ABSTRACT

In the later Middle Ages, throughout the early modern period, and acknowledged landmark fountains like Manneken Pis played a role in the ceremonial culture of their city, particularly in a late medieval ceremony called the solemn entry. This ceremony, held in France and beyond, welcomed the overlord into the city on his or her first visit after accession. Manneken Pis looks like a Christ Child, which has practical consequences for the way that it is incorporated into celebrations. Firstly, it is inevitably understood in the same iconographical tradition as effigies of the Baby Jesus. Secondly, the superficial resemblance to the Baby Jesus encourages a tendency to pseudo-religious fervour surrounding the fountain and leads to religious experiences in observers seeking spirituality in unlikely places. In April 2001 Manneken Pis and the equivalent female statue, Jeanneke Pis, were dressed to promote the forthcoming Gay Pride celebrations, in rainbow t-shirts, orange jackets, and cowboy hats.