Tall Tales for a Mass Audience

Abstract In this article we compare Dutch penny prints with Spanish Aleluyas, focusing on three specific functions of premodern mass medium: popularising and adapting theatre plays; standardising (folk/fairy) tales; literary classics. Via these address the discrepancies between two countries considering materiality prints, growth production, but also transition from a predominantly religious, towards more profane content. Striking was lack educative edifying initiatives in Spain contrast to ideological strategies. We observed some interesting similarities as well. Although both often conformed current ideologies institutions, there were instances which aleluyas used instruments social satire or resistance. A few similar strange twists adaptations classics, seem suggest form transnational exchange at least imitation.