Ship of Fools

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The ship of fools, depicted in a 1549 German woodcut
The ship of fools, depicted in a 1549 German woodcut

The ship of fools is an allegory that has long been a fixture in Western literature and art. The allegory depicts a vessel populated by human inhabitants who are deranged, frivolous, or oblivious, passengers aboard a ship without a pilot, and seemingly ignorant of their own direction. This concept makes up the framework of the 15th century book Ship of Fools (1494) by Sebastian Brant, which served as the inspiration for Bosch's famous painting: a ship--an entire fleet at first--sets off from Basel to the paradise of fools. In literary and artistic compositions of the 15th and 16th centuries, the cultural motif of the ship of fools also served to parody the 'ark of salvation' (as the Catholic Church was styled).

Michel Foucault, who wrote Madness and Civilization, saw in the ship of fools a symbol of the consciousness of sin and evil alive in the medieval mindset and imaginative landscapes of the Renaissance. According to the intro to Madness and Civilization, "Renaissance men developed a delightful, yet horrible way of dealing with their mad denizens: they were put on a ship and entrusted to mariners because folly, water, and sea, as everyone then "knew," had an affinity for each other. Thus, "Ship of Fools" crisscrossed the sea and canals of Europe with their comic and pathetic cargo of souls. Some of them found pleasure and even a cure in the changing surroundings, in the isolation of being cast off, while others withdrew further, became worse, or died alone and away from their families. The cities and villages which had thus rid themselves of their crazed and crazy, could now take pleasure in watching the exciting sideshow when a ship full of foreign lunatics would dock at their harbors . "

Ship of Fools may also refer to:

Hieronymus Bosch's 15th century Ship of Fools
Hieronymus Bosch's 15th century Ship of Fools

In art:

"Ship of Fools" sculpture at Norwich School of Art and Design by Samuel Halstead 28 June 2008

 "Ship of Fools , a bronze sculpture by Tim Pomeroy , Isle of Arran , Scotland , <pomeroyarts@supanet.com>

In music: Ship of fools is frequently used in popular music. Acts who have recorded songs titled "Ship of Fools" include:

It is also the title of an album by John Renbourn. A now-defunct Yorkshire band were actually named Ship of Fools.

The phrase also features in the 1986 hit single "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" by Wang Chung as "A ship of fools sailing on..."

In other contexts:

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