The flag of any country acts as a symbol of the state and contains certain historical references to events in the past. Symbolism, as a rule, is colored in different colors and contains certain images, which are significant monuments to the inhabitants of the country and indicate their cultural, religious or political heritage.
This is what the modern flag of Denmark looks like:
History of the Danish flag
The Danish flag is considered one of the oldest state symbols in the world. There is a legend that tells about the origin of the flag of the Danish Kingdom, dating back to the beginning of the 13th century. In 1219 the army of the Danish king Valdemar II encamped near the hill fort near Kolyvan.
After a while, on June 15, 1219, the Danish army was attacked by Estonians, the citizens of medieval Estonia. The attack was quite unexpected for some parts of the Danish troops, and they had to retreat as a result. The bishops, seeking protection from God, climbed the hill and began to ask for help in their prayers.
Suddenly, like a miracle, a large red cloth with a white cross depicted on it fell from heaven. The Danes took it as an auspicious sign and God’s help. This helped the warriors gain strength and defeat the pagans. Since then the day of the victory over the Estonians at the Battle of Kolyvan is considered the birthday of the national flag.
Considering the symbol of the country to be a gift from God, the Danes named it Dannebrog, and every year on June 15 you can see the flags on the streets of the cities. In the summer in the Danish King’s Garden, which is located in Tallinn, there is a festive performance in honor of Dannebrog. According to legend, the iron knight standing in the garden points to the place where the cloth came down from heaven.
According to the legal procedure, the Danish flag was approved by law on May 1, 1893.
The flag of the kingdom has only once undergone minor changes. In 1397 Queen Margaret I of Denmark decreed the unification of Sweden, Norway and Denmark into the Union of Kalmar. Then the image of three crowns appeared on the flag in the left corner. In 1523 Sweden separated from Denmark, and then Norway separated in 1814. The flag lost its crowns and took its present form, which has survived to this day.
The flag of the Danish Navy:
Description
The flag of the Kingdom of Denmark is a dark red cloth with an image of a white Scandinavian cross. The aspect ratio of the rectangular cloth is 28:37. The vertical line of the cross is offset to the left side of the flag, while the horizontal line is centered.
The Danish Dannebrog was the first symbol to bear the image of the Scandinavian cross.
Scholars believe that the shape of the cross, which symbolizes Christianity, is due to the vertical arrangement of the flag. Originally, it was attached with a horizontal shaft by the short side. In acquiring its modern appearance, the symbol of the state was inverted by 90 degrees.
Colors of the Danish flag
The national flag of Denmark contains two colors. The background of the symbol of the country is painted red, and the vertical and horizontal stripes of the cross are white.
Meaning of colors and flag symbol
The image of the snow-white cross on the flag of Denmark symbolizes the religion of the country – Christianity. A similar symbol can be found on the flags of other countries: Norway, Iceland, Finland, Sweden and the Faroe Islands. The red background color means valor, bravery and strength, which at one time showed the inhabitants of the country to protect their kingdom from the invasion of foreign invaders.
Some scholars also believe that the national flag of Denmark was borrowed from Germany, where in early modern times it was a military flag.
Among historians there is another version of the appearance of the Danish flag. They suggest that the state symbol was borrowed from the Order of the St. Johnites. The composition of the cloth was to some extent influenced by the banner of the Roman emperors. However, the inhabitants of the kingdom continue to believe in the widespread legend about the origin of the Danish flag.
General information about Denmark
| Official language | Danish |
| Capital | Copenhagen |
| Territory | 43,094 km2 |
| Population | 5,811,413 people |
| Currency | Danish krone |
| Phone Code | +45 (Denmark),
+298 (Faroe Islands), +299 (Greenland) |
