Brant, Sebastian

Brant, Sebastian
born 1458?, Strassburg
died May 10, 1521, Strassburg

German poet.

He taught law and later was appointed imperial councillor and court palatine by Maximilian I. His varied writings include works on law, religion, politics, and especially morals. His best-known work is The Ship of Fools (1494), an allegory telling of fools on a ship bound for a "fool's paradise." The most famous German literary work of the 15th century, it ridicules the vices of the age and gave rise to a whole school of fool's literature.

* * *

▪ German poet
Brant also spelled  Brandt 
born 1457, Strassburg [now Strasbourg, France]
died May 10, 1521, Strassburg
 satirical poet best known for his Das Narrenschiff (1494; The Ship of Fools), the most popular German literary work of the 15th century.

      Brant studied in Basel, where he received his B.A. in 1477 and doctor of laws in 1489; he taught in the law faculty there from 1484 to 1500. In 1500, when Basel joined the Swiss Confederation (1499), he returned to Strassburg, where in 1503 he was made municipal secretary. Maximilian I appointed him imperial councillor and count palatine.

      Brant's writings are varied: legal; religious; political (in support of Maximilian, against the French and Turks); and, especially, moral (adaptations of the aphorisms of Cato (Cato, Publius Valerius), Faceto, and Freidank). His chief work, however, is Das Narrenschiff, an allegory telling of a ship laden with fools and steered by fools setting sail for Narragonia, the “fool's paradise.” The ship allegory is not sustained; instead Brant presents more than 100 fools representing every contemporary shortcoming, serious and trivial. Criminals, drunkards, ill-behaved priests and lecherous monks, spendthrifts, bribe-taking judges, busybodies, and voluptuous women are included in this unsparing, bitter, sweeping satire. Brant's aims are the improvement of his fellows and the regeneration of church and empire. The language is popular, the verse rough but vigorous; each chapter is accompanied by a woodcut, many ascribed to Albrecht Dürer (Dürer, Albrecht); they are beautifully executed but often only loosely connected with the text. Brant's work was an immediate sensation and was widely translated.

      Two English versions appeared in 1509, one in verse by Alexander Barclay (Barclay, Alexander) (The Shyp of Folys of the Worlde) and another in prose by Henry Watson, and it gave rise to a whole school of fool's literature. Yet Brant essentially looks backward; he is not a forerunner of the Reformation nor even a true humanist but rather a representative of medieval thought and ideals.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Brant, Sebastian — • Short biography of the German humanist and poet Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006 …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Brant, Sebastian — (1457 1521)    German humanist and poet, a native of Strasbourg, educated in liberal arts and law at Basel. After graduation he taught there in both of these faculties and in 1496 received a professorship of civil and canon law. He also worked as …   Historical Dictionary of Renaissance

  • Brant, Sebastian — (¿1458?, Estrasburgo, Alemania–10 may. 1521, Estrasburgo). Poeta alemán. Impartió clases de leyes y posteriormente fue designado consejero imperial y palatino de la corte de Maximiliano I. Sus escritos abordan una gran variedad de temas, en… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Sebastian Brant —     Sebastian Brant     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Sebastian Brant     A German humanist and poet, born at Stasburg in 1457 or 1458; died at the same place, 1521. He attended the University of Basle where he at first studied philosophy, but soon… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Brant — Brant, Sebastian, berühmter Gelehrter und Dichter, geb. 1457 in Straßburg, gest. daselbst 10. Mai 1521, studierte seit 1475 in Basel Humaniora und Rechtswissenschaft, erwarb daselbst die akademischen Grade und dozierte seit 1489 ebenda als Doktor …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Brant — Brant, Sebastian, geb. 1458 zu Straßburg, 1489 Prof. zu Basel, seit 1501 Rechtskonsulent, später Stadtschreiber zu Straßburg und kaiserl. Rat, gest. das. 10. Mai 1521; bes. bekannt durch sein in fast alle europ. Sprachen übertragenes… …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Sebastian Brant — Portrait Brants; Zeichnung von Albrecht Dürer (Ausschnitt) Sebastian Brant (* 1457 oder 1458 in Straßburg; † 10. Mai 1521 ebenda), latinisiert Titio, war ein deutscher Jurist, Professor für beide Rechte an der Universität B …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Brant — Brandt ou Brant (Sebastian) (1458 1521) jurisconsulte et poète alsacien: la Nef des fous (1494), satire des moeurs du temps. Brant (Sebastian). V. Brandt. ⇒BRAND, BRANT, subst. masc. Vx, ART MILIT. Grosse épée à large et forte lame qui devait se… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Sebastian — /si bas cheuhn/, n. 1. Saint, died A.D. 288?, Roman martyr. 2. a male given name. * * * (as used in expressions) Bach Johann Sebastian Brant Sebastian Cabot Sebastian Coe Sebastian Newbold Kresge Sebastian Spering Sebastian Saint * * * ▪ king of… …   Universalium

  • Sebastián — El origen del nombre Sebastián no es del todo conocido, pero es muy probable que provenga de la palabra griega σεβαστευω (sevastéfo), derivada a su vez del verbo σεβαζω (sevázo) cuyo significado es reverenciar, honrar. El adjetivo griego… …   Enciclopedia Universal

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”