Legend has it that on this day in 1219, a flag fell from the sky and helped the Danes win a battle.
The Dannebrog is the flag of Denmark and the oldest national flag in the world.
According to legend, it fell from the sky during the Battle of Lyndanisse (now Tallinn) in Estonia, and turned the Danes' luck.
Why were the Danes fighting Estonia?
The Battle of Lyndanisse (also spelled the Battle of Lindanise) was a battle during the Livonian Crusade, fought by the Kingdom of Denmark and German allies against pagan Estonian tribes. The battle helped King Valdemar II of Denmark establish the territory of Danish Estonia during the Northern Crusades, which were undertaken in response to calls from the Pope. The Danes defeated the Estonians at Lindanise (Danish: Lyndanisse, at the site of the later city of Reval, now known as Tallinn).[1]
The Danes were losing, but….
Tradition has maintained that the Danish flag appeared at the Battle of Lyndanisse on 15 June 1219.[2] Legend holds that during the battle, in the Danes' hour of need, the Dannebrog fell from the sky and gave them renewed hope. As the Estonians attacked the Danish stronghold, the Danes were hard pressed. Anders Sunesen, the Archbishop of Lund, raised his hands to the sky in prayer, and the defenders held tight as long as his hands were raised. As Archbishop Sunesen became exhausted, he eventually had to lower his arms, and the Estonians were on the verge of victory.[3] Then, a red flag with a white cross fell from the sky, and gave the Danes the victory.[4]
This account builds on two different versions from the early 16th century, both based on an even older source. According to legend, Denmark received its national flag, the Dannebrog, during the battle. This legend is mentioned in the last three books (14-16) of the Gesta Danorum, which describe Danish conquests on the south shore of the Baltic Sea and the Northern Crusades. An edition of the Gesta Danorum was edited by Danish priest Christiern Pedersen, and published by Jodocus Badius on 15 March 1514.
This older source set the emergence of Dannebrog as a battle in Livonia in 1208. But the Franciscan friar Peder Olsen (c. 1527) rectified the year as 1219. The legend became affixed to the Battle of Lindanise. The legend of Dannebrog as originating in the Northern Crusades holds true, as the red flag with a white cross originated as a crusader symbol.[4]
Denmark is a perennial contender for the happiest country on earth. Don’t mess with success.
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