0:05 Across every culture and era, one sound
0:07 unites us all. Laughter. It's a
0:09 spontaneous reaction signaling joy and
0:12 connection. A thread woven through the
0:14 fabric of human society. Long before the
0:16 written word, people gathered to share
0:19 stories and jokes, using wit to navigate
0:21 life's challenges and find moments of
0:23 levity. Ancient jokes preserved in stone
0:26 and parchment reveal that our ancestors
0:27 concerns and delights were not so
0:30 different from our own. Today, we
0:32 journey back through millennia, not to
0:34 witness great battles, but to listen for
0:36 the echoes of ancient laughter. We'll
0:38 uncover the world's first recorded
0:40 jokes, discovering the surprising and
0:42 familiar humor of the distant past.
0:44 Prepare to meet the comedians of
0:46 antiquity, and see how a good punchline
0:53 Our journey begins in ancient Sumer, the
0:55 cradle of civilization, where humanity
0:57 first etched its thoughts into clay.
1:00 Among their records, they preserved the
1:03 world's oldest joke from 1900 BC.
1:04 Something which has never occurred since
1:06 time immemorial. A young woman did not
1:09 fart in her husband's lap. It's crude
1:11 but honest, a universal awkward moment
1:13 that still makes us laugh. The structure
1:16 is surprisingly modern, a setup,
1:18 anticipation, and a punchline rooted in
1:21 everyday life. This ancient gest stands
1:24 as a monument not to kings or gods, but
1:27 to the truth of human frailty. 4,000
1:30 years later, the punchline still lands.
1:32 The more things change, the more we
1:38 In Ancient Sumer, we find what might be
1:41 the world's first walks into a bar joke.
1:43 It goes, "A dog walks into a bar and
1:45 says, "I cannot see a thing. I'll open
1:48 this one." The punchline is mysterious,
1:51 even baffling to modern ears. Imagine a
1:53 Sumerian tavern filled with laughter as
1:55 a storyteller delivers this odd
1:57 scenario. The image of a talking dog in
1:59 a bar is inherently funny, especially in
2:01 a world without cartoons. The humor
2:03 isn't in a clever punchline, but in the
2:06 bizarre, illogical premise. The joke's
2:09 legacy lives on in modern comedy, from
2:11 Montipython to standup routines that
2:14 revel in the nonsensical. The Samrians
2:17 remind us, "Sometimes the best jokes are
2:18 the ones that leave us scratching our
2:25 Fast forward to 10th century England,
2:27 where humor took the form of riddles,
2:29 poetic puzzles designed to challenge and
2:32 amuse. One famous riddle from the exit
2:34 book asks, "What hangs at a man's thigh
2:36 and wants to poke the hole that it's
2:38 often poked before? The setup is
2:40 deliberately suggestive, leading
2:42 listeners toward a body answer, but the
2:45 punchline is innocent. A key, the joke
2:46 works by building expectations, then
2:48 subverting them with a clever twist.
2:51 It's a masterclass in misdirection,
2:52 making the audience laugh at their own
2:54 assumptions. This is the birth of the
2:56 pun and double on tandonderander in
2:58 English humor. The riddle's author knew
3:00 exactly how to play with language and
3:03 cultural expectations. Picture a poet in
3:05 a mead hall posing the riddle to a crowd
3:07 of warriors. Snickers and groans ripple
3:09 through the room as the answer is
3:11 revealed. The laughter isn't just at the
3:14 joke, but at themselves for being so
3:16 easily fooled. This form of humor is
3:18 sophisticated, relying on shared
3:19 knowledge and the pleasure of solving a
3:21 puzzle. It shows that even in the
3:24 so-called dark ages, people enjoyed
3:26 clever word play and a bit of risque
3:29 fun. The structure, setup, misdirection,
3:31 reveal is still used by comedians today.
3:33 The Anglo-Saxons were early masters of
3:35 this comedic formula. The riddle is more
3:37 than an old joke. It's a cultural
3:40 artifact revealing a society that valued
3:42 wit and intelligence. It humanizes the
3:44 people of the past, showing they weren't
3:46 so different from us. The key becomes a
3:48 symbol not just of access, but of the
3:50 joy found in cleverness and shared
3:52 laughter. This ancient joke proves that
3:54 the power of innuendo and the pleasure
3:57 of a well-crafted punchline are truly
3:59 timeless. From Shakespeare to modern
4:01 standup, the principle remains, "Lead
4:03 the audience one way, then surprise
4:05 them." The Anglo-Saxon riddle is a
4:07 reminder that humor is a universal
4:10 language. A thousand years later, we're
4:12 still laughing at the same tricks. And
4:14 that's the real key to understanding our
4:20 Next, we travel to Greece and Rome,
4:22 where humor was collected and curated in
4:24 the world's first known joke book, The
4:27 Felagulos, or The Laughter Lover.
4:29 Compiled around the 4th century AD, it
4:33 contains 265 jokes, offering a window
4:34 into what made the late Roman Empire
4:36 laugh. The book star is the
4:38 Scholasticos, the absent-minded
4:40 professor, a character who's
4:42 overeducated but lacking in common
4:45 sense. One timeless joke goes, "Asked by
4:46 the court barber how he wanted his
4:49 haircut," the witty fellow replied in silence.
4:50 silence.
4:52 The humor is instantly relatable. Who
4:55 hasn't wished for a quiet haircut? The
4:57 joke's brilliance is in its simplicity
4:58 and sharpness, turning a social
5:01 expectation on its head. It's a perfect
5:03 example of situational comedy rooted in
5:05 everyday life. The fagulos is filled
5:08 with stock characters and stereotypes,
5:09 allowing jokes to get straight to the
5:12 punchline. Romans from all walks of life
5:13 enjoyed these jokes. Merchants,
5:16 soldiers, and scholars alike. The
5:17 existence of a joke book shows that
5:19 humor was something to be collected and
5:21 savored, not just improvised. The silent
5:24 haircut joke has endured for centuries,
5:25 appearing in various forms throughout
5:28 history. Its longevity proves the
5:30 universal appeal of a well-timed, witty
5:32 comeback. The fagulos marks the
5:34 transition from oral tradition to
5:36 written comedy. A vital link in the
5:39 history of humor. It's the ancestor of
5:41 every joke book, comedy website, and
5:43 stand-up routine. The themes, foolish
5:45 intellectuals, annoying social
5:47 obligations, and clever retorts are as
5:49 funny now as they were then. The
5:52 jokebook's survival is a testament to
5:54 the enduring structure of situational
5:56 humor. Empires may fall, but a good joke
5:59 lives on. The fagulos connects us to the
6:01 laughter of the ancient world. It
6:04 reminds us that across centuries, people
6:06 have always found joy in poking fun at
6:08 life's little frustrations. The world's
6:10 first joke book proves that humor is a
6:12 treasure worth preserving. And sometimes
6:20 Our final stop is ancient Egypt where
6:23 humor was woven into wisdom literature.
6:25 From the instruction of anx written by a
6:27 priest in prison, comes this cynical
6:30 gem. Man is even more eager to copulate
6:32 than a donkey. His purse is what
6:34 restrains him. The joke is layered.
6:36 First, the comparison to the famously
6:38 lustful donkey. Then the punchline, a
6:41 man's desires are checked not by morals,
6:44 but by his wallet. It's a sharp modern
6:46 sounding critique of society, suggesting
6:48 that economics, not virtue, governs
6:51 behavior. The humor is in its brutal
6:53 honesty, exposing uncomfortable truths
6:56 about human nature. Ancient Egyptians
6:58 used jokes like this to teach lessons.
7:00 Laughter made wisdom memorable. The
7:03 joke's context matters. Ankashank
7:05 writing from prison offers advice born
7:07 of hard experience. His humor is not
7:09 light but a tool for survival and
7:12 understanding the world as it is. The
7:14 joke also plays on gender stereotypes,
7:16 offering a self-deprecating view of male
7:19 nature. Its ancient locker room humor
7:21 shared from father to son. The punchline
7:23 transforms a simple observation into a
7:26 social commentary on love, money, and
7:28 motivation. Egyptian wisdom literature
7:31 often used absurd situations and animal
7:33 characters to explore domestic life's
7:35 complexities. Laughter here is both a
7:37 coping mechanism and a way to question
7:39 societal norms. The joke's endurance
7:41 lies in its clever construction and
7:43 unflinching honesty. It looks past
7:45 high-minded ideals to reveal the
7:47 transactional reality beneath. Whether
7:50 you agree or not, the wit is undeniable.
7:52 From a prison cell, Ank Shashank
7:54 delivers one of history's most cynical
7:56 and insightful jokes. It's a reminder
7:58 that humor can be a powerful tool for
8:01 critique and self-awareness. Even in
8:03 ancient Egypt, they knew that sometimes
8:05 economics trumps romance. The joke
8:07 connects us to a world where laughter
8:10 was both wisdom and rebellion. It proves
8:12 that across time, the funniest truths
8:14 are often the most uncomfortable. And
8:21 From Sumerian households to Egyptian
8:24 prisons, our journey reveals one truth.
8:27 Laughter is a constant in human history.
8:29 The settings and languages may change,
8:30 but the triggers for amusement,
8:32 surprise, awkwardness, wordplay, and
8:35 absurdity remain the same. These ancient
8:37 jokes are not relics but living
8:40 connections to our ancestors. Humor has
8:43 been our companion through every age, a
8:44 tool for teaching, critique, and
8:47 comfort. Share your favorite old jokes
8:48 in the comments, and let's keep this
8:50 ancient tradition alive. Thank you for
8:52 joining us. Subscribe for more journeys
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