County flags – Kent
Invicta flag
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons
The first county flag I became aware of was the Kent flag. I was born and brought up in Kent, known as the Garden of England, with its fruit orchards and hop fields. I lived there until I left home for college in Lincolnshire and didn’t live there full-time after that.
The flag depicts the rearing, (rampant in heraldic language) White Horse of Kent on a red background. It is seen everywhere in the county, though not always in colour. It is also known as the Invicta flag. Invicta means ‘unconquered’ and is the motto of Kent.
The White Horse of Kent dates from the Jutish Kingdom of Kent in the 6th to 8th centuries. The legend holds that the horse was the symbol of Horsa, the brother of Hengest/Hengist. The Old English name Horsa means ‘horse.’ Hengest means ‘stallion.’
It is believed that Hengist and Horsa were Germanic warrior brothers, who led the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes to invade Britain in the 5th century. At first, they supported Vortigern, King of the Britons, but turned against him. Horsa was killed in the fighting, but Hengist conquered Kent in 449 and is regarded as the first Jutish king of Kent. He is said to have been buried at Hengistbury Head, in Dorset.
However, the assertions made by the Venerable Bede in his 8th century ‘Ecclesiastical History,’ could not be proved. The general consensus is that Hengist and Horsa were creatures of legend, probably based on real people, but we shall never know for certain.
Is the red background part of the flag?
ReplyDeleteYes, it is.
DeleteI enjoyed reading the history of the flag of Kent. Really interesting.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sharon.
DeleteSome great names here. Hengist, Horsa and Verigern are all due a revival!
ReplyDeleteCheers, Gail.
Our ancient names are all lost.
DeleteNot so - some enthusiasts revive them much to the embarrassment of their kids. I know a couple of Herewards and a brother to one of them called Atherol.
DeleteHow interesting. I love reading about our old traditional heritage.
ReplyDeleteI was born and grew up in Middlesex, an old Saxon county, and was familiar with our county flag as it was used at my school. I must look up its meaning.
It's sad that Middlesex doesn't stand as a county now, but is subsumed into Greater London, like large parts of Kent.
DeleteOnce I arrived in Eastbourne and the whole city was full of a flag with a red cross. I thought the Red Cross has a lot of success here and asked Doug why the Red Cross flag was hanging everywhere. He couldn't stop laughing because it was the flag of London ! I don't remember the occasion probably football ! That was my first meeting with county flags !
ReplyDeleteThat's so funny!
DeleteIt's a nice flag.
ReplyDeleteI've always liked it.
DeleteI wonder if all Counties have their own flags? There is a Suffolk flag - but rarely seen
ReplyDeleteI've just looked it up. It's very attractive.
DeleteMy paternal grandmother came from Kent.
ReplyDeleteDo you know which part? Was she a Kentish Maid or a Maid of Kent?
ReplyDeleteNow I need to go look up the Hants county flag. I wonder if it has a hog on it.
ReplyDeleteSadly, it hasn't.
DeleteYou bring such interesting stories to us. Amazing how much I have never heard of before.
ReplyDeleteThat's life - there's always something more to find out about.
DeleteI am playing catch up on your blog. This dang farm gig leaves me no time to read blogs! Your blogs offer such a wide variety of information. I now know about the Kent flag, electric toothbrushes and bacteria. How many blogs do you know that give you that variety in just a few days!?!?
ReplyDeleteI've got a butterfly mind . . .
DeleteThat's an interesting history. I have no idea, come to think of it, if my county has a flag and, if so, what it even looks like.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't avoid seeing mine - it was everywhere and still is.
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