Ship of Fools

Fools looking backward populate a ship without sails or a rudder. 

Sebastian Brant, Professor beider Rechte (canon and civil law) at Basel University, wrote the book titled Daß Narrenschyff ad Narragoniam in 1494, on the eve of the Reformation.

 

In his lecture 'The fool as a guide to the right way of life', Professor Nikolaus Henkel gave examples of pages from Brant's book. He started with the first one, alluding to a Büchernarr (sic! a fool obsessed with books), which lamely translates into English as 'bibliomaniac'.

The title of the page 'Of Useless Books' fits Red Baron well.

I walk ahead in the dance of fools, For I see many books around me, Which I neither read nor understand.           Of Useless Books That I sit at the front of the ship, That truly has a special purpose. This is not without reason: I always rely on books, I have a great treasure trove of books, Even if I rarely understand a word, I still hold them in high esteem: I am happy to ward the flies off them. When people talk about the sciences, I say: "I have them at home!" For it is enough for me to be surrounded by books. ... Since I know little Latin. I know that vinum means "wine," Gucklus a fool, And that I am called "domine doctor!" My ears are hidden, Otherwise, one would soon see the miller's animal.

Im Narrentanz voran ich gehe, Da ich viel Bücher um mich sehe, Die ich nicht lese und verstehe.         Von unnützen Büchern Daß ich im Schiffe vornan sitz, Das hat fürwahr besondern Witz. Nicht ohne Ursache ist das: Auf Bücher ich mich stets verlaß, Von Büchern hab ich großen Hort, Versteh ich selten auch ein Wort, So halt ich sie doch hoch in Ehren: Will ihnen gern die Fliegen wehren. Wo man von Wissenschaften reden tut, Sprech ich: »Daheim hab ich sie gut!« Denn es genügt schon meinem Sinn, Wenn ich umringt von Büchern bin. ... Dieweil ich wenig kann Latein. Ich weiß, daß vinum heißet »Wein«, Gucklus ein Gauch, Und daß ich heiß': »domine doctor!« Die Ohren sind verborgen mir, Sonst sah man bald des Müllers Tier.

The other example Professor Henkel showed concerns Procrastination, an art we are all familiar with, and Red Baron in particular with apartment keeping.

Whoever sings "cras, cras*" like a raven Will remain a fool until the grave; Tomorrow he will have an even bigger cap. *lat. tomorrow      On Seeking Procrastination He is a fool whom God commands To mend his ways today And renounce his sins, To embrace a better life, And who cannot mend his ways right away, No, he sets himself a deadline for the next day And sings "cras, cras!" like the raven, Not knowing if he will live that long. Many fools have been lost, Who always sang, "Tomorrow! Tomorrow!" As for sin and folly, People rush to them as soon as possible. As for God and doing what is right, That creeps up slowly now, People always seek to postpone it. "Tomorrow is better to confess than today! We'll learn to do right tomorrow!" So says many a lost son... That same tomorrow never comes, It flees and melts like snow; Only when the soul cannot remain, Then tomorrow dawns, Then the body is oppressed by pain, So that it does not think of the soul. So also in the desert perished Many Jews*, not a single one Was to reach that land Which God promised with a gentle hand. Those who are not capable of repentance today Will have even more to suffer tomorrow. Those whom God's voice calls today Do not know whether it will call them tomorrow. Therefore, many thousands are now lost. Who swore to better themselves tomorrow! *4. Moses 14:22 f

Wer singt »cras, cras« gleichwie ein Rab. Der bleibt ein Narr bis hin zum Grab. Hat morgen eine noch größere Kapp. *lat. morgen        Vom Aufschubsuchen Der ist ein Narr, dem Gott gebeut, Daß er sich bessern soll noch heut Und soll von seinen Sünden lassen, Ein besser Leben anzufassen, Und der nicht gleich sich bessern mag, Nein, Frist sich setzt zum andern Tag Und singt »cras, cras!« des Raben Sang, Und weiß nicht, ob er lebt so lang. Viel Narren sind verlorngegangen, Die allzeit: »Morgen! Morgen!« sangen. Was Sünd und Narrheit sonst angeht, Da eilt man zu so früh wie spät; Was Gott betrifft und Rechtes tun, Das schleicht gar langsam näher nun, Dem suchen Aufschub stets die Leute. »Morgen ist besser beichten denn heute! Wir lernen Rechttun morgen schon!« So spricht gar mancher verlorener Sohn. Derselbe Morgen kommt nimmer je, Er flieht und schmilzt gleichwie der Schnee; Erst wenn die Seel nicht bleiben kann, Dann bricht der morgige Tag heran, Dann wird von Schmerz der Leib bedrängt, Daß er nicht an die Seele denkt. So sind auch in der Wüste vergangen Der Juden viel*; es sollte gelangen Kein einziger in jenes Land, Das Gott verhieß mit milder Hand*. Wer heut nicht fähig zur Reue ist, Hat morgen noch mehr, was ihm gebrist. Wen heute beruft die Gottesstimm, Weiß nicht, ob sie ruft morgen ihm, Drum sind viel Tausend jetzt verloren, Die morgen sich zu bessern schworen! *4. Moses 14, 22 f.

In view of my advanced age, I added the following page.

I'm already standing close to the pit, The executioner's knife is stabbing me in the ass*, But I won't give up my foolishness!          About Old Fools Foolishness won't let me be old; I am very old, but completely unwise, A wicked child of a hundred* years, Show the bells to the inexperienced, I give the children a command And make myself a will, Which I will regret after my death. With bad examples and knowledge I drive what my youth learned. That my wickedness may reap honor, I wish and boast boldly of shame, How I have ruined all the lands and made much water murky; I always practice evil, I am sorry that I can no longer accomplish it as before. But what I can no longer do Should remain recommended to my Heinz. *Eine moderne Beschreibung der Todesnähe  ist "mit einem Fuß im Grabe stehen".

Schon steh ich an der Grube dicht, Im Arsch das Schindermesser* sticht Doch meine Narrheit laß ich nicht!            Von alten Narren Die Narrheit läßt mich nicht sein greis; Ich bin sehr alt, doch ganz unweis, Ein böses Kind von hundert Jahren, Zeig dem die Schellen, der unerfahren, Den Kindern geb ich Regiment Und mach mir selbst ein Testament, Das wird nach meinem Tod mir leid. Mit schlechtem Beispiel und Bescheid Treib ich, was meine Jugend lernte; Daß meine Schlechtigkeit Ehre ernte, Wünsch ich und rühm mich dreist der Schande, Wie ich beschissen alle Lande Und hab gemacht viel Wasser trübe; Im Schlechten ich mich allzeit übe, Es tut mir leid, daß ichs nicht mehr Vollbringen kann so wie vorher. Doch was ich jetzt nicht mehr kann treiben, Soll meinem Heinz empfohlen bleiben; *A modern description of being close to the end  is "having one foot in the grave."

Well, there are two corrections to the text: I am not 100 but only 90 years old, and my son, named Andreas, passed away and won't inherit anything.

Professor Henkel ended his lecture paying homage to a colleague and friend who died in 2009. Manfred Lemmer was Professor of German literature at the University of Halle in the former GDR.

Manfred Lemmer at the Basler Fasnet 1995.
Chancellor Helmut Kohl holds a copy of the Narrenschiff edition
published by Professor Lemmer in his hands.

Lemmer was a specialist on "Das Narrenschiff" and published an edition altering the woodcut on the title page.

The ship of fools sails under the flag of the GDR. The motto of the GDR was "Forward forever, backward never," although the most backward-looking figure is Erich Mielke, head of the Stasi. Next looking to him stands Justicia*. Both have their nakedness uncovered.

*Red Baron recognized the female figure as Red Hilda, the notorious Minister of Justice Hilde Benjamin. Professor Henkel disagreed.

In the front left, a People's Police officer is beating a citizen. And in the crowd is bald Johannes R. Becher, Minister of Culture, womanizer, poet, and author of the GDR national anthem: Auferstanden aus Ruinen (Risen from the Ruins). He is groping a female comrade's breasts.

The present world is full of fools at the helm of Government ships. I found a cartoon that takes an iconic painting as its model: King Trump crosses the Delaware River with his Administration, while J. D. Vance drowns Miss Liberty.

Here is a black and white photo of the original painting:

As a strong supporter of Europe's Revolutions of 1848, Emanuel Leutze painted at Düsseldorf in 1849 the Übergang Washingtons über den Delaware, hoping to encourage Europe's liberal reformers with the example of the American Revolution. This first version at the Kunsthalle Bremen was destroyed by fire on September 5, 1942, following a bombing raid.

Is the allegory well chosen? I learned that Washington's crossing was the moment when, by duping the British troops, the American Revolution sailed from near-death to survival. Well, the Trump boat is a Narrenschiff.

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