The Ancient Greek book
The Characters of Theophrastus devotes a chapter to "The Boastful Man".
Bēot is
Old English for a ritualized boast, vow, threat or promise, which was usually made by an Anglo-Saxon warrior on the eve of or during battle. Bēots can be found in the epic poem
Beowulf, including by the hero himself, such as when he vows to fight Grendel without using any weapons or armor. A
gab (
Old Occitan [ˈɡap] for "boast") is a
troubadour boasting song. Boasting and bragging are necessary components of maintaining "
face" in some Arab societies. According to Howard G. Schneiderman, a Sociology Professor at Lafayette College, "vanity and pride, as well as bragging and boosterism, have been the norm in America" since the inception of the country. He puts forth that the discourse around westward expansion was marked by boastfulness. Thus establishing the need to explain boastfulness (due to it being relevant to American history), he writes, "In America, success often counts more than achievement. When these lesser things count more than the greater, bragging and self-advertisement come to the fore because they pay, as they have throughout our history."
Fictional characters noted for their boasting as Falstaff •
Miles Gloriosus, a stock character from ancient Roman comedy •
Rodomonte, a major character in the Italian romantic
epic poems Orlando innamorato by
Matteo Maria Boiardo and
Orlando furioso by
Ludovico Ariosto, which gave rise to the word
rodomontade, meaning "boastful, bragging talk" •
Scaramouche, a stock clown character in Italian
commedia dell'arte •
Falstaff, in three of
William Shakespeare's plays •
Baron Munchausen, a baron made famous by the novel of
Rudolf Raspe who enjoys telling fantastical and absurd stories about his adventures abroad. He was based on a real-life German baron who was known for his exaggerated tales. •
The Twelve Idle Servants, a fairy tale by
The Brothers Grimm about twelve servants who boast about their incredible laziness. •
Daffy Duck: American cartoon character who often brags about himself. In all of the cartoons he appeared in since the 1950s, he is usually victim of his own overestimations. ==See also==