Flag of Denmark

Flag origins

Denmark’s Dannebrog has a white cross on red. Its offset cross, nearer the flagpole, is the classic Nordic or Scandinavian cross design that later spread to Sweden, Norway, Finland and others. Dannebrog is traditionally interpreted as the flag or cloth of the Danes. Some of the earliest reliable records identifying it with the Danish king date to the fourteenth century.

Flag story

A famous legend says that on June 15, 1219, King Valdemar II’s army was struggling at the Battle of Lyndanisse near modern Tallinn in Estonia. A red flag bearing a white cross suddenly fell from heaven. Taking it as divine help, the army rallied and won. The Danish government recounts this as a principal flag legend. It is a later legend, not an event verified by contemporary records from 1219; secure evidence dates to the fourteenth century. Denmark’s official website describes Dannebrog as the world’s oldest national flag still in use. Counting from the legendary date gives it over eight hundred years of history. The setting is in Estonia rather than Denmark. Tallinn’s old town includes the Danish King’s Garden, associated with the story.

Editorial notes and references

Edited by ABELHA WORKS. The English text translates the administrator-edited Japanese description. Legends should be distinguished from documented history. General reference links do not substantiate every statement in the text.

• Denmark — general information on Wikipedia
• Japan MOFA: countries and regions (Japanese)

Report an error