Some folklore literary devices of increasing funny effect, i.e. absurd, are close to artists-caricaturists. It is true, that there were no professional caricaturists among peasants, but is not it a caricature - a Shrove pancake with holes for a mouth and a nose? Is not it a caricature - a Christmas mask made of birch bark with a long nose or a fur coat turned inside out? In any village used to be its own wag or a jester who could turn funny phrases into comic visual figure. In Gabrovo in the Museum of Humour and Satire there is a collection of folk pictures, funny sculptures, ritual carnival masks, toys, and samples of folk art from different countries.

To some extent, folk pictures had some socially critical meaning, the publishing of one of them "The bull did not want..." was prohibited in 1840s. Censorship considered it to be the allegory of the serfs' reprisal with their masters.

Nowadays many religious figures intended to scare people are taken as humorous. In the pictures of Doomsday, for example, devils and sinners in the Hell are busy with their daily routine, They behave themselves like people on the Earth. One can see a lot of devil figures in the Museum of Devils in Kaunas, Lithuania. The foundation of A. Zhmudzinavichus's collection had become Lithuanian evil spirits. A devil is inevitably a figure of laughter. Words "wag", "jester", and "joker" are synonyms to the words "devil", or "Satan" in the languages of the northern peoples of Russia.

Funereal customs of some nations were accompanied with laughter - it can be seen in Chinese, Russian, and Italian "sepulchral" satiric folk pictures. Thanks to S. Patrash, a skillful craftsman and humorist, a funny cemetery in Sepinitsa, Rumania, has become famous all over the world.

Fancy and just animals are the essential part of folklore. Turkey used to be the emblem of Mariampole Festival; the symbol of Kindasovo holiday is a dog in a cap; in Gabrovo - a cat. There is no need to prove that all modern humorous literature and art originated from folklore.

In all the times, in all the countries, folklore inspired artists. Remember Peter Bruegel, Sr. His painting "Dutch Proverbs" is "the encyclopedia of folk wisdom under fool's cap". It is interesting that proverbs mocking absurd and stupid activities prevail in folklore. A peasant is throwing roses in front of pigs; a warrior without pants but in chain mail is trying to ruin a stone wall...