▁the ▁gr in ning ▁ste er ' s ▁head ▁( L ow ▁German : ▁O ss en ko pp , ▁lit .: ▁' ox en ' s ▁head ', ▁with ▁os se ▁being ▁a ▁syn onym ▁for ▁ste er ▁and ▁b ull ▁in ▁Middle ▁Low ▁German ), ▁with ▁an ▁attached ▁hide , ▁and ▁a ▁crown ▁above , ▁may ▁have ▁origin ated ▁from ▁this ▁period . ▁It ▁represents ▁what ▁early ▁pe op les ▁would ▁have ▁worn , ▁i . e . ▁a ▁ste ers ' s ▁head ▁as ▁a ▁hel met , ▁with ▁the ▁hide ▁h anging ▁down ▁the ▁back ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁neck ▁from ▁the ▁sun , ▁and ▁overall ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁inst ill ▁fear ▁in ▁the ▁enemy . ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁through ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁centuries , ▁German ic ▁Me ck len burg ▁was ▁ruled ▁by ▁Western ▁S lav ic ▁over l ords , ▁newly ▁arrived ▁from ▁the ▁ste pp es . ▁ ▁Among ▁them ▁were ▁the ▁Ob ot rit es ▁and ▁other ▁tribes ▁that ▁Frank ish ▁sources ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" W ends ". ▁The ▁ 1 1 th ▁century ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁Me ck len burger ▁dynast y ▁of ▁D uk es ▁and ▁later ▁Grand ▁D uk es , ▁which ▁last ed ▁until ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁was ▁Ny kl ot ▁of ▁the ▁Ob ot rit es . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 2 th ▁century , ▁Henry ▁the ▁Lion , ▁Duke ▁of ▁the ▁Sax ons , ▁recon quer ed ▁the