Dimitris
Google
The central fountain of Antwerp, for those unfamiliar with local legend, is a rather strange sight: a naked man throwing a huge severed hand.
The Brabo Fountain (Brabofontein in Dutch) is a tribute to the mythical Roman soldier Silvius Brabo. According to legend, there was once a giant named Druon Antigoon who built a fortress along the Scheldt River. The giant forced passing ships to pay a toll, as well as anyone crossing the nearby bridge. If travelers refused, Antigoon would cut off one of their hands and throw it into the river.
The giant's blackmail ended when Silvius Brabo sailed across the river. He refused to pay the giant's toll and challenged him to a duel. Brabo defeated and cut off the giant's head and hand, which he threw into the river as the giant had once done.
According to folklore, the name Antwerp (Antwerp in Flemish or Antwerpen in Dutch) came from this very legend, with "Antwerpen" in Flemish and "Hand werpen" in Dutch both meaning "hand throwing". This has been disputed by etymologists, but the legend is much celebrated in the city, as evidenced by the fountain and the famous chocolate hands of Antwerp.
Brabo's sculpture depicts the soldier throwing the giant's hand into the river, with water gushing from the severed wrist like blood. Brabo stands on a high pedestal decorated with a series of creatures, including fish, a sea lion, a turtle, a dragon-like monster, and some mermaids holding a castle, symbolizing Antwerp. And beneath Silvius Brabo's feet lies the severed head of the giant Antigoon.
The statue was designed by Belgian sculptor Jef Lambeaux and inaugurated in 1887. It was placed in the center of the Grote Markt, in a prime location in front of the town hall. It not only represented the legend of Silvius Brabo, it was also a symbolic celebration of the liberation of the Scheldt River. For more than a century, the Dutch had demanded tolls from ships passing along the river, seriously hindering the development of Antwerp. Finally, in 1863, the Dutch stopped charging tolls, and this was cause for much celebration in Antwerp.
While the legend of Antwerp’s chocolate hands tells a story of sweet victory, there is a more complex, bitter, and often overlooked story associated with the symbol of severed hands in Belgium. From 1885 to 1908, the Congo was a Belgian colony controlled by King Leopold II of Belgium. Leopold made his fortune by exporting Congo’s valuable resources, such as rubber and ivory. To do this, the king’s army forced many Congolese into labor. And of those who did not comply, the soldiers cut off their hands and presented them to their superiors as proof of their oppression. And while news of Leopold's regime sparked an international outcry that resulted in him losing control of the state in 1908, the Congo remained a Belgian colony until it regained its independence in 1960.
