Das Narrenschiff | Poem by Brant, The Ship of Fools, & Facts

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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://archive.org/details/shipfoolsintrod00jamigoog" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Internet Archive - "The ship of fools"</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 js-header-ai-ask-button d-none btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="caption alternate-titles">Also known as: “The Ship of Fools”</div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written and fact-checked by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Das-Narrenschiff/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref1113024"></span>Das Narrenschiff</strong>, long poem by <span id="ref1221869"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sebastian-Brant" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sebastian Brant</a>, published in 1494. It was published in English as <em>The Ship of Fools</em>. The work concerns the incidents on a ship carrying more than 100 people to Narragonia, the fools’ paradise, and is an unsparing, bitter, and sweeping satire, especially of the corruption in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Roman-Catholicism" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Roman Catholic Church</a>. <em>Das Narrenschiff</em> was translated into Latin, Low German, Dutch, and French and adapted in English by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexander-Barclay" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Alexander Barclay</a> (<em>The Shyp of Folys of the Worlde</em>, 1509). <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Albrecht-Durer-German-artist" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Albrecht Dürer</a> created <a class="external" target="_blank" rel="noopener" href="https://publicdomainreview.org/essay/navigating-durers-woodcuts-for-the-ship-of-fools" data-show-preview="true">woodcuts</a> for Brant’s first edition. In 1962 <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Katherine-Anne-Porter" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Katherine Anne Porter</a> used Brant’s title for her allegorical novel in which the German ship <em>Vera</em> is a <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="microcosm" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/microcosm" data-type="EB">microcosm</a> of life. <em>See also</em> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/fools-literature" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">fool’s literature</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span><span class="md-signature">This article was most recently revised and updated by <a href="/editor/JE-Luebering/6492">J.E. 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