Mannekin+Pis

=Mannekin Pis=

Paige Bjerke - Brussels
Mannekin Pis is a bronze statue of a young boy peeing into a fountain located in Brussels, near the town square. Translated into English, Mannekin Pis means "little man pee in fountain." He stands 61cm tall and has been a source of much celebration and forklore throughout the years. He has over 900 different costumes that he the city dresses him up in at different times of the year and for different celebrations. Most of these costumes are now kept in a local museum for viewing, but he is still changed several times a week. The people of Brussels still submit their costumes ideas to be worn by Mannekin Pis.

Many legends surround the statue's origins, but some of the most famous stories are about Duke Godfrey III of Leuven. Back in the mid-1100s, the army of Duke Godfrey, who was just a toddler at the time, were battling another army. The troops put Lord Godfrey in a basket, and hung him high up in a tree. From high up in his perch, the boy peed on the opposing army, humiliating them, and Godfrey's men won the battle. Another legend from the 1300s states that a different little boy was spying on an invading army who were getting set to blow up the city walls with explosives. He urinated on the fuse, stopping the bomb, ruining the invasion and saving the city. Another story tells of a merchant whose son had gone missing during a visit to Brussels. A search party was formed and the boy was eventually found, peeing on a small garden. To show his appreciation, the merchant had the statue and fountain built to thank the people of Brussels that helped him find his son. There are many more legends of missing children, child heroes peeing on fires, and all sorts of fun tales. Who knows for sure what the truth really is?

The original artist was Hieronimus Duquesnuy in 1618. However the statue has been stolen many times over the years, and the current one is from 1965. The people of Brussels still come out to watch the changing of the costume on a regular basis. Four times a year during special celebrations it is a big deal in town. They have a brass band and lots of celebration. They also hook the statue up to a keg of beer so he shoots out beer instead of water. That must be interesting to see and I wonder if people actually drink it.