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LEGENDS OF MANNEKEN-PIS
1. Godfrey III and the Battle of Ransbeeck
There are a lot of legends concerning Manneken-Pis. The one about the
Battle of Ransbeeck is perhaps the least incredible of them all.
Godfrey III was a little baby when his father the duc of Lorraine, died.
Some of his subjects thought this might be a good time to take up arms against
their young sovereign. Godfrey's mother Lutgardis, requested the help
of the nobles. They agreed but their armies wanted the presence of the
young duke on the battlefield.
Lying down in his cradle the young duke left at the head of his troups. On
the battlefield they attached his cradle to a branch of an oak. The battle
raged and his soldiers were pushed back. But the sight of the young duke
upright in his cod relieving himself gave them renewed courage and they eventually
won the day.
A fountain was erected in Brussels to commemorate the event and the oak from which
had hung the duke's cradle was replanted next to the fountain. And to this
day, the road where Manneken Pis stands is called Oak Street.
2. The bishop baptised with...
The birth of Manneken-Pis is said to have taken place in the VIIIth Century. Vindicien,
bishop of Arras, came to Brussels to preach and the lord of the region invited
him on his domain vint prAacher A Bruxelles et le seigneur de la rACgion la?Tinvita en ses
terres, not without ulterior motive: he had no heir.
Vindicien promissed to intercede for him with the Allmighty. Nine months later
his wife gave birth to a boy whose first manifestation of his presence was to
pee so high that the beard of Vindicien en fut ACclaboussACe.
The kid was then called Manneken-Pis. Shortly afterwards Vindicien passed
away. Where could the kid be baptized and who would now perform the ceremony ?
The lord's wife thought of Gudule the goddaughter of Gertrude who lived in Ham
Castle.
This great honor flattered Gudule. She came, blessed the child, kissed his
mother, greeted his father and returned to Ham.
Seduced by the charms of Gudule, the lord left his home to go to the abode of
Gudule who didn't suspect his intentions and welcomed him.
But when the future saint discoverd his real motives she was very angry and declared:
"Your son will never grow up and he'll never stop peeing".
3. Julien and the hermit
In the 8th Century a child knee-high to a grasshopper, ran away "to see from
closer by" saint Vindicien; the small fellow called Julian who father was in
love with Gudule, releaved himself unashamedly against the door of the cell of a
saintly hermit.
Suddenly confronted with a very tall person with a beard he was miraculously
changed into a statue in stone and condemned to forever pursue his act.
At this point opinions diverge. For some the legend ends here.
Others pretend that the father came to embrace the statue and that the boy then
came back to life. The grateful father then commissioned a statue, a
look-alike of this little boy.
4. The young nobleman
In the time of the Crusades there lived in Brussels the count of Hove, his
wife and their son Godefroid.
Coming back from the Crusade the armed men stopped in front of the residence of
the count who offered hospitality. The next day he sent out his 5 year old son
to welcome the soldiers. But the little fellow didn't stop spraying the
parade.
In order to redeem himself for this indignity the count and countess ordered the
erection of a statue of atonement.
5. The son found back
During popular rejoicing un wealthy citizen who went there with his one and
only son, lost the little boy in the crowd.
The father searched the streets of Brussels for 5 long days and eventually found
his son back on the corner of Stove Street and Oak Street in the position
one can imagine. Dad was so happy he installed on the same spot a statue
of a little boy in the same position. And they called it Manneken-Pis.
6. The savior of the city
Juliaeneke, a small city kid, saw that the troops attacking the City dug a hole at the foot of the wall surrounding the city and then proceeded to put kegs of powder in it. A fuse was then lit by the ennemy but our hero put out the flame before it could reach the powder kegs. The besieged put the little boy out of harm's way and then chased the ennemy away.
A statue was put up to remember the heroic deed.
7. The child and the witch
About 1540, (during the reign of Charles V) a child peed against the door of the house of a witch who lived on the corner of Stove Street and Oak Street. She was so furious she condemned the little boy to continue for ever his act. And then what happened?
A kindly old man came, carrying in his arms a statue of stone which he
substituted for the little boy whom he accompanied back to his home and his
parents.
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Liste des costumes de Manneken Pis
Documents concernant Manneken-Pis et l'Ordre de ses amis
Le site officiel de l'Ordre des Amis de Manneken Pis
About Brussels folklore
Most recent update : 21-04-2021