Statue of a Man Eating Babies in Bern Switzerland
Ravi is a traveler and foodie who loves to visit off-the-beaten-track places and understand the civilisation, history and customs backside them.
The Mysterious Kid Eater of Bern
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The Picturesque City of Bern
One of the outset things you find once you arrive at Bern, Switzerland'due south picturesque capital, is its compactness. Different other sprawling cities, Bern is a walker'southward paradise, replete with limestone arcades, asphalt streets, and towering copper church spires.
That said, the ancestry of Bern are quite vague, with no archaeological discoveries unearthed before the 1300s. Many believe that the city was named afterward a comport hunted past its founder Berchtold Five, Knuckles of Zahringen. The duke after commanded an architect to build a city on that very spot to commemorate his victory over the ferocious acquit. The nearby oak forest was cut downward and the felled timber was used to build houses for the city.
Modern Bern has come a long way from that betoken and is now a scenic city with a medieval air, dotted with sandstone houses, fountains, and of form great food. Bern has over 100 fountains, and it is known as the City of Fountains.
And equally you roam around Bern, appreciating its beauty and its numerous attractions, you are spring to come across a gruesome statue of a human being pulling children out of a purse and eating them with relish. The unsettling sculpture was built in 1546 and is called Der Kindlifresser, or "child eater."
Strangely, no 1 is certain who the terrifying man is or why his statue has been standing for the concluding 500 years or so.
Bern is a walker'south paradise, replete with limestone arcades, cobblestone streets, and towering copper church spires.
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The Child Eater of Bern
It was the 1500s and Bern was in expansion manner. Its rulers continuously beautified the metropolis by amalgam fountains, parks, and elaborate palaces. Many artisans from across the world were engaged past the city to construct its beautiful fountains and supersede the old ones.
One of those artists was Hans Gieng, who created the Kindlifresserbrunnen (literally translating to "fountain of the eater of small children"). Strangely, Hans left no records of his agonizing creation, and its meaning and who had commissioned him to create the work remain shrouded in mystery.
Nonetheless, over the years at that place have been many theories postulated to explain his creation.
Why Was the Statue Created?
I theory says that the child eater might have been created to represent Jews who were hated across Europe at that time. In fact, the hat worn past the child eater bears a resemblance to the hats Jews were forced to wear across Europe by Cosmic Church constabulary.
According to the 4th Lateran Council of 1215, a meeting held betwixt all Christian communities, information technology was decided that Jews should be visibly distinguishable from Christians to preclude whatever kind of 'sinful relationship' caused by sexual intercourse knowingly or unknowingly. The council said:
"We order that they [Jews and Saracens] of both sexes, in all Christian lands and at all times, shall be publicly differentiated from the residue of the population past the quality of their garment."
As outlandish equally it sounds, medieval Christians actually believed that Jews lusted later Christian blood and were hell-bent on making it "impure." Hence, the "child eater" statue might have been created to warn people of the dangerous Jews.
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Another theory talks about the statue representing a witch. Medieval Switzerland was a hotbed for witch trials in the 1400s, with hundreds of people put on trial and burned equally witches. And 1 of the crimes associated with witches was that of eating children live.
And, interestingly, most of the witch trials happened in the 1500s and the 1600s, during the time the child eater statue was built. Therefore, it is very possible that the statue was built every bit a warning to caution people confronting "kid-eating" witches residing amongst them.
Nevertheless another theory states that the Kindlifresser is a representation of the older brother of Bern's famous founder, Duke Berchtold. According to this theory, the Duke's older brother was so jealous of his brother'southward accomplishments that he went insane and started eating the city's children in his rage. However, historical records do non provide any further details of this elusive older brother of the Knuckles.
And the final theory (and the almost plausible one) is that Hans Gieng simply created the frightening statue to frighten children! That's it! It is only a scary ogre meant to frighten children. And what child would not get scared if told: "eat your greens or the ogre will eat you"!
In conclusion, nobody is entirely sure what, or whom, the Child Eater of Bern represents. But one matter is for sure; Der Kindlifresser ("eater of little children") has been creeping out tourists and residents alike for nearly 500 years and will go on to do so until somebody solves the mystery.
Sources
- Who is the Kid Eater of Bern?
- The Child Eater of Bern
- KINDILFRESSER, THE CHILD EATER OF BERN
- Kindlifresserbrunnen: The Mysterious Kid-Eating Statue Of Bern
- Kindlifresser - the Child Eater fountain of Bern
Ravi Rajan (author) from Mumbai on April 24, 2021:
Thanks Devika for your comments
Devika Primić from Dubrovnik, Croatia on April 24, 2021:
Bern is beautiful! It is interesting and the reasons behind that statue is unique from your side of it. I find that statues appear with a good reason.
Ravi Rajan (writer) from Mumbai on April 24, 2021:
A medieval statue in the Swiss city of Bern depicts a man, eating a sack of babies. And nobody is entirely sure what, or whom, the Der Kindlifresser ('eater of little children') actually represents.
Miebakagh Fiberesima from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, NIGERIA. on Apr 24, 2021:
Rajah, you're welcome.
Ravi Rajan (writer) from Mumbai on Apr 23, 2021:
Cheers Sukhdev
Sukhdev Shukla from Dehra Dun, India on Apr 23, 2021:
Quite interesting!
Ravi Rajan (author) from Mumbai on April 23, 2021:
Cheers Vidya for your comments
Ravi Rajan (writer) from Mumbai on April 23, 2021:
Cheers Misbah for your comments
Ravi Rajan (author) from Mumbai on April 23, 2021:
Cheers Miebakagh for your comments
VIDYA D SAGAR on April 23, 2021:
An interesting commodity Ravi though intriguing. The theory that they were meant to affright the children to eat their greens seems plausible. The pictures of Bern are and then cute. Makes the states want to visit the city.
Misbah Sheikh from The Earth of Rebels. on April 23, 2021:
A very fascinating article, Ravi. Bern is a beautiful city. The pictures are beautiful. I don't know the story behind the statue only for certain it's horrible and frightening. In Madrid Spain, a drug aficionado was caught past law in2019 who murdered his mom, cutting her into pieces. And was eating her raw meat along with his dog. Isn't it horrible, The man is still under trial. what more the worst tin can nosotros expect than this? There are plenty of similar cases in the earth. The statue is old merely I am sure at that place must be some horrifying story behind this statue as well.
Thanks for sharing
Blessings
Miebakagh Fiberesima from Port Harcourt, Rivers Land, NIGERIA. on April 23, 2021:
The explanation that childrens eat up they greens(foods) holds water. Probably a legend all over the world, even among my Wakirike(Okrika) folks in the Niger Delta. Thanks for the read. It's interesting.
Ravi Rajan (author) from Mumbai on Apr 23, 2021:
Thanks Peggy for your comments.
Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on April 23, 2021:
I saw another statue in Germany that had the ogre or person supposedly eating a kid. Whatever the reasoning behind these statues, it does present a frightening image to onlookers. Bern appears to be a cute city.
Ravi Rajan (author) from Mumbai on April 23, 2021:
Thank you Lorna for your comments
Lorna Lamon on Apr 23, 2021:
Fascinating commodity complete with beautiful photos of Bern. Lots of dissimilar theories each one frightening in its ain manner. Next time I'1000 in Switzerland I will pay Bern a visit.
Ravi Rajan (author) from Bombay on April 23, 2021:
A medieval statue in the Swiss city of Bern depicts a homo, eating a sack of babies. And nobody is entirely sure what, or whom, the Der Kindlifresser ('eater of little children') really represents.
Ravi Rajan (author) from Bombay on April 23, 2021:
Thanks Umesh
Umesh Chandra Bhatt from Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, India on April 23, 2021:
Wow.
Ravi Rajan (author) from Mumbai on Apr 23, 2021:
Thank you Liz for your comments.
Liz Westwood from UK on Apr 23, 2021:
This is a very well-illustrated article. It reminds me of how picturesque Swiss cities can be. The mystery of the statue is intriguing but a footling grotesque.
Ravi Rajan (writer) from Mumbai on April 23, 2021:
Thanks John for your comments
John Hansen from Gondwana Land on April 23, 2021:
What an interesting article, Ravi. Bern looks like a beautiful city. I exercise wonder what the true meaning of the statue is, nonetheless.
Ravi Rajan (writer) from Mumbai on April 23, 2021:
A medieval statue in the Swiss city of Bern depicts a man, eating a sack of babies.And nobody is entirely sure what, or whom, the Der Kindlifresser ('eater of lilliputian children') actually represents.
Source: https://owlcation.com/humanities/The-Mysterious-Child-Eater-of-Bern
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