The Spell of Flanders: An Outline of the History, Legends and Art of Belgium's Famous Northern ProvincesVose, Edward Neville
History
The Spell of Flanders: An Outline of the History, Legends and Art of Belgium's Famous Northern Provinces
Vose, Edward Neville
Flanders -- Description and travel
The Professor informed us that, in the course of his researches, he
had run across a reference to some legend or popular tradition
concerning a siege of Ghent in the year 930, or thereabouts, by the
Kings of England, Scotland and Ireland. The city, according to this
tale, was bravely defended by Dierick, Lord of Dixmude, and all the
attacks of the besiegers were repelled for many months. Their
majesties from across the Channel were naturally much incensed at this
unexpected resistance, and warned the burghers and their valiant chief
that if they did not surrender within twenty-four hours, they would
raze the city to the ground and sow corn on its ruins. Notwithstanding
this threat, to the fulfilment of which the kings aforesaid took a
mighty oath, the men of Ghent fought stubbornly on, and finally the
besiegers were forced to give up their enterprise. The English
monarch, however, in order to fulfil his vow and thereby ease his
conscience, humbly begged permission of the victors to allow him to
throw a grain of corn in the market-place. This modest request was
granted, but to prevent any such stratagem as the one that proved so
successful in the famous siege of Troy, a tiny hole was made in the
city wall and the monarch required to crawl through alone, returning
the same way after the corn-throwing performance was over. From this
circumstance the name of Engelande-gat was derisively given to the
little street leading from the Bestroom-Porte to St. Michel--a name
which Pryse L. Gordon in his book on Holland and Belgium, written in
1834, stated was still retained at that time. We were unable to find
it, however, in one of our early morning tramps, although we found a
rue d'Angleterre which runs into the Place St. Michel directly in
front of the church, and may have derived its name from that of the
earlier street which, quite possibly, it may have replaced. The great
plan of the city drawn by Hondius shows a vast number of streets and
lanes that to-day have entirely disappeared. The legend, however, may
have had some basis in fact, although the three kings were no doubt a
fanciful embellishment added by the peasants as they repeated the
story of some early attack. There were plenty of small potentates in
those days prowling about to seize whatever was not well defended, or
gave promise of rich booty, without going across the Channel to look
for them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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