Charles Quint's mug

CHARLES QUINT’S MUG

Did you know Charles Quint was a big beer lover? According to the legends, he always brought a barrel of beer on his travels. And he never refused a glass of beer at the inns he used to stay in. In Olen, where he used to hunt, they still like to talk about the legend of ‘the three-handled mug’. The market place in Olen has even dedicated a statue to him.

1 handle

The farmers of Olen, who usually drank their beer from a mug without handles, wanted to show Charles Quint they were well-mannered too and made him a mug with one handle. When he arrived on his horse at the inn, the innkeeper’s wife came outside carrying a mug of beer with a thick layer of foam. She held it by the handle and handed it to him. Charles Quint was forced to take hold of the mug itself. “Lady, next year you’ll need a mug with two handles, that will be a lot easier.”

2 handles

And that’s exactly what happened. The next year, the innkeeper’s wife handed Charles Quint a mug with two handles, but she held onto both of them. “This still doesn’t work, lady. Next year, you will need one with three handles. That will be more convenient.”

3 handles

When Charles Quint stopped at the inn for the third year in a row, the woman welcomed him with a mug with three handles. Again, she held two of the handles, and the third handle was turned toward her chest. Charles Quint grabbed onto the third handle by reaching underneath the mug. “Well, lady, it would have been as difficult as last year, had I not known there was a third handle.”

4 handles?

In Walcourt, Wallonia, they take the story a step further. Here, Charles Quint ordered to have a four-handled mug made, so he’d be sure to always have an ear within reach.