Ship of Fools Tarot, Inspired by the Art of Sebastian Brant’s Narrenschiff
By Brian Williams
In 112 passages with accompanying woodcut images by Albrecht Durer and others, fifteenth century German humanist Sebastian Brant portrayed a collection of fools that represented the follies and foibles of the ordinary human being. Brant’s fools were shown involved in a variety of everyday acts, sometimes of a serious nature, sometimes looking quite innocuous to our modern eye. There was a moral message behind Brant’s work, and not just in pointing out that adultery or stealing were wrong. Even those things that seemed like harmless human oversights betrayed the real foolishness of man, for he could not see the spiritual or philosophical consequences of his actions.
Brant titled his collection, Das Nerrenschiff, or Ship of Fools, and not only was it popular in his own time, translated into a number of languages, it has also found its influence in the works of twentieth century novelists and musicians; notably Katherine Anne Porter and the Grateful Dead. Brant’s simple but direct words and message echo, and have found a place again now, in the twenty-first century, in the last work of well-known tarot artist and author, Brian Williams.
Williams had keen vision. His tarot work balanced an understanding of the human soul, with an appreciation for the human spirit. His work is aware of our best potentials, and forgiving of what some might see as flaws or weaknesses. Inspired by Brant’s own keen vision and the obvious potential of turning Das Nerrenschiff into a tarot deck, Williams created his Ship of Fools Tarot, beautifully styled with or after the original woodcuts from Das Nerrenschiff. Many of the woodcuts have been kept very close to their original form, creating excellent representations of the tarot, and those that needed rearranging were secure in the adept hand of Williams. Thus, the artwork is highly enjoyable and appealing, as well as often being quite humorous.
Through the Ship of Fools Tarot we can be reminded that we are responsible for our own lives and the consequences of our actions, which is an underlying purpose of tarot in general – being in control of one’s destiny, using tarot as a tool of navigation. At the same time we never forget, through Williams’ wonderful writing, to lighten up a little.
The combining of the fifteenth century with the twenty-first highlights the places where our vision and understanding of life overlap, and the places where they part. The woodcuts of the original work have been touched by Williams’ artistic finesse. To Brant’s satirical and sometimes stodgy message, Williams brought compassion and wit. Williams’ writing is enjoyable – clear, concise, interesting. He explained his choices for the tarot images well, describing the original Ship of Fools woodcuts, and comparing the images to two famous and historically important tarot decks, the Tarot of Marseilles and Rider-Waite Tarot.
The symbolism from the old woodcuts can oddly achieve real precision in reflecting present events and modern feelings. Though the book is complete, it is not a comprehensive guide to tarot, so a beginner drawn to this deck would probably benefit from using an additional book alongside it, as he or she learns. But overall, this is a tarot set that shouldn’t be missed.
Originally published at Parabola Magazine, 2003
© Nellie Levine