The ship was a gift from the Danish government to commemorate the 1500th anniversary of the arrival of Hengist and Horsa, legendary brothers who led the first Anglo-Saxon tribes. It’s said that the brothers landed at nearby Ebbsfleet in 449 CE, shortly after the betrothal of Hengist’s daughter, Rowena, to King Vortigen of Kent in exchange for land. This Hugin itself is a replica of the Gokstad ship, a Viking vessel dating from the 9th century. Though the ship postdated the Anglo-Saxon arrival by almost 400 years and was the…
