Battle of Leuven: 891 was a decisive victory for King Arnulf in repelling Viking incursion into the heart of Europe. Fought on the banks of the Dijle River in “Loven” near the Groot Begijnhof, it is said that there were so many dead bodies that the flow of the river was stopped. According to city legend, the red-white-red colors of the city's flag depict the blood-stained shores of the river Dijle after this battle. Leuven first appeared in documents as a town in 891 as 'Loven'.