Dannebrog. Proportions: 28:37
The national flag of Denmark, Dannebrog, is red with a white Scandinavian cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Nordic Cross Flag Nordic Cross Scandinavian Cross is a pattern of flags usually associated with the Flags of the Scandinavian countries of which it originated The cross design of the Danish flag was subsequently adopted by the other Nordic countries: Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland. A flag is a piece of Cloth, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used Symbolically for signaling or identification The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe called the Nordic region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, List of flags of Sweden The Flag of Sweden (Sveriges flagga is blue with a yellow Scandinavian cross that extends to the edges of the flag The flag of Norway is red with an indigo blue Scandinavian cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag the vertical part of the cross is shifted List of flags of Finland The flag of Finland, also called Siniristilippu ("Blue Cross Flag" dates from the beginning of the 20th century List of flags of Iceland The flag of Iceland was officially described in Law No During the Danish-Norwegian personal union, Dannebrog ("Danish cloth") was also the flag of Norway and continued to be, with slight modifications, until Norway adopted its current flag in 1821. Denmark–Norway ( Danish: Danmark-Norge Norwegian: Danmark-Norge or Danmark-Noreg is the historiographical name for a former political entity union The flag of Norway is red with an indigo blue Scandinavian cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag the vertical part of the cross is shifted
Dannebrog is the oldest state flag in the world still in use, with the earliest undisputed source dating back to the 14th century. There are two separate meanings for the term state flag in Vexillology – the flag of state of a Government, and the flag of an individual subnational state Prior to the use of Dannebrog, Danish forces were known to have used the raven banner. This article discusses the medieval flag For the booklet see The Raven Banner.
Contents |
The legendary origin of the flag
The legend of the flag is very popular among Danes, although most consider it to be a myth. The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore" The legend says that during the Battle of Lyndanisse, also known as the Battle of Valdemar (Danish: "Volmerslaget"), near Lyndanisse (Tallinn) in Estonia, on June 15 1219, the flag fell from the sky during a critical stage, resulting in Danish victory. The Battle of Lyndanisse took place on June 15 1219 Under pretext of helping the Crusade in Palestine the Danish king Valdemar II Sejr defeated the Tallinn (historically known by the German, Swedish and Danish name Reval or the Polish name Rewal, among other names Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region
No historical record supports this legend. Statens Museum for Kunst (en Denmark's national gallery) is the Danish national art museum situated in Copenhagen. The first record of the legend dates from more than 300 years after the campaign, and the first record connects the legend to a much smaller battle, though still in Estonia; the battle of Fellin (Viljandi) in 1208. Viljandi (Fellin Felin is a town and municipality in southern Estonia. Though no historical support exists for the flag story in the Fellin battle either, it is not difficult to understand how a small and unknown place is replaced with the much grander battle of Reval from the Estonia campaign of King Valdemar II. "Valdemar the Victorious" redirects here For the novel by Bernhard Severin Ingemann, see Valdemar the Victorious (novel.
This story originates from two written sources from the early 16th century.
The first is found in Christiern Pedersen's "Danske Krønike", which is a sequel to Saxo’s Gesta Danorum, written 1520 – 23. Christiern Pedersen (c 1480 in Helsingør, Denmark &ndash 16 January 1554 in Helsinge) was a man of many labels canon "Saxo" redirects here For the car see Citroën Saxo and for the bank see Saxo Bank Saxo Grammaticus (c Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes" is a work of Danish history by the 12th century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate" It is not mentioned in connection to the campaign of King Valdemar II in Estonia, but in connection with a campaign in Russia. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending He also mentions that this flag, falling from the sky during the Russian campaign of King Valdemar II, is the very same flag that King Eric of Pomerania took with him when he left the country in 1440 after being deposed as King. Eric of Pomerania or Erik of Pomerania (1381 or 1382 &ndash 3 May 1459) was King of Norway (1389–1442 elected King of
The second source is the writing of the Franciscan monk Petrus Olai (Peder Olsen) of Roskilde, from 1527. Roskilde (ˈʁʌskilə is the main city in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark on the island of Zealand. This record describes a battle in 1208 near a place called "Felin" during the Estonia campaign of King Valdemar II. The Danes were all but defeated when a lamb-skin banner depicting a white cross falls from the sky and miraculously leads to a Danish victory. In another record by Petrus Olai called "Danmarks Tolv Herligheder" (Twelve Splendours of Denmark), in splendour number nine, the same story is re-told almost to the word, however a paragraph has been inserted correcting the year to 1219.
Whether or not these records describe a truly old oral story in existence at that time, or a 16th century invented story, is not currently determined.
Some historians believe that the story by Petrus Olai refers to a source from the first half of the 15th century, making this the oldest reference to the falling flag.
The continuation of the romantic legend
The story of the original flag has a continuation.
According to tradition, the original flag from the Battle of Lyndanisse was used in the small campaign of 1500 when King Hans tried to conquer Dithmarschen (in western Holstein in north Germany). Hans ( Danish, Norwegian and Swedish) ( 2 February 1455 &ndash 20 February 1513) was union king of Dithmarschen (ˈdɪtmaʁʃən is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Holstein (ˈhɔlʃtain ( Low German: Holsteen, Danish: Holsten, Latin and historical English: Holsatia) Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The flag was lost in a devastating defeat at the Battle of Hemmingstedt on 17 February 1500. The Battle of Hemmingstedt took place on February 17 1500 near the village of Hemmingstedt in present-day Schleswig-Holstein in Germany Events 1500 - Battle of Hemmingstedt. 1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori In 1559, King Frederik II recaptured it during his own Dithmarschen campaign. Frederick II ( 1 July 1534 &ndash 4 April 1588) King of Denmark and Norway from 1559 until his death Dithmarschen (ˈdɪtmaʁʃən is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. In the capitulation terms it is stated that all Danish banners lost in 1500 were to be returned.
This legend is found in two sources, Hans Svaning's History of King John from 1558-1559 and Johan Rantzau's History about the Last Dithmarschen War, from 1569. Hans Svaning ( 1503 - September 20 1584) was a Danish Historian. Johan (also Johann) Rantzau ( November 12, 1492 &ndash December 12, 1565) was a German - Danish Dithmarschen (ˈdɪtmaʁʃən is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Both claim that this was the original flag, and consequently both writers knew the legend of the falling flag. In 1576, the son of Johan Rantzau, Henrik Rantzau, also writes about the war and the fate of the flag. Heinrich Rantzau or Ranzow ( Ranzovius) (1526-1598 was a German humanist writer and statesman a prolific astrologer and an associate of Tycho Brahe. He notes that the flag was in a poor condition when returned.
Sources from Dithmarschen, written shortly after the battle of 1500, do mention banners, including the Royal banner, being captured from the Danes, but there is no mention of Dannebrog or the "original" flag. Dithmarschen (ˈdɪtmaʁʃən is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is quite plausible that the king’s personal banner as well as the leading banner of the army were both lost, as the battle was led by the King himself. However, it is more questionable if he indeed was carrying the "original" flag.
In a letter dated 22 February 1500 to Oluf Stigsøn, King John describes the battle, but does not mention the loss of an important flag. Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne In fact, the entire letter gives the impression that the lost battle was nothing more than an "unfortunate affair".
An indication that we are dealing with multiple flags, are the 1570 writings of Niels Hemmingsøn regarding a bloody battle between Danes and Swedes near the Swedish town of Uppsala in 1520. Uppsala ˈɵpˌsɑːla (older spelling Upsala) is the capital of Uppsala County ( Uppsala län) and the fourth largest city of He writes that the "Danish head banner" ("Danmarckis Hoffuitbanner") was nearly captured by the Swedes. It was saved only by the combined efforts of the banner-carrier Mogens Gyldenstierne, taking multiple wounds, and a young man coming to his rescue. This young man was Peder Skram. Peder Skram (d July 11, 1581) was a Danish senator and naval hero born between 1491 and 1503 at his father's estate at Urup near This "Danmarckis Hoffuitbanner" was probably nothing short of the "Banner of the Realm'" (Rigsbanner), the Dannebrog.
This is however not the end of the story. A priest and historian from Dithmarschen, Neocorus, wrote in 1598 that the banner captured in 1500, was brought to the church in Wohrden and hung there for the next 59 years, until it was returned to the Danes as part of the peace settlement in 1559. Dithmarschen (ˈdɪtmaʁʃən is a district in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Johann Adolf Köster (also Johannes Adolph Köster (c 1550 - 1630 was a pastor teacher and historian in Büsum, Germany. Wöhrden is a municipality in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Henrik Rantzau states in his writing of 1576 that the flag was brought to Slesvig city and placed in the cathedral, following its return. Heinrich Rantzau or Ranzow ( Ranzovius) (1526-1598 was a German humanist writer and statesman a prolific astrologer and an associate of Tycho Brahe. Schleswig (Slesvig South Jutlandic: Sljasvig, archaic Sleswick Low German: Sleswig) is a Town in the northeastern part of
A historian from Slesvig, Ulrik Petersen (1656-1735), wrote in the late 17th century that the flag hung in Slesvig cathedral till about 1660 until it simply crumbled away, thus ending its more than 400-year-old story. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar
Historically, it is of course impossible to prove or disprove that these records speak of the same flag. If the flag of 1208 or 1219 ever existed. Many of these legends are apparently built on earlier ones.
Other theories of the origin of the flag
Other origin theories have been put forth in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Theories of the origin of the flag, #2
The Danish historian Caspar Paludan-Müller in 1873 in his book "Sagnet om den himmelfaldne Danebrogsfane" put forth the theory that it is a banner sent by the Pope to the Danish King to use in his crusades in the Baltic countries. Year 1873 ( MDCCCLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and The Baltic states (Balti riigid Baltijas valstis Baltijos valstybės or Baltic countries are three countries in Northern Europe, all members of the Other kings and lords certainly received such banners.
One would imagine, though, that if this story was true, some kind of record ought to exist of the event, and presumably Danish historians would not have failed to mention it in some way. Being granted a banner by the Pope would have been a great honour, but despite the many letters of the popes relating to the crusades, none of them mentions granting a banner to a King of Denmark. The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents On the other hand, the letter in question might simply have been lost.
Theories of the origin of the flag, #3
A similar theory was suggested by Danish explorer, adventurer and Captain Johan Støckel in the early 20th century. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on He suggested that it was not a papal banner to the King but a papal banner to the Churchly legate in the North, more specifically to archbishop Andreas Sunesøn, which he – without the knowledge of the King – brought with him on the King's crusade in the Baltic countries, in an effort to make the army take on a Christian symbol (over the king's symbol) and thereby strengthen the power of the church. Anders Sunesen (also Andreas, Suneson, Sunesøn, Latin: Andreas Sunonis) (c
It is unlikely that the very fair and loyal archbishop would do such a thing behind the king's back. Moreover, it is unlikely that the pope would send such a banner, given the fact that they already had one, namely the banner of the Knights Hospitaller (Danish: "Johanitterne"). The Knights Hospitaller (also known as the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St
Theories of the origin of the flag, #4
A theory brought forth by the Danish historian Adolf Ditlev Jørgensen in 1875 in his book "Danebroges Oprindelse" is that the Danish flag is the banner of the Knights Hospitaller. Adolf Ditlev Jørgensen (6/11/1840 - 10/5/1897 born in northern Schleswig, Danish historian Year 1875 ( MDCCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Knights Hospitaller (also known as the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St He notes that the order came to Denmark in the latter half of the 12th century and during the next centuries spread to major cities, like Odense, Viborg, Horsens, Ribe and their headquarters in Slagelse, so by the time of the Baltic crusade, the symbol was already a known symbol in Denmark. The city of Odense (Danish ˈoð̞ˀn̩sə) is the fourth largest city in Denmark. Jan Trøjborg | --> Horsens is a Danish city in east Jutland. This article is about the town of Ribe in Denmark. For other uses see Ribe (disambiguation. Slagelse is a town in east Denmark, located in Slagelse municipality on the island of Zealand. The Northern Crusades or Baltic Crusades were Crusades undertaken by the Catholic kings of Denmark and Sweden, the German Livonian
Furthermore he claims that Bishop Theoderich, already co-initiator of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword in Livonia, had the idea of starting a similar order in Estonia; and that he was the original instigator of the inquiry from Bishop Albert of Buxhoeveden to King Valdemar II in 1218, that set the whole Danish participation in the Baltic crusades in motion. Bishop Albert of Riga founded the Military order of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword (Fratres militiæ Christi Livoniae Schwertbrüderorden in 1202 Livonia (Līvõmō Latvian and Livonija Estonian: Liivimaa; Finnish: Liivinmaa; German and Swedish: Livland Albert of Riga or Albert of Livonia (bīskaps Alberts Albrecht von Buxthoeven c "Valdemar the Victorious" redirects here For the novel by Bernhard Severin Ingemann, see Valdemar the Victorious (novel.
In the contemporary writing of the priest Henry of Livonia from Riga it is said that Bishop Theoderich was killed during the 1219 battle, when the enemy stormed his tent, thinking it was the King's tent. The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia ( Latin: Heinrici Cronicon Lyvoniae) is a historic document describing the history of Livonia and surrounding areas from Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. Adolf Ditlev Jørgensen explains that it was Bishop Theoderich who carried the flag, planted outside his tent; thus as an already well-known symbol of the Knights Hospitaller in Livonia, the enemy thought this was the King's symbol and mistakenly stormed Bishop Theoderich tent. He claims that the origin of the legend of the falling flag comes from this confusion in the battle.
Adolf Ditlev Jørgensen does not explain how the white Maltese cross on red of the Knights Hospitaller, found its way to the Danish flag of 1219, given the fact that in that time it was a white cross on black. The Maltese cross or Amalfi cross is identified as the symbol of an order of Christian warriors known as the Knights Hospitaller or Knights of Malta The Knights Hospitaller is an order of monks and used black dress. The white on red warrior-cloak cannot be traced until later.
Theories of the origin of the flag, #5
The Danish church-historian L. P. Fabricius put up yet another theory, explained in his study of 1934, titled "Sagnet om Dannebrog og de ældste Forbindelser med Estland". Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He ascribes the origin to the 1208 Battle of Fellin, not the Battle of Lyndanisse in 1219, based on the earliest source available about the story. Viljandi (Fellin Felin is a town and municipality in southern Estonia. The Battle of Lyndanisse took place on June 15 1219 Under pretext of helping the Crusade in Palestine the Danish king Valdemar II Sejr defeated the
He says in this theory that it might have been Archbishop Andreas Sunesøn's personal ecclestical banner or perhaps even the flag of Archbishop Absalon, based on his tireless efforts to expand Christianity to the Baltic countries. Anders Sunesen (also Andreas, Suneson, Sunesøn, Latin: Andreas Sunonis) (c Absalon (c 1128 &ndash March 21, 1201) was a Danish Archbishop and statesman Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Under his initiative and supervision several smaller crusades had already been conducted in Estonia. The banner would then already be known in Estonia. He repeats the story about the flag being planted in front of Bishop Theodorik's tent, which the enemy mistakenly attacks believing it to be the tent of the King.
All these theories centre on two battles in Estonia, Fellin (1208) or Lyndanisse (1219), and thus try to explain the origin in relation to the tale brought forth over 300 years after the event.
Theories of the origin of the flag, #6
A much different theory is briefly discussed by Fabricius and elaborated more by Helga Bruhn in her book "Dannebrog" from 1949. Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. She claims that it is neither the battle nor the banner that is central to the tale, but rather the cross in the sky. A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other dividing one or two of the lines in half Similar tales of appearances in the sky at critical moments, particularly of crosses, can be found all over Europe.
Bruhn mentions a battle (also mentioned by Fabricius) taking place on September 10, 1217 between Christian knights and Moor warriors on the Iberian Peninsula near the castle Alcazar, where it is said that a golden cross on white appeared in the sky, to bring victory to the Christians. The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of Muslim (and earlier non-Muslim people of Berber and Arab descent The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe, and includes modern day Spain, Portugal, Andorra Alcazar (disambiguation An alcázar is a Spanish Castle, from the Arabic word القصر al qasr meaning Likewise an almost identical Swedish tale from the 18th century about a yellow cross on blue appearing in 1157 during a Swedish battle in Finland. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Probably a later invention to counter the legendary origins of the Danish flags, but nevertheless of the same nature. The English flag, the Saint George's Cross is also claimed to have appeared in the sky during a critical battle, in this case in Jerusalem during the crusades. The Flag of England is the St George's Cross. The red cross appeared as an emblem of England during the Middle Ages and the Crusades and In Christian hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Anglican Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the
The similarities to the legends is obvious. In Spain, the colours of the Pope appears in the sky, in Finland the Swedish colours. In Estonia it is the Danish colours, and in Jerusalem the English colours. Basically, these are all variations of the same legend.
Since King Valdemar II was married to the Portuguese princess, Berengaria, it is not unthinkable that the origin of the story, if not the flag, was the Spanish tale or a similar tale, which again might have been inspired by an even older legend. "Valdemar the Victorious" redirects here For the novel by Bernhard Severin Ingemann, see Valdemar the Victorious (novel. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Infanta Berengária of Portugal ( pron bɨɾẽ'gaɾiɐ was a Portuguese Infanta, later Queen consort of Denmark.
Earliest recorded use of the flag
Danish literature of the 13th and 14th centuries remains quiet about the national flag. Whether the flag has its origins in a divine sign, a banner of a military order, an ecclesiastical banner, or perhaps something entirely different, Danish literature is no help before the early 15th century.
However, several coins, seals and images exist, both foreign and domestic, from the 13th to 15th centuries and even earlier, showing flags similar to Dannebrog. In the 19th and early 20th century, these images were used by many Danish historians, with a good flair of nationalism, trying to date the origins of the flag to 1219. The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation However, if one examines the few existing foreign sources about Denmark from the 13th to 15th centuries, it is apparent that, at least from foreign point of view; the national symbol of Denmark was not a red-and-white banner but the royal coat of arms (three blue lions of a golden shield. ) This coat of arms remains in use to this day. The National Coat of Arms of Denmark consists of three crowned blue lions accompanied by nine red hearts all in a golden shield
An obvious place to look for documentation is in the Estonian city of Tallinn, the site of the legendary battle. Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Tallinn (historically known by the German, Swedish and Danish name Reval or the Polish name Rewal, among other names In Tallinn, a coat-of-arms resembling the flag is found on several buildings and can be traced back to the middle of the 15th century where it appears in the coat-of-arms of the "Die Grosse Gilde", a sort of merchant consortium which greatly influenced the city's development. A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade The earliest guilds were formed as confraternities of workers The symbol later became the coat-of-arms of the city. Efforts to trace it from Estonia back to Denmark have, however, been in vain.
The national Coat of Arms of Estonia, three blue lions on a golden shield, is almost identical to the Coat of Arms of Denmark, and its origin can be traced directly back to King Valdemar II and Danish rule in Estonia 1219-1346. Coat of Arms of Estonia. The current Coat of arms of Estonia is a golden shield which includes three slim blue leopards (or lions The National Coat of Arms of Denmark consists of three crowned blue lions accompanied by nine red hearts all in a golden shield "Valdemar the Victorious" redirects here For the novel by Bernhard Severin Ingemann, see Valdemar the Victorious (novel. Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region
Earliest undisputed link
The earliest source that indisputably links the red flag with a white cross to a Danish King, and to the realm itself, is found in a Dutch armorial, the "Gelre Armorial" (Dutch: Wapenboek Gelre), written between 1340 and 1370 (some sources say 1378 or 1386). The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands A Roll of Arms (or armorial) is a collection of coats of arms which may be recorded in a variety of ways written ( blazon) painted drawn or carved The Gelre Armorial (Wapenboek Gelre) is a Dutch Armorial, written between 1370 and 1414 This article deals with the historical county and duchy of Guelders for other meanings see Gelderland. Most historians claim that the book was written by Geldre Claes Heinen. The book displays some 1,700 coats-of-arms from all over Europe, in colour. It is now located at the Royal Library of Brussels (the "Bibliothèque royale Albert Ier"). The Royal Library of Belgium ( Koninklijke Bibliotheek in Dutch, Bibliothèque Royale in French, abbreviated
On page 55 verso we find the Danish coat-of-arms surmounted by a helmet with horns. Behind the sinister horn is a lance tip with a banner, displaying a white cross on red. The text left of the coat of arms says "die coninc van denmarke" (The King of Denmark). This is the earliest known undisputed colour rendering of Dannebrog.
This image has been used to acknowledge a previously disputed theory that the cross found in Valdemar Atterdag's coats of arms located in his Danælog seal ("Rettertingsseglet") from 1356 is indeed the cross from the Danish flag. Valdemar Atterdag (c 1320 &ndash October 24, 1375) was a King of Denmark (1340 - 1375
This image from the Armorial Gelre is near identical to an image found in an old coats of arms book from the 15th century now located in the National Archives of Sweden, ("Riksarkivet")
From the time of King Eric of Pomerania we also have a case that undisputedly links Dannebrog to Denmark. Eric of Pomerania or Erik of Pomerania (1381 or 1382 &ndash 3 May 1459) was King of Norway (1389–1442 elected King of His seal from 1398 as king of the Kalmar union displays the arms of Denmark chief dexter, three lions. The Kalmar Union ( Danish, Norwegian and Swedish: Kalmarunionen) is a historiographical term meaning a series of Personal In this version, the lions are holding a Danebrog banner. The cross quartering the shields has also been identified as a Daneborg cross, but this claim is disputed. Since the seal represents all of the three realms of the union, it is more likely that the cross refers to the union banner that King Eric tried to introduce, a red cross on yellow.
Laws and flag variations
Denmark does not have a specified flag law, but various regulations and rules spread out over many documents, from King Christian IV's time till today, can be found. Christian IV ( 12 April, 1577 &ndash 28 February, 1648) was the king of Denmark and Norway from 1588 until his death
National flag
The size and shape of the coufhordie flag ("Koffardiflaget") for merchant ships is given in the regulation of June 11, 1748, which says: A red flag with a white cross with no split end. Events 1184 BC - Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned according to the calculations of Eratosthenes. Year 1748 ( MDCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The white cross must be 1/7 of the flags height. The two first fields must be square in form and the two outer fields most be 6/4 lengths of those.
The proportions are thus: 3:1:3 vertically and 3:1:4. 5 horizontally. This definition are the absolute proportions for the Danish national flag to this day, for both the civil version of the flag ("Stutflaget"), as well as the merchant flag ("Handelsflaget"). Both flags are identical.
A somewhat curious regulation came in 1758 concerning Danish ships sailing in the Mediterranean. Year 1758 ( MDCCLVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common These had to carry the King's cypher logo in the center of the flag, to distinguish them from Maltese ships, due to the similarity of the flag of the Order of St. John (also known as the Knights Hospitaller). The Knights Hospitaller (also known as the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St To the best of knowledge, this regulation has never been revoked, however it is probably no longer done.
According to the regulation of June 11, 1748 the colour was simply red, which is common known today as "Dannebrog rød" ("Dannebrog red"). Events 1184 BC - Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned according to the calculations of Eratosthenes. Year 1748 ( MDCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The only available red fabric dye in 1748 was made of madder root, which can be processed to produce a brilliant red dye (used historically for British soldiers' jackets). Year 1748 ( MDCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Madder is the common name of the Plant genus Rubia, the type genus of the madder family Rubiaceae. The private company, Dansk Standard, regulation number 359 of 2005, defines the red colour of the flag as Pantone 186c. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Pantone Inc is a corporation headquartered in Carlstadt, New Jersey, USA No official nuance definition of "Dannebrog rød" exists.
During the next about 150 years nobody paid much attention to actually abide fully to the proportions of the flag given in the 1748 regulation, not even the government. Year 1748 ( MDCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a As late as 1892 it was stated in a series of regulations that the correct lengths of the two last fields in the flag were 6/4. Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Some interested in the matter made inquires into the issue and concluded that the 6/4 length would make the flag look blunt. Any new flag would also quickly become unlawful, due to wear and tear. They also noted that the flag currently used had lengths, of the last two fields, anywhere between 7/4 to 13/6.
So in May 1893 a new regulation to all chiefs of police, stated that the police should not intervene, if the two last fields in the flag were longer than 6/4 as long as these did not exceed 7/4, and provided that this was the only rule violated. Year 1893 ( MDCCCXCIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common
This regulation is still in effect today and thus the legal proportions of the National flag is today anywhere between 3:1:3 width / 3:1:4. 5 length and 3:1:3 width / 3:1:5. 25 length.
That some confusion still exists in this matter can be seen from the regulation of May 4, 1927, which once again states that Danish merchant ships have to fly flags according to the regulation of 1748. Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Year 1927 ( MCMXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1748 ( MDCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a
Splitflag
.svg/250px-Flag_of_Denmark_(state).svg.png)
Proportions: 56:107
Proportions: 56:107The Splitflag or Orlogsflag have similar specifications, but legally, they are two different flags. The Splitflag is a Danish flag ending in a swallow-tail, it is Dannebrog red, and is used on land. The Orlogsflag is a Splitflag with a deeper red colour and is only used on sea.
The Orlogsflag with no markings, may only be used by the Royal Danish Navy. The Royal Danish Navy ( RDN) (officially Kongelige Danske Marine in Danish but commonly Søværnet (literally 'Sea Defence' is the sea-based There are though a few exceptions to this. A few institutions have been allowed to fly the clean Orlogsflag. Same flag with markings has been approved for a few dozen companies and institutions over the years.
Furthermore, the Orlogsflag is only described as such if it has no additional markings. Any swallow-tail flag, no matter the color, is called a Splitflag provided it bears additional markings.
The first regulation regarding the Splitflag dates from March 27, 1630, in which King Christian IV orders that Norwegian Defensionskibe (armed merchants ships) may only use the Splitflag if they are in Danish war service. Events 196 BC - Ptolemy V ascends to the throne of Egypt. 1309 - Pope Clement V excommunicates Christian IV ( 12 April, 1577 &ndash 28 February, 1648) was the king of Denmark and Norway from 1588 until his death In 1685 an order, distributed to a number of cities in Slesvig, states that all ships must carry the Danish flag, and in 1690 all merchant ships are forbidden to use the Splitflag, with the exception of ships sailing in the East Indies, West Indies and at the coast of Africa. The Indies or East Indies (or East India) is a term often used to refer to the islands of SE Asia, especially the Malay Archipelago The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting In 1741 it is confirmed that the regulation of 1690 is still very much in effect; that merchant ships may not use the Splitflag. Year 1741 ( MDCCXLI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year At the same time the Danish East India Company is allowed to fly the Splitflag when past the equator. The Danish East India Company (Dansk Østindisk Kompagni was a Danish Chartered company. The equator (sometimes referred to colloquially as "the Line") is the intersection of the Earth 's surface with the plane perpendicular to the
It is obvious that some confusion must have existed regarding the Splitflag. In 1696 the Admiralty presented the King with a proposal for a standard regulating both size and shape of the Splitflag. In the same year a royal resolution defines the proportions of the Splitflag, which in this resolution is called Kongeflaget (the King's flag), as follows: The cross must be 1/7 of the flags height. The two first fields must be square in form with the sides three times the cross width. The two outer fields are rectangular and 1½ the length of the square fields. The tails are the length of the flag.
These numbers are the basic for the Splitflag, or Orlogsflag, today, though the numbers have been slightly altered. The term Orlogsflag dates from 1806 and denotes use in the Royal Danish Navy. Year 1806 ( MDCCCVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Royal Danish Navy ( RDN) (officially Kongelige Danske Marine in Danish but commonly Søværnet (literally 'Sea Defence' is the sea-based
From about 1750 to early 1800s a number of ships and companies which the government has interests in, received approval to use the Splitflag. Year 1750 ( MDCCL) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Year -of the Julian calendar. The Gregorian calendar was 11 days ahead of the Julian calendar until Friday, but 12 days ahead since Saturday. From the mid 1800s to 1899, and especially after 1870, additional institutions and private companies received approval to use the Splitflag. Year -of the Julian calendar. The Gregorian calendar was 11 days ahead of the Julian calendar until Friday, but 12 days ahead since Saturday. Year 1899 ( MDCCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Year 1870 ( MDCCCLXX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common
In the royal resolution of October 25, 1939 for the Danish Navy, it is stated that the Orlogsflag is a Splitflag with a deep red ("Kraprød" or "dybrød") colour. Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Royal Danish Navy ( RDN) (officially Kongelige Danske Marine in Danish but commonly Søværnet (literally 'Sea Defence' is the sea-based Like the National flag, no nuance is given, but in modern days this is given as 195U.
Furthermore the size and shape is corrected in this resolution to be: "The cross must be 1/7 of the flag's height. The two first fields must be square in form with the height of 3/7 of the flags height. The two outer fields are rectangular and 5/4 the length of the square fields. The tails are 6/4 the length of the rectangular fields".
Thus, if compared to the standard of 1696, both the rectangular fields and the tails have decreased in size.
Royal standard
The current version of the royal standard was introduced on 16 November 1972 when the Queen adopted a new version of her personal coat of arms. Events 534 - A second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus is published Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Early life Princess Margrethe was born, to Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Ingrid. The royal standard is the flag of Denmark with a swallow-tail and charged with the monarch’s coat of arms set in a white square. The National Coat of Arms of Denmark consists of three crowned blue lions accompanied by nine red hearts all in a golden shield The centre square is 32 parts in a flag with the ratio 56:107. [1].
See also
- List of flags of Denmark
- Nordic Cross Flag
- Flag of the Faroe Islands
- Flag of Finland
- Flag of Iceland
- Flag of Norway
- Flag of Sweden
- Union badge of Norway and Sweden
Notes
References
- Dannebrog - Vort Flag, Lieutenant Colonel Thaulow, Forlaget Codan, Copenhagen 1943
- Dannebrog, Helga Bruhn, Forlaget Jespersen og Pios, Copenhagen 1949
- Danebrog - Danmarks Palladium, E. The following is a list of flags of Denmark. National flag and State flag Royal flags Military flag Nordic Cross Flag Nordic Cross Scandinavian Cross is a pattern of flags usually associated with the Flags of the Scandinavian countries of which it originated The flag of the Faroe Islands is an offset cross following as with other Nordic flags the tradition set by Dannebrog. List of flags of Finland The flag of Finland, also called Siniristilippu ("Blue Cross Flag" dates from the beginning of the 20th century List of flags of Iceland The flag of Iceland was officially described in Law No The flag of Norway is red with an indigo blue Scandinavian cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag the vertical part of the cross is shifted List of flags of Sweden The Flag of Sweden (Sveriges flagga is blue with a yellow Scandinavian cross that extends to the edges of the flag Norway and Sweden were in a personal union from 1814 to 1905 According to the constitution of November 1814, Norway was to have its own merchant flag For a list of flags see List of flags or Gallery of flags by design. D. Lund, Forlaget H. Hagerups, Copenhagen 1919
- DS 359:2005 ’Flagdug’, Dansk Standard, 2005
- Danmarks-Samfundet - several rules and customs about the use of Dannebrog
External links
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic