Rezension von: Moser, Hugo, Schwäbischer Volkshumor

Overview

This work constitutes a comprehensive examination of Swabian folk humor through the systematic documentation and analysis of derisive place names across Württemberg, Hohenzollern, Bavarian Swabia, portions of Baden, and Swabian diaspora communities. The study catalogs epithets and mockery associated with municipalities and villages within these regions, supported by cartographic representation of geographic distribution patterns.

Methods and approach

The research employs ethnographic and dialectological methodology centered on collection and classification of folk nomenclature. The investigation integrates geographic mapping to visualize spatial distribution of naming conventions and humor patterns across distinct Swabian territories. The compilation encompasses both settled populations and displaced Swabian communities, facilitating comparative analysis across territorial and demographic boundaries.

Results

The study presents an extensive inventory of regional place-name mockery organized geographically and thematically. Sixteen maps document the spatial patterning of folk humor traditions. The material reveals systematic patterns in how communities assigned derisive names and maintained associated folk narratives, demonstrating consistent humor conventions within and across Swabian-speaking regions.

Implications

The work contributes substantively to Swabian dialectology and regional folklore studies by providing empirical documentation of vernacular naming practices as cultural artifacts. The systematic geographic and thematic organization enables analysis of regional identity construction and inter-community social relations as expressed through folk humor. The inclusion of diaspora communities extends the scope to diaspora cultural preservation and transformation.