Person

Hengist and Horsa

5th century · 5th century · Also known as Hengest and Horsa

Hengist and Horsa are legendary brothers said to have led the first Germanic settlers, Jutes, to Britain in the 5th century. According to Bede and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, they came around 449 as mercenaries of the British ruler Vortigern and then rebelled against him; Horsa was killed in battle, and Hengist founded the kingdom of Kent. Most historians treat the story as a foundation legend rather than history.

Hengist and Horsa
Image: Sir Edward Parrott · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Kingdom of Kent

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Hengist and Horsa. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/hengist-and-horsa
MLA
“Hengist and Horsa.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/hengist-and-horsa. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Hengist and Horsa.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/hengist-and-horsa.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Hengist and Horsa’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/hengist-and-horsa (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻