Silvius Brabo

Silvius Brabo is a legendary Roman soldier who killed the giant Druon Antigonus in Antwerp.

History

Ruon Antigone demanded a passage right over the Scheldt and cutting the hand of bad payers. Brabo killed the giant, cut off his hand and threw it into the river. According to this explanation the name Antwerpen (Dutch of Antwerp) would come from hand werpen (hand = hand, werpen = throw, in Dutch). That said, this version is pretty contested, with some saying that Antwerp would come from aan het werpen which designates the pier of the port.

Certainly, the history of Brabo is only a legend, but it probably hides a historical reality: archaeologists have discovered traces of a settlement dating from the first century and the remains of a Roman site near the Steen. It seems that Antwerp was inhabited much earlier than it is now.

Statue

A statue of Silvius Brabo wielding and throwing the hand of Antigone is located on the Grand-place of Antwerp. Nearby, a more ancient representation throne stands above the well of Quentin Matsys, the Putkevie, on the Handschoenmarkt (gloves market). This statue, due to Jef shreds, date from 1887.

Around the legend

• The legend was mentioned in the album of Bob and Bobette Les Sept Pions.
• And also in the Belgian Spirou No. 953 of July 19, 1956, in a story of 4 pages’ comics drawn by J. Laffond titled Salvius Brado against Druon Antigan drawn.

source https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvius_Brabo