Cannoneer Jabůrek

Cannoneer Jabůrek (Czech: Kanonýr Jabůrek), published in 1884, is a cantastoria that mocks war propaganda that often made up stories about military heroism.[1][2][3][4] It is one of the most popular parodies of kramářská píseň, the Czech form of cantastoria.[2]

Kanonýr Jabůrek by František Kolár

The song

The song is a story of a valiant cannoneer Jabůrek who, as the song says, took part in the Battle of Königgrätz (1866). Even after the enemy's cannonballs tore off both his arms, he continued to load his cannon with bare feet, etc. When his head was torn off, it flew to the general and said: "Reporting, I cannot give a salute." The song further says that for his valiance he was promoted into nobility to be named Edler von den Jabůrek, and that he had no head, no big deal, because there was plenty of headless nobility already. No real event is described in the song; however, at the times there were newspaper reports and legends describing various kinds of exaggerated heroism.[1][2]

1. Tam u Královýho Hradce, lítaly tam koule prudce
z kanónů a flintiček do ubohých lidiček.
R: A u kanónu stál a pořád ládo-, ládo-, ládo-,
u kanónu stál a furt jen ládoval.
2. Kmáni, šarže, oficíři, kobyly i kanonýři
po zemí se válejí, rány je moc pálejí.
R: A u kanónu stál...

There is a Ukrainian language variant sung by Ukrainian Sich Riflemen, a Ukrainian unit within the Austro-Hungarian Army during the First World War, titled "При каноні стояв" ("He Stood by a Cannon"). The overall idea is the same, but the text is rather different:[5]

При каноні стояв
І фурт-фурт ладував,
І фурт-фурт, і фурт-фурт,
І фурт-фурт ладував.
Гостра куля летіла
Йому руку відтяла.
Але він все стояв
І фурт-фурт ладував.
<etc.>[6]

In culture

Czech

There was a comic duetto "Stará vojna" featuring two fictional military invalids: Cannoneer Jabůrek and Friar Kalina, music by Josef Paukner, lyrics by Josef Šváb.[7][8]

The song about Jabůrek is sung in the book The Good Soldier Švejk.[9]

The brave cannoneer is in the center of the plot of a satirical radio play Jaburek by Austrian playwright Franz Hiesel.[10]

There is a tavern U Kanonýra Jabůrka in Sadová, a place around which the battle was held.[10][11]

In 1968 Rudolf Pellar recorded a single, Králové Hradecké Zvony / Kanonýr Jabůrek.

In 1985 the Czech folk band Kantoři recorded the song with Supraphon in the LP album Tam u Královýho Hradce.[12]

Ukrainian

The fragments of the Ukrainian version of the song are quoted in the epic novel Shruba (Шруба) by Yaroclav Vereshchak as the skeleton of the plot.[6]

The song is performed in the 1990 film Tall Tales about Ivan (Небилиці про Івана) directed by Borys Ivchenko.[13]

The song has been performed by a number of Ukrainian bands, see the Ukrainian version of the article.

See also

References
  1. "Udatný rek KANONÝR JABŮREK". svejkmuseum.cz.
  2. "Kulturní centrum Erika s.r.o." Archived from the original on 2014-08-21. Retrieved 2013-03-03.
  3. "Udatný rek kanonýr Jabůrek - 1888", Czech TV
  4. "Udatný rek kanonýr Jabůrek", at Czech National Museum
  5. Рекрутські та солдатські пісні, editing and introduction by О.Правдюк, Kiev, Naukova Dumka, 1974.
  6. Бондар Л. О., Фольклорний текст як сакральний знак у творі Ярослава Верещака "Шруба"
  7. Josef Šváb, Český humorista, Díl 1.,1895, pp. 117-121
  8. "Stará vojna", National Library of the Czech Republic
  9. Hašek, Jaroslav (2 September 2017). Osudy dobrého vojáka Švejka za světové války. ISBN 9785040204106.
  10. A search result for works of Franz Hiesel
  11. "Sadová - Hostinec U kanonýra Jabůrka" (retrieved August 29, 2015)
  12. "DISKOGRAFIE :: KANTOŘI - folková skupina".
  13. Білий птах з чорною ознакою. Іван Миколайчук: спогади, інтерв’ю, сценарії
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