The Good Soldier Švejk

The first scholar to make a serious study of Hašek's endeavours at Svět zvířat was Břetislav Hůla. The result was the book Malá zoologická zahrada[a] (The Small Zoological Garden). It was published in 1950 with Zdena Ančík listed as sole editor, despite Hůla having undoubtedly done the groundwork. Unfortunately, the book provides no information about the origins of the stories. This article seeks to rectify this shortcoming by providing a comprehensive bibliography and by casting a critical eye on Hůla's "discoveries".

The Small Zoological Garden,1950

Most of the book consists of Jaroslav Hašek's animal-related stories from various publications. It contains 29 signed stories (nine from Svět zvířat) and 17 short and unsigned notices (all from Svět zvířat). Eleven of the stories were published in the series Sebrané spisy Jaroslava Haška in the interwar years, while Břetislav Hůla identified the rest after World War II.

The book is illustrated by Josef Lada and also contains an introduction by Zdena Ančík that serves few purposes other than to extol the virtues of "Hašek the Communist".

Haškologists barking up the wrong tree by claiming that Hašek discovered new species.

Ančík does, however, devote a few lines to matters relevant to the book's content. Unfortunately, he barks up the wrong tree by claiming that the book mentions seven supposedly unknown species, presented as Hašek's zoological inventions... The truth is that all of them were already known to science by the turn of the century. That the blue whale and the tyrannosaurus are presented as Jaroslav Hašek's "discoveries" demonstrates an astounding degree of zoological illiteracy on the part of the editor(s). Of the seven creatures, only The Renamed Flea can, to a limited degree, be said to have been "discovered" by Hašek.

The main stories

Hltoun strašlivý (the terrible guzzler) was a creature that was first brought to life in Karikatury in July 1911, nine months after Hašek left Svět zvířat. In the magazine there is no trace of such a creature.

Karikatury,31.7.1911

The twenty-nine main stories are mostly works of fiction written by Hašek. Identifying them required little effort, as they are included in the official bibliography[d] of Jaroslav Hašek. There is little doubt that Hašek wrote all of them, although some are signed with pseudonyms or left unsigned. In these cases, scholars established the authorship by analysing the texts, chiefly through the efforts of Břetislav Hůla. A complete list is provided in the links section at the end of this article.

Among these twenty-nine are two stories that Hašek wrote about his time as editor of Svět zvířat, composed relatively soon after he left the magazine[ka1][ko1]. These two are significant because they set in motion some of the legends surrounding Hašek and Svět zvířat, myths that live on even today (2025). Already at that time, Hašek mystified his experiences at the magazine, writing about "discoveries" never seen in the columns of Svět zvířat, and distorted other details.

Readers of The Good Soldier Švejk will notice the parallels to Einjährigfreiwilliger Marek's tales on the train to Bruck, for instance in his assertion that it was necessary to enrich the animal world with new species. In these two stories, Hašek professed that he wrote about imaginary animals in Svět zvířat, for instance details about creatures such as the werewolf and the terrible guzzler. He even had the cheek to declare existing animals such as the sulphur-bellied whale his own invention, again a parallel to Marek.

Brief unsigned reports

Drunkenness amongst animals. This entry may be the work of Hašek (or he translated it) but is probable not mystification. Many stories about animals and alcohol circulated, then as now. In the bibliography the entry is classed as debatable authorship.

Svět zvířat,1.8.1909

The unsigned items from Svět zvířat were much harder to identify, particularly those that were not printed during Hašek's periods as editor of the journal. The reports invariably appeared in the "From around the world" feature column. Seven of the seventeen items were printed by Svět zvířat during Hašek's two periods as editor. The volumes from 1909, 1910, 1912, and 1913 are available in digital, searchable form, so locating and dating these seven reports was straightforward.

The remaining ten items had to be searched for in paper volumes, so finding them proved time-consuming. The volumes for 1900, 1901, 1904, 1905, 1906, and 1907 were browsed manually, while 1908 and 1911 were made available as scanned (non-searchable) copies by dr. Martin Dvořák.

Refuted authorship

The article Moderní lov velryb (Modern whale hunting) was taken from the German magazine Über land und Meer and was probably translated by Hašek. The photos were also cut from the original article. Thus, the sulphur-bellied whale was not discovered by Hašek.

Svět zvířat,1.6.1909

It is clear from the table that very little can be attributed to Hašek and the seven species that Ančík claims were discovered by him were all known to science at the time the reports were published in Svět zvířat.

Furthermore, it is reasonable to conclude that four[z10][z11][z12][z14] of the seven stories from Hašek's time as editor are not his work, because they had appeared in other publications before they were printed in Svět zvířat [s04][s05][s06][s07].

Moreover, the six items from 1905 were not written by Hašek, simply because he (as far as we know) had nothing to do with the journal until November 1908. To further rule out Hašek as the author, at least three [z04][z07][z15] of the six reports from 1905 originated in other publications.

From studying the issue of 1 September 1911, the editors of Malá zoologická zahrada attributed two stories to Jaroslav Hašek [z01][z06]. This is also a period when he was not associated with the magazine. In one of the stories Hašek no doubt had a hand, namely the famous The Renamed Flea. The other snippet had already been printed elsewhere [s09]. Thus, twelve of the seventeen items are ultimately "false positives"; one remains unidentified [z09], one was slightly "adapted" by Hašek [s08]. One more story is definitely by Hašek, as it appeared in the column "Merry Corner" when he edited Svět zvířat and was even signed J.H.[z03]. The remaining two reports, [z05][z13], are unverified and were probably written by Hašek (or at least selected and translated by him).

Sensationalism

After studying several volumes of Svět zvířat, it is evident that the magazine regularly published entries of a curious and sensational nature, irrespective of who the editor was at the time. Printing this type of material was Svět zvířat's policy and surely contributed to its popularity. This should be no surprise as the journal, after all, belonged in the category "popular science". However, even quality dailies like Prager Tagblatt carried such reports, and Svět zvířat contains several stories that had appeared in "Tagblatt" a week or two earlier, for instance, the story of a newly discovered species in the Himalayas[s06][z12].

Hůla ignoring the time-line

The asvail bear (sloth bear) was not invented by Hašek and Svět zvířat wrote about this animal four year before he became the editor.

Svět zvířat,15.8.1905

In an unpublished note from 1950, Břetislav Hůla stated that there are reasons to believe that Hašek contributed to Svět zvířat at least four years before he officially became an editor[c], in other words, from 1905. On what basis he arrived at this conclusion is not known, but he underlines his point by including six items from 1905, four of which were printed in the issue from 15 August 1905.

Another objection to Hůla's selection of material is that some of the stories had already been printed in Austro-German newspapers and could not have been the work of Hašek or of anyone else at Svět zvířat. One must assume that the stories were selected and translated either by Fuchs or his co-editor Karel Ladislav Kukla.

Pytlík critical

In Zábavný a poučný koutek Jaroslav Haška (1973), Radko Pytlík noted that Břetislav Hůla included reports and notes that Hašek did not write and could not have written, as they were printed at a time when he was not yet the editor of Svět zvířat [b]. He and the other editors therefore left out the stories from 1905, 1911, and early 1912. Nevertheless, an element of uncertainty remains, as the case of The Renamed Flea proves.

Jediným badatelem, který se touto oblastí Haškovy činnosti zabýval, byl Břetislav Hůla. Hůla nebyl kritický k Haškovu humornému vyprávění a k bohémské legendě; zaměřil se proto na výběr zpráv s tematikou „objevů“ nových zvířat a na anekdotické prvky, obsažené v lokálkách. Dospěl k ničím neohraničenému celku, který zahrnoval i zprávy a noticky, jež Hašek evidentně nepsal a psát nemohl, neboť byly otištěny v době, kdy ještě nebyl redaktorem Světa zvířat. Radko Pytlík, 1973, "Zábavný a poučný koutek Jaroslav Haška"

Legends allowed to live on

By 1950, Hůla had gathered enough information to bury some of the myths about Hašek and Svět zvířat that over the years had been created by Jaroslav Hašek himself, Emil Artur Longen, Václav Menger, and many others. He (or rather Zdena Ančík) chose not to do so and thus ensured that scholars and ordinary readers continued (and continue) to believe that Hašek once lured fantasy creatures such as the vlkodlak (werewolf) and the hltoun strašlivý (the terrible gobbler) into the columns of Svět zvířat...

Ančík's seven wonders

In the introduction to Malá zoologická zahrada, Zdena Ančík claimed that Hašek "discovered" no less than seven species that could not be found in any natural science publications or encyclopedia. Let us therefore scrutinise the fantasy creatures of Hašek, Hůla, and Ančík one by one...

Conclusion

Unfortunately, Malá zoologická zahrada contains many "false hits", that is, stories and reports that Jaroslav Hašek did not write, although he may have translated some of them. This led the editor(s) to conclude that Hašek had "discovered" new animals, a dubious claim given the findings that prompted me to write this article in the first place.

That said, the book deserves attention because it includes many stories and reports that, until 1950, had never been published in book form and were thus largely unknown to the reading public. It is also a testimony to Břetislav Hůla's meticulous research in identifying stories by Hašek in various publications, an effort for which he is rarely given credit (his name is not even mentioned in the book).

Legacy

The book Malá zoologická zahrada has had a long-lasting impact on the perception of Hašek's work at Svět zvířat. Despite the myths being partly debunked by Radko Pytlík in Fun and Education (1973), it is still, as of 2025, cited by scholars and enthusiasts alike. German Wikipedia perpetuates some of the myths, for instance about the drunken parrots from 1905. Angelo Maria Rippelino is, however, the most high-profile "victim". In his epic Praga magica (1973) the distinguished poet, scholar, and translator directly quotes several of the "findings" from Malá zoologická zahrada, including The Renamed Flea and several of the wild stories from 1905.

Literature

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• Zvláštní zvíře, KopřivyJaroslav Hašek,6.6.1912 [ko1]
• Milostný román lidoopa konsula Petra, Svět zvířat,15.5.1909
• Má drahá přitelkyně Julča, Zlatá PrahaJaroslav Hašek,23.4, 30.4, 7.5.1914
• O domýšlivém kocouru Bobešovi, Svět zvířatJaroslav Hašek,1.3.1910
• Povídka o neslušném ježkovi, Humoristické listyVojtěk Hanáčík,10.7.1908
• Na výstavě psů, Svět zvířatJaroslav Hašek,15.5.1912
• Povídka z hipodromu, Zlatá PrahaJaroslav Hašek,5.12.1913
• Manželská nevěra, Dělnický rodinný kalendář na r. 1914Jaroslav Hašek,1913
• O jednom hrozném psu, Svět zvířatJaroslav Hašek,15.2.1909
• Oslík Guat, Národní listyJaroslav Hašek,6.11.1904 also SZ, 15.6.1909
• Proč měl Bači zaražen postup, Humoristické listyJaroslav Hašek,27.3.1914
• Konec opice, Národní listyJaroslav Hašek,28.3.1902
• Kaťouráci, SvětozorJaroslav Hašek,31.12.1914
• Světci a zvířata, KarikaturyJaroslav Hašek,27.5.1909
• Rekův románek, Besedy liduJaroslav Hašek,13.6.1914
• O spletené rosničce, Svět zvířatJaroslav Hašek,15.2.1913
• Můj obchod se psy, Jaroslav Hašek,1915 From the book "Můj obchod se psy a jiné humoresky"
• Opat Fronto a velbloudi, KarikaturyAlban Scleichleiter,1.4.1909
• Vojenský pes pana hejtmana, Národní listyJaroslav Hašek,20.10.1903
• Kámen mudrců, České slovoJaroslav Hašek,18.6.1911
• Příhoda vojáka Svobody a jezevčíka Čora, České slovoAntonín Kočka,27.3.1911
• O dvou mouchách, které to přečkaly, Právo liduH.,8.2.1914
• O nejošklivějším psu Balabánovi, Svět zvířatJaroslav Hašek,15.4.1913
• O slepičce idealistce, Svět zvířatJaroslav Hašek,15.3.1913
• Podivuhodné dobrodružství kocoura Markuse, Humoristické listyJaroslav Hašek,6.2.1914
• Smiloval se k ránu nad trýzněným koněm, České slovo,5.1.1912
• Román novofoundláka Oglu, Humoristické listyJaroslav Hašek,27.12.1912
• V přírodovědeckém časopise, KarikaturyJaroslav Hašek,31.7.1911 [ka1]
• Účinek hudby na zvířata, Svět zvířat,15.6.1909

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• Pravěká blecha, Svět zvířat,1.9.1911 [z01]Neues Wiener Journal, 19.8.1911
• Kocour zachráncem, Svět zvířat,1.3.1912 [z02]Národní listy, 15.2.1912
• Naš vše se děti ptají, Svět zvířatJ. H.,1.2.1913 [z03]From "Veselý koutek"
• Nebezpečná hejna zdivočelých škotských ovčáckých psů "Collie", Svět zvířat,15.8.1905 [z04]Allgemeine Sports-Zeitung, 16.7.1905
• Opilství mezi zvířaty, Svět zvířat,1.8.1909 [z05]
• Sešílela následkem štipnuti mouchou, Svět zvířat,1.9.1911 [z06]Plzeňské listy, 21.8.1911
• Papouškové, kteří se v přirodě na svobodě na mol opíjejí, Svět zvířat,1.1.1905 [z07]Deutsches Volksblatt, 10.4.1904
• Z velbloudího žaludku vodu pití je naprosto nemožno, Svět zvířat,15.8.1905 [z08]
• Nepochopený recept ze “Světa rad”, Svět zvířat,-
• Moderní lov velryb, Svět zvířatFrant. Winter,1.6.1909 [z10]Über Land und Meer, no. 32, 1909
• Největší dravec světa, Svět zvířat,15.2.1910 [z11]Arbeiter-Zeitung, 5.2.1910
• Objevení nového zviřete, Svět zvířat,1.8.1909 [z12]Prager Tagblatt, 18.7.1909
• Karikatury v říši zvířat, Svět zvířat,1.1.1910 [z13]
• Žraloci u Messiny, Svět zvířat,15.7.1909 [z14]Prager Tagblatt, 6.7.1909
• Poklad nalezen v žaludku ryby mečouna, Svět zvířat,1.6.1905 [z15]Prager Tagblatt, 23.5.1905
• Nepezpečné lovy na lidožravé medvědy asvaily ve Východní Indii, Svět zvířat,15.8.1905 [z16]Sloth bear. Brehm?
• Mravenci ničiteli vajec v hnízdech ptačích, Svět zvířat,15.8.1905 [z17]

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• Papageien, die sich bezechen, Deutsches Volksblatt,10.4.1904 [s01]Svět zvířat, 1.1.1905
• In der Tiefe, Prager Tagblatt,23.5.1905 [s02]Svět zvířat, 1.6.1905
• Verwilderte Collies, Allgemeine Sport-Zeitung,16.7.1905 [s03]Svět zvířat, 15.8.1905
• Der moderne Walfischfang, Über Land und MeerFranz Winter,9.5.1909 [s04]Svět zvířat, 1.6.1909
• Der Hai von Messina, Prager Tagblatt,6.7.1909 [s05]Svět zvířat, 15.7.1909
• Entdeckung eines neuen Tieres, Prager Tagblatt,18.7.1909 [s06]Svět zvířat, 1.8.1909
• Das größte Raubtier der Welt, Arbeiter-Zeitung,5.2.1910 [s07]Svět zvířat, 15.2.1910
• Ein Floh der Vorwelt, Neues Wiener Journal,19.8.1911 [s08]Svět zvířat, 1.9.1911
• Následky štípnutí mouchy, Plzeňské listy,21.8.1911 [s09]Svět zvířat, 1.9.1911
• Kocour zachránil - osm policejních strážníků, Národní listy,15.2.1912 [s10]Svět zvířat, 1.3.1912

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• Malá zoologická zahrada, ed. Zdena Ančík,1950 [a]
• Zábavný a poučný koutek Jaroslava Haška, ed. Zdena Ančík, Radko Pytlík, Milan Jankovič,1973 [b]
• Jaroslav Haška zoologická zahrada, LA-PNPBřetislav Hůla,1950 [c]
• Bibliografie Jaroslava Haška, Štěpán Kosík,2025 [d]