It feels like you can’t traverse a famous river in Europe without seeing a plethora of padlocks clamouring for attention on the bridges. A Love Lock site seems to be an ubiquitous addition to any city with a hint of romance in its past or simply a nice vista. For those unfamiliar with the custom, Love Locks are just your common or garden padlock, often with the names of the two lovers in question engraved onto one side, that are attached to bridges, walkways and just about any lockable surface across the globe to symbolise their unbreakable love. The key is thrown into the river or, failing that, the distance to complete the ritual. The etymology of this tradition is somewhat hazy, with some attributing its recent European dissemination to Italian author Federico Moccia’s 2006 book ‘I Want You’. Elsewhere in Serbia, the concept of the love lock apparently derives from a World War II tale of lost love. But closer to home it seems that the trend of honouring your relationship by latching onto a public structure came about some time in the 1990’s. From Scotland to Slovenia, several bridges over the Seine and the entire mountain range of Huangshan in China, Love Locks are taking over popular tourist locations like a strange, ardent virus. Beautiful view? Throw a key at it.
Some sites of love locking appear to have developed their own myths surrounding the tradition. In Fengyuan, Taiwan locks are attached to the overpass that lies above the city’s train station. Single locks are affixed to grant wishes, whereas two locks together symbolise lovers. It is said that the magnetic field that is generated by the trains as they pass beneath causes ‘energy to accumulate in the locks and fulfill the wishes’. Meanwhile in Pécs, Hungary a narrow walkway between the main square and the medieval cathedral became a hot locking spot for both students and lovers alike. Apparently your lock can represent your educational struggle just as well as your undying love for another.
While the sentiment behind the growing love lock craze seems harmless, city councils around the world are less enthused by the sheer volume of metal being secured to the city’s walkways and bridges. As the locks began to spread from Pont des Arts in Paris to other nearby bridges, the Gendarmes began to patrol in search of couples hurling keys into the Seine. Atop South Korea’s North Seoul Tower there are special ‘key disposal’ bins to prevent key-related injuries at the base of the tower. Meanwhile in Toronto, love locks were removed from the Humber Bridge after concerns that the structure’s integrity might be compromised if it were to become a love locking destination. If all this sounds a little hard to stomach don’t fear, Dublin City Council has made a very clear statement on how it feels about love lockers taking to the Ha’penny Bridge. Locks have been removed regularly since March, 2013 and will continue to be broken, no doubt ending the relationships of countless lovers the world over.
Start Here:
Take a lock at this:
Need some inspiration before you start shopping for a love lock all your own? The original love locks that have been removed from the Ha’penny Bridge went on display in The Exchange, Temple Bar last month and will be on view in TOG – a hacker-space based in Chancery Lane, Dublin 8 – during their open evenings. Check out www.tog.ie for more information.
Get locked:
Don’t let DCC’s anti-romance vibes get the best of you, if there’s one thing we’ve learnt it’s that love-locking requires only a lockable surface and somewhere to throw the key. Get your locks engraved at one of the city’s locksmiths and then head out to your view of choice, you just might need to get creative with what you’re locking up to.
Splash out:
If a quality locking location is high in your mind then why not make the trip to the famous Ponte Milvio in Rome, where Federico Moccia’s protagonists secured the love lock that started a European trend. By the time you’re in Rome with a loved one you’re probably having a pretty romantic time anyway.
Words: Emily Carson / Illustration: Fuchsia MacAree
