What is the First Known Joke?

TL;DR

The oldest surviving joke dates back to 1900-2300 BC, and while humor has evolved, some themes remain constant.

Transcript

Born from cultures we can only read about and making fun of customs we don’t always understand, many of the world’s oldest jokes, to a modern audience, simply aren’t that funny. That said, humans being humans, with the oldest joke that has survived through today, it would appear little has changed in the interim- it, naturally, being a fart joke. T... Read More

Key Insights

• 🃏 The oldest surviving joke is a fart joke from ancient Sumeria, highlighting the universality of potty humor throughout history.
• 📕 Joke books and collections have been lost to the ages, leaving few records of ancient humor.
• 🃏 The surviving Greek joke book, Philogelos, showcases a variety of humor that is still relatable today.
• 🙈 Even ancient civilizations had humor ingrained in their cultures, as seen in Babylonian tablets and Greek joke books.
• 🃏 Jokes have evolved and changed over time, but basic joke themes and elements have remained constant.
• ⌛ Humor is a reflection of human nature and can provide insights into the values and concerns of different time periods.
• 🃏 The evolution of jokes throughout history demonstrates the universality of laughter across cultures.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the oldest surviving joke in history?

The oldest known joke dates back to a Sumerian tablet from 1900-2300 BC and is a fart joke about a woman not farting on her husband's lap.

Q: Are there any surviving joke books from ancient times?

Unfortunately, many joke books and collections have been lost to history, but the oldest surviving Greek joke book is Philogelos from the 4th or 5th century AD.

Q: How does humor in the ancient Greek joke book, Philogelos, compare to modern humor?

The jokes in Philogelos cover a wide range of humor, including intellectual humor, witty comebacks, and subversive elements, showing that basic joke themes have remained consistent over the centuries.

Q: When were the first known English jokes recorded?

The first known English jokes, albeit in Old English, are recorded in the Exeter Codex from the 10th century AD and include riddles with double entendre, such as one about a key and an onion.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The oldest known joke, recorded on a Sumerian tablet, is a fart joke about a young woman who didn't fart on her husband's lap.

• Joke books and collections have been lost to history, but the oldest surviving Greek joke book, Philogelos, showcases a wide range of humor that is still relatable today.

• Anglo-Saxon riddles from the 10th century AD, such as one about a key and an onion, are considered the earliest known English jokes.