Three Wise Men of Gotham

The "wise men" of this rhyme are anything but: they put to sea in a bowl and sink. They come from Gotham, a real English village famous for legendary fools, and the name travelled a long way. Washington Irving pinned it on New York in 1807, and Batman's "Gotham City" took it from there.

Origins

The rhyme was first published in London around 1765 in John Newbery's landmark collection Mother Goose's Melody; or, Sonnets for the Cradle. The characters refer to the real village of Gotham in Nottinghamshire, England.

Legends about the fools of Gotham date back to the Middle Ages. Stories of their antics were popularized in chapbooks during the early sixteenth century. According to the most famous legend, the villagers feigned madness when King John (who reigned from 1199 to 1216) planned to travel through the village. Since hosting royalty was a ruinously expensive chore, and royal roads became public highways, the villagers performed absurd tasks to convince the king's scouts they were mad. They tried to fence in a cuckoo, drown an eel in a pond, and roll cheeses down a hill to send them to market. Convinced the village was populated by fools, the king avoided Gotham, saving the townspeople from heavy expenses.

Meaning & Interpretation

The title "Wise Men" is used with heavy irony, as the characters embark on the obviously futile task of sailing to sea in a bowl. Despite the rhyme's simplicity, its impact has lasted. In 1807, American writer Washington Irving mockingly compared the culture of New York City to the fools of Gotham in his satirical periodical Salmagundi. The nickname "Gotham" stuck to New York City, eventually inspiring writer Bill Finger to name Batman's fictional home "Gotham City" in 1940.

Who were the Three Wise Men of Gotham?

The "wise men" are characters in English folklore from the village of Gotham in Nottinghamshire. The title is ironic, as the characters are traditional fools famous for performing absurd tasks, such as trying to sail to sea in a bowl.

How did the rhyme inspire the name of Gotham City?

In 1807, writer Washington Irving satirised New York City by calling it "Gotham" after the legendary English village of fools. This popular nickname was later adopted in 1940 by Batman co-creator Bill Finger as the name for Gotham City.