n out of this country,
which is to this day occupied by their descendants, the Germans. This
latter name signifies a "war-like people."

Now, according to the pagan belief, the god Woden had a favorite white
or light-gray horse, created by magic art, and upon which he bestowed
the power of assisting and protecting warriors. This horse was regarded
as sacred, and shared in the worship given to Woden. The pagan priests
had no temples; the art of building was unknown to them; but, instead,
their religious ceremonies were performed in thick groves of oak which
were set apart for the purpose. In these gloomy woods the priests reared
beautiful white horses, which no man was ever permitted to mount, and
which, being from their birth solemnly dedicated to Woden, were believed
to be gifted by him with the power of foretelling events by means of
certain signs and motions. Before going into battle these sacred steeds
were consulted, and occasionally one was sacrificed to Woden or to his
white horse, and the bloody head was then mounted upon a pole, and borne
aloft in the van of the Saxon army, they believing that it possessed the
power of vanquishing the enemy and protecting themselves. We read in
history that when the great emperor, Charlemagne, conquered the northern
countries, one of the Saxon leaders, named Wittikind, refused to submit
to him, and that, in consequence, many bloody battles were fought,
wherein the Saxons bore in their van a tall pole surmounted by a wooden
horse's head. This was their ensign; and when they afterward became more
civilized, they retained the same emblem,--a white horse painted upon a
black ground,--which remains to this day the standard or banner of the
little kingdom of Saxony.

In the year 861,--just about one thousand years ago,--Bruno, the son of
a Saxon king, founded a city in Saxony which he called after himself,
Brunonis Vicus, now known as Brunswick. He retained as the standard of
Brunswick the white horse of Saxony, and thus it remained until the end
of the three succeeding centuries. About that time the reigning prince
of Brunswick was a certain Henry Guelph, a leader in the Crusades, noted
for his strength and daring, which acquired for him the title of "Henry
the Lion." This prince refused to own allegiance to the great Emperor of
Germany, Frederic Barbarossa. He declared himself independent, and as a
token of defiance set up a great stone lion in Brunswick, and had the
same symbol p