Antigonus

Antigonus was the legendary town giant of Antwerp in Belgian folklore. According to the tales, Antigonus terrorized the city and its people by demanding tribute from all travelers passing through his domain. Those who refused to pay faced a brutal punishment: the giant would chop off their hands. Eventually, a heroic prince named Brabon slew the tyrannical giant, and this victory is believed to be the origin of Antwerp's "hand-tossing" epithet.

Over the following centuries, the legend of this confrontation grew in cultural significance, transforming Antigonus from a villainous figure into a symbolic personality deeply associated with the city itself. In time, effigies of Antigonus came to represent Antwerp in much the same way that Gog and Magog represent London. Historical records show that these effigies played prominent roles in the town's cultural celebrations and political ceremonies, cementing the giant's place as an enduring emblem of the city.