The horse as a heraldic charge associated with Saxony first appears in the late 14th century, at which time it was described as an "old Saxon" motif. For this reason, there has been a long history of antiquarian speculation identifying the motif as a tribal symbol of the ancient
Saxons. A tradition first recorded in 1492 reports that the 8th-century Saxon ruler
Widukind displayed a black horse as his field sign. Historian James Lloyd suggests that "the Saxon Steed motif was invented in the 14 century …. as a
faux ancient symbol for the Saxons", being derived from an account by
Gobelinus of the myth of
Hengist and Horsa in Britain. The horse motif was adopted by the
House of Welf, whose original symbol was a golden lion on red ground. It has also been used in several provinces in
Westphalia (therefore, it is also called meaning 'Westphalian steed', and meaning 'Welf steed'). After this, it became the heraldic animal of the
Kingdom of Hanover (since 1866 the
Prussian
Province of Hanover), of the Prussian
Province of Westphalia, and of the
Free State of Brunswick from 1922 until 1935, when state flags were prohibited by the
Nazis and only the
flag of Nazi Germany was to be used. This tradition continues in two of the modern federal
States of Germany of
Lower Saxony and
North Rhine-Westphalia. ==Modern uses==