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Postmark 13 November 1930 Silvius Brabo is an Antwerp folklore figure. According to legend, he was a Roman soldier who killed the giant Druon Antigoon, cut off his hand and threw it into the Scheldt. It has become the official symbol of the city of Antwerp. According to legend, Antwerp was terrorized in earlier centuries by a giant, Druon Antigoon, who forced all shippers to pay tolls before they were allowed to cross the Scheldt. If they refused, Antigoon cut off their hands and threw them into the river. The Roman legionary Silvius Brabo rebelled against this one day. He fought with Antigoon, killed him, then cut off his hand and threw the body part into the river. By "throwing hand" Antigoon would have given Antwerp its name. A 15th-century chronicle also claimed that Brabant also owed its name to Brabo. Another legend adds an extra story. Brabo is said to have killed Antigoon at the request of seven young men who wanted to marry, but had insufficient money and had no intention of paying Antigoon their limited financial possessions. Brabo assisted the seven young men in the murder of Antigoon, after which the seven were welcomed into the city as heroes. They would therefore have been the seven ancestors of the most important Antwerp families. Their coats of arms depicted a chessboard on each, earning them the nickname "the Seven Chess".
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