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The white horse of Kent, or the white horse rampant, is a symbol of Kent,〔 a county in South East England. The figure of the prancing (or rampant in heraldry) white horse can also be referred to as Invicta, which is the motto of Kent. ==Origin== The white horse of Kent is the old symbol for the Jutish kingdom of Kent, dating from the 6th–8th century.〔(www.hampshireflag.co.uk ) Coat of Arms〕 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. 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). Wiliam's escort were overpowered and he found himself at the mercy of a group of outlawed Saxon 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 old emblem and the new motto 'Invicta', 'Unconquered'. File:Coat of arms of Lower Saxony.svg|Coat of arms of Lower Saxony, in Germany File:Coat of arms of North Rhine-Westfalia.svg|Coat of arms of North Rhine-Westphalia, in Germany File:Flag_of_Twente.svg|Flag of the region of Twente, in The Netherlands 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「White horse of Kent」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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