Legends which lurk behind our white horse
If Kent was a best-selling brand, then the white horse would most definitely be its trademark. The striking symbol of the mighty steed rearing up appears on everything from the logos of Kent County Council and Gillingham FC to road signs and is even carved in a chalk hill overlooking Folkestone.
And if it’s not the symbol you see, The White Horse is also the name of at least eight pubs scattered across the county.
So just where did our use of the image originate and why has it become synonymous with the county?
While nobody can be certain of its exact origins, there are a couple of stories which could explain why the symbol and its Invicta motto still appear everywhere today.
The Flag Institute dates the Kentish flag, featuring the white stallion on the red background, back to the 17th century.
It is supposedly based on Saxon mercenaries, led by brothers Horsa and Hengist. The brothers landed in the county in the 5th century.
Vortigern, the then ruler of Britons, wanted Hengist and Horsa and their warriors to aid him in his war and in return would give them control of the Isle of Thanet.
But the brothers turned against Vortigern forcing him to hand over the whole county. The white horse, also known as the Saxon Steed, is said to have appeared on Hengist’s battle flag and has remained the emblem of Kent ever since. Other versions of the story say they lost the battle beneath Blue Bell Hill but the Anglo-Saxons did ultimately take control of the county.
The White Horse Stone in Blue Bell Hill is said to be the final resting place of the two brothers. The name intrinsically linked today with the Kent horse is Invicta - which means unconquered in Latin.
However, the story behind the motto comes from a different point in history entirely which links to Kent’s resistance to William the Conqueror.
According to the Kent Family History Society, the motto is a reminder that Kent was not conquered by the Norman invasion which started at Hastings in October 1066.
There are different tales of how this happened but the most widely accepted legend was written in a 13th century chronicle by Thomas Sprot, a monk of St Augustine’s Abbey in Canterbury.
It says, on his way to Dover to return to Normandy, William, who was taking his first journey through Kent after the Battle of Hastings, was prevented from passing unhindered through east Kent by representatives of the Men of Kent.
Symbolically they are said to have held out a branch or a sword, and told William to choose - treaty or war.
In opting for the branch he is understood to have offered both the Men of Kent and the Kentish Men the retention of certain rights and customs if in return they would accept him as their king.
This tale is also told on a plaque in the churchyard of St Peter and St Paul’s Church in Swanscombe which says: “Near this spot in the year 1067, by ancient tradition the Men of Kent and Kentish Men, carrying boughs on their shoulders and swords in their hands, met the invader William Duke of Normandy.
“They offered peace if he would grant their ancient rights and liberties, otherwise war and that most deadly. Their request was granted, and from that day the motto of Kent has been Invicta - unconquered.”
Today the horse appears on the coat of arms for authorities in Margate, Medway, Ashford and Maidstone to name a few as well as London boroughs Bromley and Bexley - both once part of Kent.
Slightly further afield, the emblem also appears on the coat of arms of Lower Saxony, a region in northwest Germany, which suggests Kent’s link to the Saxons holds some truth.