Put Out More Flags

 Flags are fun. Lets have some more!

These are the flags of the Counties surrounding Sussex. Thanks to Wikipedia for the pictures and most of the information......

First the famous white horse of Kent. This is sometimes called the Invicta flag 



Next comes Hampshire. The Saxon crown is a homage to Alfred the Great who had his capital in Winchester and the Tudor rose references the one painted on the "Arthurian"round table in Winchester Castle



And here's the flag of Surrey, it's chequered pattern echoing the arms of Surrey's sometime Lord, William of Warenne.



And now two surprising facts.

1. The heraldry may be ancient but the flags themselves are new. They were designed in the past few decades and then had to be recognised as "official" by something called  the Flag Institute. 

2. The County of Greater London (constituted in 1986) doesn't have one.

Seaxes

 While the county of Greater London- which no-one much loves- doesn't possess a county flag, the historic county of Middlessex- which London entirely swallowed up- has been accorded one- and here it is.



The cutlasses are known in heraldry-speak as "seaxes". The County of Essex has them too.

Shall I post the flag of Essex?

Yes. Indeed. Why not?




Middlessex means  the territory of the Middle Saxons, Essex means the territory of the East Saxons, Sussex means the territory of the South Saxons and Wessex- which no longer exists except in the works of Thomas Hardy- means the territory of the West Saxons. I don't know why there isn't and never was a County called Norssex but that's just how it is.

The seaxe is supposed to be the weapon of choice of the Saxons, but did those serious-minded Germanic tribes really fiight with such fancy Islamic-looking blades? I don't believe it for an instant.