The Marksman in some version of The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen (the one with illustrations by Gustave Doré) is recruited by the Baron because of his singular ability of unparalleled eyesight. The Baron comes upon a man with a gun, shooting into the sky. When the Baron asks what he is shooting at, the man says “I have just shot a sparrow that had perched on the spire of Strasburg Cathedral”, many leagues away. The Baron says “Those who know my passion for the noble pleasures of the chase will not be surprised to hear that I leaped on the neck of this wonderful marksman. Of course I spared no pains to secure him as one of my attendants.” In a tale that follows, the Baron’s accomplices, the Runner, the Listener, the Marksman, the Strong Man, and the Blower, all aid him in winning a wager with the Grand Turk of Cairo over the quality of a certain wine, else he lose his head. If provided a name, perhaps a good one would be “Adolphus”.
Creators/Key ContributorsGustave Doré, Rudolf Erich Raspe
First Appearance Baron Munchausen’s Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia (1785)
First Publisher ○
Appearance List Literature: The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen; or Baron Munchausen’s Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia (English, 1785), The Adventures of Baron Munchausen: A New and Revised Edition; Illustrations by Gustave Doré (English, 1865, 2012) [Internet Archive], Aventures du Baron de Münchhausen; illustrées par Gustave Doré (French, 1866) [Internet Archive], Aventures du baron de Münchhausen; Illustrations par Gustave Doré (French, 1893) [Wikisource], The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen; Illustrated by Willaim Strang and J. B. Clark (English, 1895) [Internet Archive], Mr. Munchausen (1901). Film: Baron Munchausen’s Dream (1911, Georges Méliès), Münchhausen (1943, Josef von Báky with script by Erich Kästner), The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1961, Karel Zeman), The Very Same Munchhausen (1979, Mark Zakharov), The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988, Terry Gilliam). Pulps: Beadle’s Half Dime Library #9 – The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (Nov 12, 1877), “How Münchhausen and the Allies Took Berlin” by Hugo Gernsback in Amazing Stories (Feb 1928). Comic strip: Baron Munchausen (1935-1937, Klaus Nordling).
Sample Read The Adventures of Baron Munchausen: A New and Revised Edition; Illustrations by Gustave Doré [Internet Archive]
Description The Marksman in some version of The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen (the one with illustrations by Gustave Doré) is recruited by the Baron because of his singular ability of unparalleled eyesight. The Baron comes upon a man with a gun, shooting into the sky. When the Baron asks what he is shooting at, the man says “I have just shot a sparrow that had perched on the spire of Strasburg Cathedral”, many leagues away. The Baron says “Those who know my passion for the noble pleasures of the chase will not be surprised to hear that I leaped on the neck of this wonderful marksman. Of course I spared no pains to secure him as one of my attendants.” In a tale that follows, the Baron’s accomplices, the Runner, the Listener, the Marksman, the Strong Man, and the Blower, all aid him in winning a wager with the Grand Turk of Cairo over the quality of a certain wine, else he lose his head. If provided a name, perhaps a good one would be “Adolphus”.
