and geographical region of Romania, in western Wallachia. It is situated between the Danube, the Southern Carpathians and the Olt river ....
ns (Olteni) and MunteniaMunteniaMuntenia is a historical province of Romania, usually considered Wallachia-proper . It is situated between the Danube , the Carpathian Mountains and Moldavia , and the Olt River to the west...
ns (Munteni) are seen as trying to be ingenious and fast-paced, but failing every time. They do talk a lot too – people from other regions think that they even talk before thinking. Oltenians are said to be especially proud. Nea Mărin is a character created in the 1970s by Amza PelleaAmza PelleaAmza Pellea was one of the most important Romanian actors, being remarked both for his theatre and his film acting.Born in Băileşti, in Oltenia, he attended the Carol I High School...
(himself an Oltenian) who is the archetypal traditional Oltenian. - MoldovansMoldovansMoldovans or Moldavians are the largest population group of Moldova...
(Moldoveni) are smart and proud, and drink a lot. - TransylvaniaTransylvaniaTransylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
ns (Ardeleni) are seen as patriarchal and slow, both in thinking/speaking and in acting.
Stereotypes
Policemen: Most Romanian people are not fond of the institution of law enforcement and try to avoid contact with constables. Romanian public opinion holds the policemen as primitive, uneducated and totally corrupt. Some of these policePolice
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
jokes belong to the absurd genre.
- Q: A policeman is shaving. The telephone rings. Why does he cut himself?
- A: So he knows where to resume from.
- Q: How do you choose a stupid policeman from among a group?
- A: At random.
Politics
Especially during the Communist regimeCommunist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
, political jokes were very popular, although they were illegal and dangerous to tell. In the democratic Romania, these jokes are still popular, although the themes changed: now the politicians are seen either as hopelessly corrupt, greedy or as nationalist madmen.
As Ben Lewis put it in his essay, "Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
was a humor-producing machine. Its economic theories and system of repression created inherently funny situations. There were jokes under fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
and the Nazis too, but those systems did not create an absurd, laugh-a-minute reality like communism."
- In Ceausescu's time, a line is forming around the street's corner. A man passing by sees it and asks the last one in line: "What do they sell here?" "I have no idea", he replies, "go ask someone ahead". The man goes to the middle of the line and asks another person: "What do they sell here?" "I have no idea", the answer comes and he is sent farther ahead to seek for an answer. The man goes straight to the first person in line and asks him: "What do they sell here?" The other one answers: "Nothing, I just felt sick and took support on this wall." "Well then, why are you still here?", the man asked. "Because I've never been the first in such a long line", the answer came.
- Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, Boris YeltsinBoris YeltsinBoris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...
and Ion IliescuIon IliescuIon Iliescu served as President of Romania from 1990 until 1996, and from 2000 until 2004. From 1996 to 2000 and from 2004 until his retirement in 2008, Iliescu was a Senator for the Social Democratic Party , whose honorary president he remains....
are invited to see an airplane built entirely out of gold. They are told that they can enter it and look around for as long as they like, but they can't take anything. Clinton goes first, stays five minutes, upon his exit the metal detector blares; Clinton had taken a screw and a nail with him. Yeltsin goes second, stays five minutes, upon his exit the metal detector blares again; Yeltsin had stolen a fistful of screws. Finally, Iliescu enters the plane, and stays there five minutes. And another five minutes. And another... Suddenly, the plane takes off.
Radio Erevan
Radio Yerevan
Radio Yerevan, or Armenian Radio jokes have been very popular in the Soviet Union and in other Communist countries of the ex-Eastern bloc since the second half of the 20th century....
: just like in the most countries of the former Eastern bloc, Radio Erevan jokes were popular during the Communist times.