Why Henry?

 

I got told if one person mentions something in wonder others wonder, too, so.

Let me explain why it´s Henry, not Leo the Lion.

There was a boy, born sometime between 1129 - 1131. He belonged to the Welf dynasty  and was called "Heinrich der Löwe", short "Henry".

 

Wiki explains, "Henry was one of the most powerful German princes of his time...

 

 

Henry was the founder of Munich (1157) and Lübeck (1159); he also founded and developed numerous other cities in Northern Germany and Bavaria, a.o. Augsburg, Hildesheim (where I studied), Stade, Kassel, Güstrow, Lüneburg, Salzwedel, Schwerin and Brunswick. 

 

In Brunswick, his capital, he had a bronze lion, his heraldic animal, erected in the courtyard of his castle Dankwarderode in 1166 – the first bronze statue north of the Alps." (read more here, if you like)

Henry got married to a very, very young... girl. Not even a woman. 

So he decided to give her room to grow (up) and went on a pilgrimage.

He broke his wedding ring in half, gave her one and said if he won´t be back in seven years she is allowed to re-marry (see why we have to love him? Only a real man does this).

In Africa he heard someone screaming in highest despair and went for help.

A Lion was loosing a fight against a dragon (now, this might or might not be true, you decide).

Duke Henry stepped in, killed the Dragon and the Lion from that moment on declared him being his friend and never left his side.

 

The Duke was brave and all but not creative. He called the Lion ... "Henry".

They made it home to Braunschweig in time, Mathilde was still there...

 

 ... had kids, but unlike his Lion-friend he certainly had to die one day.

 

The Lion tried to get into the cathedral, wanting to say good bye to his friend - you still see where his claws hit.

 

 (there might be another explanation for this, you decide)

 In the end Henry The Lion died of hunger and a broken heart outside.

 

Yet! There is still the statue, right?

No joke and if you visit please PROMISE to not give this away: 

Due to pollution the real Henry is inside the castle (I saw him once, it is true!). 

 

Outside you find a copy and he thinks he´s the real one.

Right now he bathes among people who take his picture all year round. He loves this.

 

Come New Year´s Eve, when all the fireworks is done, they say (I have not seen it) he jumps off his place and roams the city, all the way to the PTB where Braunschweig "makes" the time with the atomic clock for Europe.

He wants to make sure everybody is safely at home (it can get real cold after all).

 

Come morning he is back in place as if nothing ever happened.

 

For the month of January you are to shout up, "Henry, this was a great year!" and if you look closely, he smiles a little, just a bit.

We are also officially called Braunschweig - City of Henry The Lion.

And that´s why it´s not Leo :-)

Ingo´s nephew is called Leo. But reckon he never was in Braunschweig.

 

Henry 🦁

 

Also... isn´t "Henry" just a beautiful name?