NOTE: The background of this webpage is the front page of Christiern Pedersen's Danorum Regum heroumque Historia , Paris 1514 (see Gesta Danorum). Found in the book "Apoteker Sibbernsens Saxobog", C. A. Reitzels Forlag, Copenhagen, 1927.

Adopted 12th century


On the evening before the Battle of Lyndanisse, the Danish King Valdemar II claimed to have a vision of a white crucifix in a darkening sky. This he interpreted as Gods wish that he triumph in battle the next day in what turned out to be a very bloody victory.
Originally the cross was square on the flag but over the centuries one of the horizontals of the cross has been lengthened. The cross on the flag represents the cross visualized by the Danish King and its meaning of future victory. The red symbolizes either the darkening sky or the bloody battle of the next day.

A crude, old drawing showing the "Dannebrog".

The 1748 Danish Flag.
Ratios of red and white are shown.

The 1893 Danish Flag.
Ratios of red and white are shown.

The Danish flag is called "Dannebrog", [which is] old Danish for 'The Danish Cloth' or 'banner of the Danes' or 'red banner'. The flag occurs first in a Danish text 1478 and in a Dutch text 100 years before; in the Dutch armorial Gelre (1370-86) a red banner with a white cross is seen next to the arms of Valdemar 4. 'Atterdag'. The Dannebrog has two different red shades; approximated as Pantone 185c (for "land" use) and 195c (for naval use).

The Modern Danish Flag.

This is a PROUD, CANADIAN website.