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History and origin of Manneken Pis

Preface

Manneken Pis, as we know, the most faithful living and oldest citizen of Brussels.

For the Manneken-Pis, the homeland is the corner of the Incubator and Oak Street in Brussels.

It was Burgundian under the Dukes of Burgundy; German U Maximilian; Spanish under Charles V; beggars under the conditions; Austria under Maria Theresa; Republican in 1794; French under Napoleon; Almost Dutch under William; Belgian under Leopold; and we never saw him happier than today.

Everyone knows that Manneken Pis is the graceful bronze representation of a little man (Manneken), high angled child, a love set in our walls because it has no wings, busy pissing and producing a clear trickle.

He was raised on a pedestal, en-hunting in a tasteful shell, secured by a iron gate and piss since ancient times; it is usually naked; foreigners will soon see that the noble Lord Wears and Guard civiqueaux great feast days.

History and origin of Manneken-Pis

All cities with an ancient past, once possessed a venerable memory, dear to the heart of the people, and whose origins are lost in the night of legends.

Paris had its Samaritaine, resplendent on the Pont-Neuf; his merry chime gathered the idle and singers. Many people of the people of Paris never forgave Napoleon they have removed the old memory of the city.

Ghent is its Gros Canon, its Perron Liège and Brussels keeps jealously palladium of his ancestors, formerly represented by a naive stone statue known as the Petit Julien Fontaine.

Europe in its main claim to modern civilization, has removed almost everywhere with disdain these antiques, pou replace them with cold columns; However, we doubt that even the Congress Column can never reach the respectable age of our Petit Julien!

“The more constant and wiser, says the author of the Chronicles of the streets of Brussels, the Belgians were able to observe what had affectionate fathers, and without concern us here the other cities of the kingdom, the Manneken-Pis has lost none of its splendor among us of other centuries.

We always honor as the oldest citizen of Brussels, we recommend it to any foreigner who visits our mischievous little fellow.

We took great care of this little famous statue as the Manneken-Pis, which is, as we know, the graceful bronze representation of a little man (Manneken), high child of a cubit, “a love set in our streets, said one of his panegyrists because it has no wings, busy work … and thus reproducing a clear stream of water.”

He was raised on a pedestal, set in a tasteful shell, secured by a iron gate and … running since time immemorial in the corner of the Incubator and Oak Street.

All those who have written about the doings of old Brussels have devoted at least one chapter, and we would be failing in our duty if we did not follow the example of our predecessors, reminding our readers the end of the century Remember this old bourgeois of Brussels, which is the joy of our ancestors.

Volumes have been published, recounting in detail the various legends of the origins of this little guy who for centuries has excited the Brussels sympathies.

Most scholarly research, however, have not come fix a precise way the beginnings of the worship of this quasi-divinity of old Brussels.

They have only served to see all its great antiquity.

One of the most common is that the fountain of the Manneken Pis has been raised by a rich bourgeois legends Brussels – some would even say a Duke of Brabant – who lost in a festival his only son aged three to four years and he loved, found him after five days in the corner of the oven, busy … working as it still does.

Others, more wonderful friends, involve a witch in the original legend.

Some scholars assure that this statue was raised in honor of a little boy who saved the city from Brussels to the thirteenth century, turning off a wick through which the enemies wanted to put it on fire. He extinguished the wick watering in the position where we still see today, like Gulliver in usa knew the Imperial Palace of Lilliput!

In this time of dynamite, this way to extinguish a wick still certainly deserves the honor of a statue.

Other stories more marvelous than each other, circulating on this subject.

We refer our readers curious details abundant monographs of the little man. All this proves, as I said, a respectable antiquity.

According to the learned archivist of the city, these legends and stories Manneken Pis in Brussels are pure storytelling, and its origin, which probably offered nothing in particular, is completely unknown. “His form, he said, must be assigned to one of those quirks artist if tasted of our ancestors.” Anyway, it seems well established that this fountain already cited as the Manneken Pis in 1452, was also at the same time the Petit Julien Fontaine name.

She was decorated with a stone statue.

It was August 13, 1619 that the famous sculptor Jerome Duquesnoy was charged by recipients to make a new bronze statue of Manneken-Pis, for the price of 50 guilders of the Rhine, and he produced the delightful work that is admire today.

In 1747, the British came to Brussels, always lovers of originality, outweighed the Manneken Pis in a van, when the inhabitants of Grammont found a way to resume in secret, and after the enemy had left the country, they exposed him to the Grand Place in their city, where you can still see a copy, the original was soon claimed by Brussels. Soon after, Louis XV went in Brussels. The French in turn stole the statue they soon find embarrassing in front of the emotion and anger of the Brussels population.

They put down at the door of a tavern at the corner of Little Island. This event had caused a great fermentation in Brussels, almost worse still. The little guy, replaced, was insulted by some French grenadiers, Louis XV, to avoid a serious collision, was obliged to intervene. He gave the Manneken-Pis a knight costume, with the right to wear the sword; he gave him personal nobility – he only wanted to give it to his descendants! – And awarded him the Cross of St. Louis, which imposed the troops the need to respect him, even him make the military salvation.

Once again at the beginning of this century, in 1817, stolen by a freed slave named Lycas, Manneken-Pis was fortunately found with the same good fortune that we kept so far.

The thief was sentenced to forced labor, as destroying public monuments!

A fact proves how conservation oldest noble of Brussels is in popular opinion, the guarantee of the prosperity of the city: it is in the bombing of the old city by Marshal Villeroy, the first thing setting safe place away from Louis XIV of bombs, was the statue of the ancient Petit Julien.

April 10, 1695, Brussels bourgeois replacèrent it on its pedestal, amid great enthusiasm.

Many times, however, this symbol of good luck charm of the city was the subject of major awards.

Louis XV of the favors had been precedents. Already in 1698, the Elector of Bavaria gave him rich clothes, at a party given by the prince to the Great Oath of Harquebusiers.

Decorated the Emperor Maximilian of his orders. After the expulsion of the Austrians, one para 1789 of the roundel of Brabant.

Napoleon also sought to grant him a favor bestowed on him the title of Chamberlain. Poets have dedicated their works; perfumers have illustrated his name their scented water;

rich burghers and princes have made him annuities. 1822 again, a Brussels lady gave him a thousand florins in his will!

It has eight full-dress clothes, not to mention the patriotic blouse 1830 his valet, in charge of her dress and appointed by the municipality of Brussels key year two hundred florins of quality.

It has sometimes inspired rhymers, here is a quatrain composed in his honor by a writer of the year XI.

My nakedness is nothing dangerous.

Without danger, look at me do;

I am here as a child happy

Peeing on the breast of his mother.

There are some years that position of trust was occupied by Mr. Theodore Delsaux, Inspector General of the waters of the city of Brussels. It was given to us at this time to visit the wardrobe Petit Julien, carefully preserved in a cabinet of the City Hall, and we can certify that he then possessed, among other memories of a royal munificence : a jabot and cuffs of the finest lace point of Brussels.

Finally, its sizeable revenue sit on properties, and it is not our precious Manneken Pis that ever caught to be appointed administrator of company-Count Lagrand Dumonceau or to place its revenue share Panoramas. The administration of his property is entrusted to a distinguished lawyer in Brussels. In 1843; The lawyer Mr Strass held the position as sought that nowadays those aide to General Belliard.

Foreigners more difficult to understand the enthusiasm of Brussels for this ancient palladium, considered the patron god of the city.

It is curious to gather their impressions.

An English author, in 1843, wrote these lines: “Behind Brussels Town Hall is the famous statue called Manneken Pis (sic); a statue much more unseemly (insensitive) and graceful, and that I certainly would not make any reference, if it was that this small figure is considered indecent by the people of Brussels as a kind of patron of the town, god of the domestic hearth without which their city would be lost. ”

This does not prevent the English author to devote six pages of its volume to our indecent Manneken Pis!

Ten years later, a French writer considers the same issue with a Parisian lightness.

We can not, he said, decently omit, in fact monuments or curiosities Brussels, Manneken Pis.

Who does not know, at least by reputation, this local joke, a somewhat coarse salt and a rather embarrassing definition prudish French?

Fleming does not know any of our vergognes; Fleming in words brave honesty.

Yesterday is’t verboden pissen you is an inscription that reads frequently on public monuments.

Now the Manneken Pis is enough Flemish ornamental quite hideous fountain (oh oh) forming the corner of the Incubator and Oak. The statue itself is pretty; it is Duquesnoy, bronze, and was replaced in the seventeenth century to a previous stone, which existed there from time immemorial. It’s kind of storytelling that has made about this little artistic fornication. ”

The author then continues:

It was the palladium of the city, as is the famous Perron Liège; touch it would have been like to lay hands on the gods or gods onions cats of Egypt. What has it certain is that this very bold gaillardise (sic) was for many centuries and is still sometimes jokes pretext.

“The Manneken Pis is a knight of umpteen orders. In some great days is dressed from head to foot; we put the sword next to him and spitting in saltire.

It is in this crew that fills his office hydrant: the neighborhood does not feel comfortable with and passersby laugh to twist. ”

This is a good subject for mirth, indeed.

Several sovereign believed to pay court to Brussels by flattering this ridiculous fad, and that is how this little guy is on his own chamberlain of the Elector of Bavaria, Knight of St. Louis, grenadier guard officer the civic guard, etc.

“For the Manneken-Pis, the homeland is the corner of the Incubator and Oak Street in Brussels.