The sequence of events of the fifth and sixth centuries is particularly difficult to access, peppered with a mixture of mythology, such as the characters of Hengist and Horsa, and legend, such as St Germanus's so-called " Alleluia Victory " against the Heathens, and half-remembered history, such as the exploits of Ambrosius Aurelianus and King Arthur.

Hengist, through his son ( who varies by source ), is traditionally listed as the founder of the Kingdom of Kent.

Notably, Hengist is also briefly briefly mentioned in the Prose Edda, written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century.

In the Historia Brittonum Hengist had an unnamed daughter ( her name is first given in Historia Regum Britanniae as Rowena ) who seduced Vortigern, eventually leading to the Night of the Long Knives when Hengist's men massacred the Britons at a peace accord.

In what is now Northern Germany horse head gables, or gable signs adorned with two rampant horse figures, were referred to as " Hengist and Hors " up until the late 19th century.

" Hengist notes that his retinue is the result of this process, and through this custom Hengist and his brother Horsa were made generals " out of respect to our ancestors, who enjoyed the same honour ," and so they have arrived in Vortigern's kingdom " under the good guidance of Mercury.

Vortigern responds that it is not in his power to appoint Hengist to these positions, reasoning that Hengist is a pagan, that he barely knows Hengist, that Hengist's people are strangers and that Vortigern's nobles would not accept the appointment.

Upon the rocky place Hengist begins to build a castle, and after it is finished he names it Kaercorrei, or in Saxon Thancastre, which Geoffrey explains means " thong castle.

Rowena is immediately sent to Vortigern and the providence of Kent is given to Hengist, without the knowledge of the then-ruler of Kent, Gorangan.

In chapter 12, Hengist tells Vortigern that, due to Vortigern's marriage to his daughter Rowena, Hengist is now Vortigern's father, and Vortigern must now heed his counsel.

Hengist, hearing that Vortimer is dead, raises an army of three thousand or men, sets up a fleet, and sails it to Britain.

In chapter III, Hengist is struck with terror after hearing that Aurelius Ambrosius had rallied the Britons and burned Vortigern alive in a tower, " for he dreaded the valour of Aurelius.

Seeing that he is being pursued by Aurelius and, realizing the town will not hold against Aurelius, Hengist refuses to enter the town, but rather assembles his men, and orders them to make a stand, " for he knew that his whole security now lay in his sword.

Eldol cries out that Hengist is defeated, and the sides continue to battle.

Do therefore the same to Hengist, who is a second Agag.

Hengist is mentioned in this account as well, specifically in lines 1082 and 1091.

Some scholars have proposed that the figure mentioned in both of these references is one and the same as the Hengist of the Hengist and Horsa accounts, though Horsa is not mentioned in either source.

Hengist ( or Hengest ) and Horsa ( or Hors ) are figures of Anglo-Saxon, and subsequently British, legend, which records the two as the Germanic brothers who led the Angle, Saxon, and Jutish armies that conquered the first territories of Britain in the 5th century.

In his Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum, Bede records that the first chieftains among the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes in England were said to be Hengist and Horsa.

Rudolf Simek notes that these horse heads gables can " still be seen today " ( from a 2007 edition of a work first published in 1984 ) and says that the horse head gables confirm that Hengist and Horsa were originally considered mythological, horse-shaped beings.

The Brothers Grimm identified Hengist with Aschanes, mythical first King of the Saxons, in their notes for legend number 413 of their German Legends.

He is a major character in two Jacobean plays, the anonymous The Birth of Merlin and Thomas Middleton's Hengist, King of Kent, first published in 1661.

The first five of the planned second batch of 15 locomotives were intended for use on BR's Southern Region ; these were allocated names Hengist, Horsa, Canute, Wildfire and Firebrand, which had all been previously used on locomotives in southern England.

None have survived, though progress is being made on constructing a new locomotive that would have been the first of the uncompleted batch of 15, number 72010 Hengist.

In chapter 10 of book 6 of Historia Regum Britanniae, Geoffrey records that three brigandines ( or long galleys ) full of armed men commanded by two brothers, Hengist and Horsa, arrived in Britain.

In chapter 1 of book 8 of Historia Regum Britanniae, Merlin prophecies to Vortigern ( who fled to Cambria during the Saxon onslaught ) that Hengist will be killed and that Uther Pendragon will be crowned.

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle ( written over 400 years later ) describes how Hengist and Aesc defeated the " Brettas ", usually interpreted as Britons, and often over-interpreted as " Celtic ".

While the early sources indicate that Horsa died fighting the Britons, no details are provided about Hengist's death until Geoffrey's Historia, which states that Hengist was beheaded by Eldol, the British duke of Gloucester, and buried in an unlocated mound.

Later in the same work, Bede notes that Hengist was the father of Oeric, and that Oeric accompanied Hengist upon his invitation by Vortigern.

These forces were led by the brothers Hengist and Horsa, sons of Wihtgils, son of Witta, son of Wecta, son of Woden.

Hengist ( 1611 ) depicted by John Speed

The Historia Brittonum records that, during the reign of Vortigern in Britain, three vessels that had been exiled from Germania arrived in Britain, commanded by Hengist and Horsa.

When Hengist feels the time had come to execute his plan, he cries out " Nemet oure Saxas ," and, at that moment, grabs and holds Vortigern by his cloak.

Hengist tells these chosen men not to be afraid of Aurelius, for Aurelius must only have had a few Armorican Britons, as their numbers did not exceed ten thousand, and the native Britons he did not mention, " since they had been so often defeated by him.

Hengist and his men advance towards Aurelius in a field called Maisbeli, intending to take Aurelius by surprise and to attack the Britons while they were unprepared.

Hengist finds that his men, who are pagans, are routed, and that the Britons, who are Christian, " by the especial favour of god ," hold the upper hand.

Eldad sees Hengist standing by Aurelius and demands silence.

J. P. Mallory comments that the horse was an extremely important animal in Indo-European religion, as exemplified " most obviously " by various mythical brothers appearing in Indo-European legend, including Hengist and Horsa:

" " Hengist and Horsus " appear as antagonists in William Henry Ireland's play Vortigern and Rowena, which was touted as a newly-discovered work by William Shakespeare in 1796, but was soon revealed as a hoax.

The story as reported in such sources as the Historia Brittonum and Gildas indicates that the British king Vortigern allowed the Germanic warlords, later named as Hengist and Horsa by Bede, to settle their people on the Isle of Thanet in exchange for their service as mercenaries.

* According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Hengist dies and is succeeded by his son Oisc as king of Kent.

* Vortigern, king of the Britons, forms an alliance with Hengist and Horsa, by tradition chieftains of the Jutes, who led the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain.

* Battle of Wippedesfleot: The Saxons under command of Hengist and Aesc are defeated by the Britons near Ebbsfleet ( Kent ).

Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote about the town, claiming that it had been fortified by Ambrosius Aurelianus, king of the Britons after his victory over the Saxon forces of Hengist ( Historia Regum Britanniae viii, 7 ), that the captive Saxon leader Hengist was hacked to pieces by Eldol outside the town walls, and was buried at " Hengist's Mound " in the town.