White horse of Kent

Last updated
White horse of Kent on the Flag of Kent Kent flag.svg
White horse of Kent on the Flag of Kent

The white horse of Kent or the white horse rampant is a symbol of Kent, a county in south-east England. [1]

Kent County of England

Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west. The county also shares borders with Essex along the estuary of the River Thames, and with the French department of Pas-de-Calais through the Channel Tunnel. The county town is Maidstone.

Counties of England Englands administrative, geographical and political demarcation

The counties of England are areas used for different purposes, which include administrative, geographical, cultural and political demarcation. The term 'county' is not clearly defined and can apply to similar or the same areas used by each of these demarcation structures. These different types of county each have a more formal name but are commonly referred to just as 'counties'. The current arrangement is the result of incremental reform.

England Country in north-west Europe, part of the United Kingdom

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to the west and Scotland to the north-northwest. The Irish Sea lies west of England and the Celtic Sea lies to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south. The country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain, which lies in the North Atlantic, and includes over 100 smaller islands, such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.

Contents

The figure of the prancing (or rampant in heraldry) white horse can also be referred to as Invicta, which is the motto of Kent. [1]

Invicta (motto) motto of Kent

Invicta is a Latin word meaning undefeated or unconquered. It has been used in mottoes like Roma invicta, and it is the motto of the county of Kent, England.

Origin

The white horse of Kent is the old symbol for the Jutish Kingdom of Kent, dating from the 6th–8th century. [2]

Horse Domesticated four-footed mammal from the equine family

The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus. It is an odd-toed ungulate mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature, Eohippus, into the large, single-toed animal of today. Humans began domesticating horses around 4000 BC, and their domestication is believed to have been widespread by 3000 BC. Horses in the subspecies caballus are domesticated, although some domesticated populations live in the wild as feral horses. These feral populations are not true wild horses, as this term is used to describe horses that have never been domesticated, such as the endangered Przewalski's horse, a separate subspecies, and the only remaining true wild horse. There is an extensive, specialized vocabulary used to describe equine-related concepts, covering everything from anatomy to life stages, size, colors, markings, breeds, locomotion, and behavior.

Jutes Germanic people

The Jutes, Iuti, or Iutæ were a Germanic people. According to Bede, the Jutes were one of the three most powerful Germanic peoples of their time in the Nordic Iron Age, the other two being the Saxons and the Angles.

Kingdom of Kent realm

The Kingdom of the Kentish, today referred to as the Kingdom of Kent, was an early medieval kingdom in what is now South East England. It existed from either the fifth or the sixth century CE until it was fully absorbed into the Kingdom of England in the tenth century.

The white horse relates to the emblem of Horsa, the brother of Hengest, who according to legend defeated the King Vortigern near Aylesford. The first recorded reference to the white horse can be found in Restitution of Decayed Antiquities from 1605 by Richard Verstegan although there is possible evidence that it was used much earlier (see the reference below to the origin of 'Invicta'). The book shows an engraving of Hengist and Horsa landing in Kent in 449 under the banner of a rampant white horse. Indeed, continental origins of this emblem can be found from the coat of arms of Lower Saxony, the Dutch region of Twente, the House of Welf (who adapted it in the late 14th century; before then the Welf coat of arms was a golden lion on red ground) and the modern German state of North Rhine-Westphalia: the Saxon Steed. Some historians note that Jutes migrating to Kent through the continent may have been associated with the Rhineland south of the Saxons. The county motto 'Invicta' ("Unconquered") often seen on a scroll underneath the horse dates back to the 1060s when the county was granted the right to retain its ancient symbol of the white horse and granted the motto by William the Conqueror. The story associated with this is that sometime after the Norman invasion William was ambushed in the forest that then existed outside Strood astride the London Road (the modern A2). William's escort were overpowered and he found himself at the mercy of a group of outlawed Jutish nobles. In exchange for his freedom they were pardoned and as the men of Kent had overpowered the conqueror the county was given the right to use its emblem and the new motto 'Invicta', 'Unconquered'.

Vortigern warlord in Britain, a leading ruler among the Britons

Vortigern, also spelled Vortiger, Vortigan, Voertigern and Vortigen, was possibly a 5th-century warlord in Britain, known perhaps as a king of the Britons, at least connoted as such in the writings of Bede. His existence is nonetheless contested by scholars, and information about him is obscure.

Aylesford village and civil parish in Tonbridge and Malling, Kent, England

Aylesford is a village and civil parish on the River Medway in Kent, 4 miles NW of Maidstone in England.

Lower Saxony State in Germany

Lower Saxony is a German state (Land) situated in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with 47,624 km2 (18,388 sq mi), and fourth-largest in population among the 16 Länder federated as the Federal Republic of Germany. In rural areas, Northern Low Saxon and Saterland Frisian are still spoken, but the number of speakers is declining.

Coat of arms of Lower Saxony cout of arms

The coat of arms of the German federal-state of Lower Saxony shows a white Saxon steed on a red background.

Coat of arms of North Rhine-Westphalia coat of arms

The coat of arms of North Rhine-Westphalia is the official coat of arms of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

North Rhine-Westphalia State in Germany

North Rhine-Westphalia is a state of Germany.

Usage

The horse is a key part of the official coat of arms of the county, and appears on the coat of arms of many of the boroughs of Kent, and London boroughs historically part of Kent, like in the coat of arms of the London Borough of Bexley and the coat of arms of the London Borough of Bromley. [3] and on the University of Kent coat of arms. The horse is depicted on the flag of Kent and forms part of the modern logos of Kent County Council, the Kent Fire and Rescue Service and the Kent Police. The horse is also depicted on the badges of Gillingham F.C., Welling United F.C. and Bromley F.C.

Historic counties of England Geographical designations for areas of England, based on historical traditions

The historic counties of England are areas that were established for administration by the Normans, in many cases based on earlier kingdoms and shires created by the Anglo-Saxons and others. They are alternatively known as ancient counties, traditional counties, former counties or simply as counties. In the centuries that followed their establishment, as well as their administrative function, the counties also helped define local culture and identity. This role continued even after the counties ceased to be used for administration after the creation of administrative counties in 1889, which were themselves amended by further local government reforms in the years following.

Coat of arms of the London Borough of Bexley

Coat of arms of the London Borough of Bexley is the official coat of arms of the London Borough of Bexley, granted on 20 May 1965.

Coat of arms of the London Borough of Bromley

The coat of arms of the London Borough of Bromley is the official coat of arms of the London Borough of Bromley, granted on 20 April 1965.

The horse also features on the logos of many companies and sports teams in Kent. It was used on the former Invictaway London commuter coaches operated by Maidstone & District Motor Services. [4] [5] A large number of pubs in the county also feature White Horse in their name, although this also occurs around the United Kingdom and may not necessarily relate to the Kent horse.

See also

Related Research Articles

Hengist and Horsa Legendary brothers said to have led the invasion of Britain in 5th century

Hengist and Horsa are legendary brothers said to have led the Angles, Saxons and Jutes in their invasion of Britain in the 5th century. Tradition lists Hengist as the first of the Jutish kings of Kent.

Coat of arms of Manitoba

The coat of arms of Manitoba is the heraldic symbol representing the Canadian province of Manitoba. The arms contains symbols reflecting Manitoba's British heritage along with local symbols. At the upper part of the shield is the red cross of St. George, representing England. The lower portion of the shield features a bison standing atop a rock on a green background.

Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham

The Metropolitan Borough of Lewisham was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London between 1900 and 1965, when it became part of the London Borough of Lewisham along with the Metropolitan Borough of Deptford.

Coat of arms of Bulgaria coat of arms

The coat of arms of Bulgaria consists of a crowned golden lion rampant over a dark red shield; above the shield is the Bulgarian historical crown. The shield is supported by two crowned golden lions rampant; below the shield there is compartment in the shape of oak twigs and white bands with the national motto "Unity makes strength" inscribed on them.

The coat of arms of the Isle of Wight was granted to the former Isle of Wight County Council in 1938. The arms were transferred to the new unitary Isle of Wight Council when the county council along with Medina and South Wight district councils were abolished in 1995.

Coat of arms of Montreal coat of arms

The first coat of arms of Montreal was designed by Jacques Viger, the first mayor of Montreal, and adopted in 1833 by the city councillors. Modifications were made some one hundred five years later and adopted on 21 March 1938, and again on 13 September 2017, resulting in the version currently in use. The coat of arms was the only city emblem representing Montreal until 1981, when a stylized logo was developed for common daily use, reserving the coat of arms for ceremonial occasions.

Coat of arms of Sydney

The Corporate Logo of the City of Sydney was adopted by the City Council in 1996. It includes a graphic artist's "version" of parts of the actual arms.

Coat of arms of Kirklees

The coat of arms of Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council was granted on 24 June 1974. This was just a few months after the district of Kirklees was created as part of the new metropolitan county of West Yorkshire. It is rarely used by the Council who, until 2007, preferred to use a logo that is based upon the arms.

Flag of Kent

The Flag of Kent is the flag of the English county of Kent. It features the white horse of Kent on a red background, a theme used in several other Kent related coats of arms and logos or symbols. It is sometimes referred to as the Invicta Flag or Invicta Flag of Kent, after the motto of Kent, Invicta.

White Horse at Ebbsfleet sculpture by Mark Wallinger

The White Horse at Ebbsfleet, formerly the Ebbsfleet Landmark, colloquially the Angel of the South, was a planned white horse statue to be built in the Ebbsfleet Valley in Kent, England. Designed by Mark Wallinger to faithfully resemble a thoroughbred horse, but at 33 times life size, the colossal sculpture was to be 50 metres (160 ft) high.

Invictaway was an express commuter coach service from Kent to London in the 1980s and 1990s, and was also a holding company for the emerging Arriva group. As a legal entity of the Maidstone & District bus company, after the cessation of the Invictaway coach services, the Invictaway company legal lettering persisted as a holding company for the Arriva subsidiaries in Kent, and some London operations. This company was based in the Armstrong Road M&D depot in Maidstone. This ceased in 1997 when the operations were reconstituted as Arriva London and Arriva Southern Counties.

Saxon Steed

The Saxon Steed is a heraldic motif associated with Lower Saxony and Westphalia.

Coat of arms of Newport

The coat of arms of Newport is the heraldic emblem of the city of Newport, South Wales. Also known as the Civic Badge, it has been borne by the present Newport City Council since 24 July 1996 following the municipal reorganisation in April that year.

Symbols of Manchester Symbols of Manchester, England (United KIngdom)

The City of Manchester in North-West England has traditionally been represented by various symbols. Most of these symbols are derived from heraldic emblems contained within the city's official heraldic achievement, which was officially adopted when the Borough of Manchester was granted city status in 1842. Notably, the motif of the worker bee has been widely used to represent the city as a symbol of industry.

Coat of arms of the London Borough of Croydon

The coat of arms of the London Borough of Croydon is the official heraldic arms of the London Borough of Croydon, granted on 10 December 1965.

References

  1. 1 2 "Giant horse to become £2m artwork". BBC News. 10 February 2009. Retrieved 10 February 2009. A prancing white horse is the logo for the county council and has been the symbol of Kent for hundreds of years. However, a sculpture of the Invicta, supported by Kent County Council in response to Mr Wallinger's entry, was rejected by judges last year.
  2. ↑ www.hampshireflag.co.uk Coat of Arms
  3. ↑ www.civicheraldry.co.uk Kent Borough Council coats of arms
  4. ↑ Image of a black liveried Invictaway bus
  5. ↑ Image of a green liveried Invictaway bus


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.