Comment Tiel l'Espiègle vola le roi et en fut remercié par lui / Hoe Tijl Uilenspiegel den koning bestal en ervoor door hem bedankt werd 1833 - 1911

This is a print by Brepols and Dierckx zoon, narrating a story of Tijl Uilenspiegel. The tale, popular in the Low Countries, depicts Tijl tricking a king and then being thanked for it. Prints like this one played a crucial role in shaping popular culture. Produced in Belgium, they were a form of mass media, accessible to a wide audience. The story, told in a comic strip format, reflects social anxieties and perhaps even a subtle critique of authority. How else could a commoner relate to a King, if not through deception? To truly understand this print, we need to delve into the history of folklore, popular media, and the socio-political context of Belgium at the time it was made. Researching the publishing house of Brepols and Dierckx zoon would be essential to understand the role they played in disseminating such stories.