December 16, 2012

Antwerp and Brabo, last night



                                       photos by Graham

The seasons' spirit also made it to Antwerp. The first two pictures show the town hall and the good observer notices the statue of Brabo right next to the Christmas tree. Even though the word "Antwerp" is said to be derived from " aan de werpe"  (translated as "at the throw")  referring to where the river throws its sand, the Brabo story tells it differently: "More than 2,000 years ago, when Antwerp was just a small settlement in the Roman empire, Druoon Antigoon - a giant from Russian descent - built a large castle along the river Scheldt. He exacted a toll from every passing ship sailing down the river. The giant cut off the hands of sailors who were unable or unwilling to hand over half of their cargo, and threw their hands in the river.One day, the Roman soldier Brabo sailed along the giant's castle. He refused to pay the toll and challenged Antigoon to a duel. Brabo managed to defeat the giant, cut off his head and hand and threw it in the river. According to popular etymology the city's name - Antwerpen - is derived from the act of Brabo throwing the hand ('handwerpen' in Flemish). The hand symbolizes the free waterway, which was vital for the city's survival. The hand also became a symbol of Antwerp and appeared on city seals as early as in the 13th century.Even today it is prominently visible in the city: the hand is displayed on the city's coat of arms and a local delicacy, known as 'handje' is shaped like a hand"

http://www.aviewoncities.com/antwerp/brabofontein.htm

40 comments:

  1. beautiful. I really have to come and visit one day!!!

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  2. een periode waar alle steden zo mooi zijn
    maar ook oh zo druk :(

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    1. vind ik ook Pascale, daarom ben ik blij met de foto's die ik toegestuurd krijg :)

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  3. Een sfeervol schouwspel, dat heel wat mensen op de been brengt, altijd mooi om zien...

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    1. ik sta altijd versteld van hoe veel mensen er op af gaan...levert mooie foto's op

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  4. Een interessante post, ik was daar gisteren ook!

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    1. hoop dat je van je Antwerpse excursie genoten hebt!

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  5. Hee, jij bent de tweede blog die ik open vandaag en ja over hetzelfde onderwerp, de kerst in Antwerpen. Heel leuke stad.

    Groetjes en prettige kerst,
    Filip

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    1. ik heb ook gemerkt ... van toeval gesproken... maar jullie vertoeven in warmere oorden. geniet ervan

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  6. Trois jolies vues d'Anvers avec son marché de Noël. J'aime beaucoup celles de la mairie, et j'ai aperçu la statue de Brabo. Une très belle histoire, merci du partage, j'ai appris quelque chose aujourd'hui.
    Bon Dimanche.

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  7. sfeervol verlicht...

    ik ga regelmatig naar Antwerpen, maar de kerstverlichting heb ik nog niet gezien..

    wie weet ..

    fijne zondag

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  8. Great captures for the holidays, Anni! Wishing you a very Joyful and Merry Christmas!

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  9. Beautiful. Such magnificence with all the lights. I want to see it in person one day. And i love the story of Antwerp!

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  10. Truly beautiful photos and an interesting bit of history surrounding Antwerp. I love hearing about the stories and folklore of years past. :)

    Hope you are having a great day, Anni and thank you for your visits and comments to my blog! They are very much appreciated!

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    1. so do I (love hearing stories from the past - as well as appreciate your visits and comments)

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  11. Hallo Anni,
    Veel licht veel volk!
    Ik heb een nicht die in een van de zijstraten van de markt woont :-)
    Groetjes, Frans

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    1. dan heb je misschien een bijkomende goede reden om eens te gaan kijken, Frans

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  12. Replies
    1. d'accord :) moi aussi, j apprécie beaucoup ce genre de conte

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  13. What an interesting story. I wonder if all cities have some sort of lore about their name. Well, ours doesn't since it was named after Christopher Columbus. Thanks for playing along today. Here’s my Dreaming of France meme (or Belgium, anything in that general region.

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    1. Does that mean you are from Columbus, Ohio? Great idea to have people play games on your blog :)

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  14. Splendides photos de nuit, superbe rendu de la lumière. Bonne soirée.

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  15. Stupende fotografie, sono davvero incantata davanti a questa notte di dicembre.
    Ciao, buona giornata.
    Antonella

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  16. Festive photos Anni...and I love learning new things! Thanks, Janey

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  17. Hallo Anni.
    Wat een mooie verlichting in de stad Antwerpen, erg feestelijk.
    Groeten Bets

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  18. Knap verlicht Antwerpen!

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  19. great pics!

    xoxo
    http://mademoizelle-eloise.blogspot.be/

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  20. mooi belicht Annie, een bekend plekje voor mij.
    Groetjes Dietmut

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  21. really its spectacular parade, how nice if I could come

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