Deniers of God. Insipiens/stultus on board of the ship of fools (1494)

Brant depicts an elaborate topos of the medieval stultus vagabondus on his endless search for temporal pleasures. In medieval and late medieval thought the fool was associated with evil because "he knew no God". In the Old Testament, and especially through the exegeses, the term stultus became synonymous with sinner. The fool was further assimilated with the scorner (Proverbs, 24:9). On the other hand, in medieval theological discourse, the fool, (Insipiens), was defined as an unbeliever (Psalms, 3:1 and 52:1), denier of God and blaspheming the Lord. In late medieval thought, the notions of stultus and Insipiens were merged. This idea is echoed in Brant's poem and characterizes some of his most original elaborations tracing the perilous voyage of the fools. Brant conceives the God-denying-fool as rebelling against the Divine Law. The innovative illustrations further emphasize Brant's idea by portraying the fool-scorners and heretics as Christ's betrayers. One of the most original elaborations is expressed through Brant's poem, "Of the Antichrist" and it's visual interpretation, where the fools-deniers of God are assimilated with Antichrist's foolish disciples and admirers.