Sebastian Brant (also Brandt; 1457/1458 – 10 May 1521) was a German

humanist Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential, and agency of human beings, whom it considers the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "humanism" ha ...

and

satirist This is an incomplete list of writers, cartoonists and others known for involvement in satire – humorous social criticism. They are grouped by era and listed by year of birth. Included is a list of modern satires. Early satirical authors *Aes ...

. He is best known for his

satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of exposin ...

Das Narrenschiff ''Ship of Fools'' (Modern German: ; ; original medieval German title: ) is a satirical allegory in German verse published in 1494 in Basel, Switzerland, by the humanist and theologian Sebastian Brant. It is the most famous treatment of the sh ...

'' (''The Ship of Fools'').

Early life and education

Brant was born in either 1457 or 1458 in

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

, to innkeeper Diebold Brant and Barbara Brant (née Rickler). He entered the

University of Basel The University of Basel (Latin: ''Universitas Basiliensis''; German: ''Universität Basel'') is a public research university in Basel, Switzerland. Founded on 4 April 1460, it is Switzerland's oldest university and among the world's oldest univ ...

in October 1475 and as an assistant to Jacobus Hugonius he did not pay the matriculation. For five years he lived in the

dorm A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm), also known as a hall of residence, a residence hall (often abbreviated to halls), or a hostel, is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential qu ...

of magister Hieronymus Berlin, initially studying philosophy and then transferring to the school of law. He was taught

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

by Johann Matthias von Gengenbach, who also lectured philosophy at the Faculty of Philosophy. Initially studying at the Faculty of Philosophy he later studied law. It is assumed he began his law studies in 1476, as his

bachelor A bachelor is a man who is not and never has been married.Bachelors are, in Pitt & al.'s phrasing, "men who live independently, outside of their parents' home and other institutional settings, who are neither married nor cohabitating". (). Etymo ...

is already mentioned in the winter of 1477-1478 and in 1484 Brant obtained a licentiate.Wilhelmi, Thomas (ed.).p.14 In 1483 he began teaching at the university and completed his doctorate in law in 1489. He graduated in both

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...

and civil law.

Professional career

Brant first attracted attention in humanistic circles by his

Neo-Latin Neo-LatinSidwell, Keith ''Classical Latin-Medieval Latin-Neo Latin'' in ; others, throughout. (also known as New Latin and Modern Latin) is the style of written Latin used in original literary, scholarly, and scientific works, first in Italy d ...

poetry but, realising that this gave him only a limited audience, he began translating his own work and the Latin poems of others into German, publishing them through the press of his friend , from which appeared his best known German work, the satirical ''

'' (Ship of Fools, 1494), the popularity and influence of which were not limited to Germany. In this

allegory As a List of narrative techniques, literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a wikt:narrative, narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a meaning with moral or political signi ...

, the author lashes the weaknesses and vices of his time. It is an episodic work in which a ship laden with and steered by fools goes to the fools' paradise of Narragonia. Here he conceives Saint Grobian, whom he imagines to be the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

of vulgar and coarse people. He was employed by the printer

Johann Amerbach Johann Amerbach (1444 in Amorbach, Germany; 25 December 1514 in Basel, Switzerland) was a celebrated printer in Basel in the 15th century. He was the first printer in Basel to use the Roman type instead of Gothic and Italian and spared no expense ...

with whom he collaborated in the publications of the works of christian fathers Augustine's and

Ambrose Ambrose of Milan (; 4 April 397), venerated as Saint Ambrose, was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promoting Roman Christianity against Ari ...

. In jurisprudence, he also worked on the ''Corpus Juridici canonici,'' which Amerbach was to print jointly with

Johannes Froben Johann Froben, in Latin: Johannes Frobenius (and combinations), (c. 1460 – 27 October 1527) was a famous printer, publisher and learned Renaissance humanist in Basel. He was a close friend of Erasmus and cooperated closely with Hans Holbein t ...

in 1500. He was very close with several printers of Basel. Between 1488 and 1501 it is known he worked on ninety-five books and it is assumed he worked on several more.Wilhelmi, Thomas (ed.).p.24 Among others, forty-one were published by Johann Bergmann von Olpe, seventeen by Johann Amerbach and twenty-four by Michael Furter. Most of Brant's important writing, including many works on civil and canon law, were written while he was living in Basel. Other sources mention Brant's involvement in about a third of all books published in Basel the late 1500s, but this number is disputed. He returned to Strasbourg, where he was made

syndic ''Syndic'' (; Greek: ) is a term applied in certain countries to an officer of government with varying powers, and secondly to a representative or delegate of a university, institution or other corporation, entrusted with special functions or p ...

in August 1500 and remained for the rest of his life. He assumed the office of the syndic in January 1501.Wilhelmi, Thomas (ed.).p.31 In 1502 Maximilian I nominated him an Imperial Councilor.Wilhelmi, Thomas (ed.).p.32 He would also earn the title of a Count Palatine and later be a judge for the Imperial Court in Speyer. In 1503 he secured the influential position of chancellor (''stadtschreiber'') and his engagement in public affairs prevented him from pursuing a literature career as before. Brant was a catholic, but he remained tolerant to the protestants, who were allowed to preach in the market square and publish books during his tenure as a chancellor.Wilhelmi, Thomas (ed.).p.33 In Strasbourg his literary work included a translation into German of the

Hortulus Animae ''Hortulus Animae'' (, , , ) was the Latin title of a prayer book also available in German. It was very popular in the early sixteenth century, printed in many versions, also abroad in Lyons and Kraków. History An earlier well-known work of de ...

in 1501/1502, a Vergil edition in 1503 and he also prepared an edition of Petrarcas " ''Glücksbuch''" for 1520. Brant made several petitions to the Emperor Maximilian to drive back the

Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Turkey * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic lang ...

in order to save the West. In the same spirit, he had sung the praises of

Ferdinand II of Aragon Ferdinand II, also known as Ferdinand I, Ferdinand III, and Ferdinand V (10 March 1452 – 23 January 1516), called Ferdinand the Catholic, was King of Aragon from 1479 until his death in 1516. As the husband and co-ruler of Queen Isabella I of ...

in 1492 for having conquered the Moors and unified Spain. A staunch proponent of German cultural nationalism, he believed that moral reform was necessary for the security of the Empire against the Ottoman threat. Although essentially conservative in his religious views, Brant's eyes were open to abuses in the church. He published the ''Narrenschiff'' in 1494, printed by

Michael Furter Michael Furter (died 1516 or 1517) was a printer of incunabula in Basel. Printing career The first dated prints by Furter are from 1489. In 1494 he printed the ''Ship of Fools'' by Sebastian Brant for the publisher Jacob Bergmann von Olpe. Fur ...

Alexander Barclay Dr Alexander Barclay ( – 10 June 1552) was a poet and clergyman of the Church of England, probably born in Scotland. Biography Barclay was born in about 1476. His place of birth is a matter of dispute, but William Bulleyn, who was a ...

's ''Ship of Fools'' (1509) is a free imitation into early

Tudor period In England and Wales, the Tudor period occurred between 1485 and 1603, including the Elizabethan era during the reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603). The Tudor period coincides with the dynasty of the House of Tudor in England, which began with ...

English of the German poem, and a Latin version by Jakob Locher (1497) was hardly less popular than the original. ''Cock Lorell's Bote'' (printed by

Wynkyn de Worde Wynkyn de Worde (; died , London) was a printer and publisher in London known for his work with William Caxton, and is recognised as the first to popularise the products of the printing press in England. Name Wynkyn de Worde was a German immi ...

, c. 1510) was a shorter imitation of the ''Narrenschiff''. In this work Cock Lorell, a notorious fraudulent

tinker Tinker or tinkerer is an archaic term for an wikt:itinerant, itinerant tinsmith who mends household utensils. Description ''Tinker'' for metal-worker is attested from the thirteenth century as ''tyckner'' or ''tinkler''. Some travelling grou ...

of the period, gathers round him a rascally collection of tradesmen and sets off to sail through

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. Among Brant's many other works was his compilation of fables and other popular stories, published in 1501 under the title ''Aesopi Appologi sive Mythologi cum quibusdam Carminum et Fabularum additionibus'', the beauty of whose production is still appreciated. Though based on

Heinrich Steinhöwel Heinrich Steinhöwel, alternatively ''Steinhäuel'' or ''Steinheil'' (1410/1411 – 1 March 1479) was a German doctor, humanist, translator and writer. From 1450 he settled in Ulm, from which most of his works were published. Life and work Accor ...

's 1476 edition of Aesop, the Latin prose was emended by Brant, who also added verse commentaries with his characteristic combination of wit and style. The second part of the work is entirely new, consisting of riddles, additional fables culled from varied sources, and accounts of miracles and wonders of nature both from his own times and reaching back to antiquity. The letters by Brant that have survived show that he was in correspondence with Peter Schott, Johann Bergmann von Olpe, Emperor Maximilian,

Thomas Murner Thomas Murner, OFM (24 December 1475c. 1537) was an Alsatian satirist, poet and translator. Early life and education He was born at Oberehnheim (Obernai) near Strasbourg. In 1490 he entered the Franciscan order, and in 1495 began travelling, s ...

Konrad Peutinger Konrad Peutinger (; 14 October 1465 – 28 December 1547) was a German Humanism, humanist, jurist, diplomat, politician, economist and archaeologist, serving as Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor Maximilian I's chief archaeological adviser. ...

Willibald Pirckheimer Willibald Pirckheimer (5 December 1470 – 22 December 1530) was a German Renaissance lawyer, author and Renaissance humanist, a wealthy and prominent figure in Nuremberg in the 16th century, imperial counsellor and a member of the governing City ...

Johannes Reuchlin Johann Reuchlin (; 29 January 1455 – 30 June 1522), sometimes called Johannes, was a German Catholic humanist and a scholar of Greek and Hebrew, whose work also took him to modern-day Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and France. Most of Reuchlin's c ...

Beatus Rhenanus Beatus Rhenanus (22 August 148520 July 1547), born as Beatus Bild, was a German humanist, religious reformer, classical scholar, and book collector. Early life and education Rhenanus was born on 22 August 1485 in Schlettstadt (Sélestat) in ...

Jakob Wimpfeling Jakob Wimpfeling (25 July 1450 – 17 November 1528) was a Renaissance humanist and theologian. Biography Wimpfeling was born in Schlettstadt (now Sélestat), Alsace, Lorraine. He went to the school at Schlettstadt, which was run by Ludwig Dr ...

and

Ulrich Zasius Ulrich Zasius (1461 – 24 November 1535 or 1536) was a German jurist. Biography Zasius was born at Konstanz (current Baden-Württemberg) in 1461. After studying at Tübingen he first became episcopal notary at Constance, then town clerk at ...

Personal life

In 1485 he had married Elisabeth Bürg, the daughter of a cutler in the town.Wilhelmi, Thomas (ed.).p.15 Brant was the father of seven children.Wilhelmi, Thomas (ed.).p.18 Two of the godfathers to the children were

and

Johann Froben Johann Froben, in Latin: Johannes Frobenius (and combinations), (c. 1460 – 27 October 1527) was a famous printer, publisher and learned Renaissance humanist in Basel. He was a close friend of Erasmus and cooperated closely with Hans Holbein t ...

. Keen for his eldest son Onophrius to become a humanist, he taught him Latin in the cradle and enrolled him in the university at the age of seven. Onophrius was to study law with

Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau or simply Freiburg is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fourth-largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Its built-up area has a population of abou ...

.Wilhelmi, Thomas (ed.).p.19 Later he would be employed in the public service in Strasbourg. His daughter Anna was married to Paul Butz, Sebastian Brants successor. He at times signed as Titio, a rarely used Latin term for firebrand, mostly when it rhymed.Wilhelmi, Thomas (ed.).p.12

Johannes Trithemius Johannes Trithemius (; 1 February 1462 – 13 December 1516), born Johann Heidenberg, was a German Benedictine abbot and a polymath who was active in the German Renaissance as a Lexicography, lexicographer, chronicler, Cryptography, cryptograph ...

seemed to be more fond of the name than Brant himself, though. He died in Strasbourg.

Editions

* ''Das Narrenschiff'', Studienausgabe, ed. by Joachim Knape (Stuttgart: Reclam, 2005) * Online facsimile o
the original
* Edwin H. Zeydel's 1944 translation of ''The Ship of Fools'', of which there is a limited selection o
Google Books
* ''Aesopi Appologi'', an unpaged facsimile o
Google Books
a page by page online facsimile with short German descriptions fro

References

External links