# XXVI explained — The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen

> Chapter companion for The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen by Rudolph Erich Raspe.

## What happens

The Baron and his company arrive in the interior of Africa, where they witness a feast on live bulls and kava. The inhabitants marvel at the Europeans, and the Emperor welcomes the Baron, who becomes his heir. The Baron attempts to abolish the barbaric customs but faces discontent. Hilaro Frosticos advises importing fudge from England to win the people over.

## Themes in this chapter

### Satire of Politics and Society

The Baron's attempts to impose European customs and the resulting political backlash lampoon the challenges of governance and reform.

### Critique of Human Nature

The people's stubborn adherence to barbaric customs despite the Baron's benevolent intentions highlights the irrationality and resistance to change inherent in human nature.

### The Marvelous and the Absurd

The absurd plan to import fudge to civilize the population and the pseudo-scholarly etymology linking the Africans to moon inhabitants exemplify the marvelous and absurd.

## Character check-ins

### Baron Munchausen

The narrator and protagonist, who becomes viceroy of the interior of Africa and tries to reform local customs.

### Hilaro Frosticos

Advisor to the Baron, offers counsel on how to handle the people's resistance to change.

### Gog

One of the Baron's noble friends, consulted about accepting the government.

### Magog

Another of the Baron's noble friends, consulted about accepting the government.

### Sphinx

Part of the Baron's company, mentioned among the marvels that impressed the locals.

## Key lines

> Having passed over the nearest mountains we entered a delightful vale, where we perceived a multitude of persons at a feast of living bulls, whose flesh they cut away with great knives, making a table of the creature's carcase, serenaded by the bellowing of the unfortunate animal.

After crossing the mountains, we came to a pleasant valley where a crowd was feasting on live bulls, slicing off flesh with large knives and using the animal's body as a table, all while the beast bellowed in pain.

_Describes the barbaric feast that the Baron seeks to reform._

> I immediately perceived the true descent of this people, which does not appear of terrestrial origin, but descended from some of the inhabitants of the moon, because the principal language spoken there, and in the centre of Africa, is very nearly the same.

I realized that these people are not originally from Earth but are descended from moon inhabitants, since their language closely resembles that of the moon.

_The Baron's fanciful theory linking Africans to lunar origins._

> My opinion, therefore, is, that we should at once cease all endeavours to compel or persuade them. But let us, if possible, procure a quantity of fudge from England, and carelessly scatter it over all the country; and from this disposal of matters I presume—nay, I have a moral certainty, that we shall reclaim this people from horror and barbarity.

I think we should stop trying to force or convince them. Instead, let's get some fudge from England and scatter it across the land; I am sure this will civilize them.

_Hilaro Frosticos's absurd yet clever plan to win over the people with fudge._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_surprising_adventures_of_baron_munchausen_se/chapters/volume-ii-xxvi
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_surprising_adventures_of_baron_munchausen_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_surprising_adventures_of_baron_munchausen_se/chapters