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Druon Antigoon or Druon Antigonus is a Flemish folkloric character. He was a mythical 
Guarding a bridge on the river Scheldt, he exacted a toll from those crossing the river. For those who refused, he severed one of their hands and threw it into the river. Eventually, Antigoon was slain by a young Roman soldier named ''Brabo'', who cut off the giant's own hand and flung it into the river.
According to
giant
In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: ''gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ...
who lived in Antwerp.
Guarding a bridge on the river Scheldt, he exacted a toll from those crossing the river. For those who refused, he severed one of their hands and threw it into the river. Eventually, Antigoon was slain by a young Roman soldier named ''Brabo'', who cut off the giant's own hand and flung it into the river.
According to folklore
Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...
, and as celebrated by the statue in front of the town hall, this legend is the origin of the name ''Antwerp'': ''Antwerpen'', from Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
''hand werpen''—akin to Old English ''hand'' and ''wearpan'' (= to throw), that has changed to today's ''warp''.
It is alleged that the modern day 'Antwerp Hands', chocolates shaped like severed hands sold in Antwerp', are a reference to this legend and not due to the atrocities committed by the Belgian colonialism in the Congo
References
Belgian culture Fictional giants Medieval legends Belgian folklore Fictional characters from Flanders Belgian legends Antwerp in fiction {{Europe-myth-stub