King Hengest

King of the Saxons
Father of Rowena
Father of Octa
Grandfather of Cerdic

Without Hengest, there would not have been a reason for the civil war with Vortigern. Hengest becomes more than just another Jutish warrior, when he kills King Finn of Frisia and burns down the king’s stronghold, Finnsburgh, avenging his former lord, Hnaef, slain by Finn. For this action, he gains notoriety and attracts more followers. When Vortigern’s emissaries arrive, promising land for mercenaries, Hengest seizes the chance.

Landing at the island of Thanet with their followers, Hengest and his brother, Horsa, pledge their support to Vortigern against the Picts. The Saxons help to rout the Picts at Lincoln and are given Thanet as foederati. Hengest sees the wealth of Britain and starts dreaming a great dream: This new land could be theirs.

Summoning his daughter, Rowena, he enlists her aid in weaving a web of lust and passion around Vortigern. When Vortigern becomes willing to throw away everything for her, Hengest allows the marriage, in exchange for some of the best land in Britain. As Vortigern’s father- in-law, he becomes the High King’s chief advisor. His advice: Summon more Saxons to fight your enemies for you.

More Saxons arrive, and Vortigern seizes land from his Briton subjects to give to the Saxons: Hengest’s son, Octa, becomes the King of Nohaut and Horsa’s son, Eosa, the King of Deira. Hengest dreams of Rowena’s and Vortigern’s son, Cerdic, his grandson, becoming the next High King of all Britain when Vortigern succumbs to old age.

Alas, things are not perfect in the world of Hengest. Vortimer, the first-born of Vortigern, rebels against his father and drives the Saxons back to Thanet. The rebellion is crushed when Vortigern arrives with an army loyal to him, but Horsa lies dead. Hengest is given the whole of Kent, but Vortigern pardons Vortimer, his son.

A few years later, Vortimer raises another rebellion, even larger, and defeats the Saxons again in three battles. Only Vortimer’s death (some say poisoned by his stepmother, Rowena) prevents the Britons from driving the- Saxons to the sea. Rowena comes to her father’s aid once more and convinces Vortigern to allow Hengest to return to a peace conference. The perfidious Saxons break the truce and slaughter the unarmed Briton nobility at the meeting. Saxon armies plunder the land at will afterward.

But, before Hengest can cement his hold, Aurelius returns and destroys both Vortigern and Hengest.