Danish Direct

Dannebrog -- the Danish Flag

The Danish flag, called Dannebrog , is the oldest national flag in the world. Dannebrog translates into "Danish cloth".

During a battle on 15 June 1219, in the small Baltic country of Estonia, the flag is said to have fallen from the sky. When King Waldemar II defeated the Estonians, God let this "Danish cloth" fall to the ground.

The Danish flag has two colors, red and white. The red symbolizes the blood of the martyrs. The white represents purity and Christianity.

The crosses on Scandinavian flags (including the Danish flag) are measured by the width of the color. In the case of Denmark, horizontally there are 12 units of red, 4 units of white, and 21 units of red. Vertically the flag has 12 units of red, 4 units of white and 12 units of red.

FLYING THE FLAG

The average Dane needs little encouragement to run up the flag. The white cross on a red background can be seen flying from flagpoles all over the country to mark many occasions: visitors, birthdays, weddings, or funerals.

There are 16 official "flag days" in Denmark every year, almost half of which are in honour of the Danish royal family: on royal birthdays, the "Dannebrog" can be seen fluttering proudly in the breeze across the length and breadth of the country.

DANISH NATIONAL ANTHEM

"Der er et yndigt land" was written in 1819 as part of a contest to find a new national anthem, and by the 1920s it had become the national anthem. The national anthem is based on Norse mythology and old legends, and focuses on the beauty of the country.

~Danish Lyrics~	~English Translation~
Der er et yndigt land Det står med brede bøge Nær salten østerstrand Nær salten østerstrand Det bugter sig i bakkedal Det hedder gamle Danmark Og det er Frejas sal Og det er Frejas sal	There is a lovely country It stands with wide beeches Near a salty, eastern beach Near a salty, eastern beach It winds through rolling hills Its name is old Denmark And it is Freja's hall And it is Freja's hall
Der sad i fordums tid De harniskklædte kæmper, Udhvilede fra strid; Så drog de frem til fjenders mén, Nu hvile deres bene Bag højens bavtasten. Det land endnu er skønt, Thi blå sig søen bælter, Og løvet står så grønt; Og ædle kvinder, skønne mø'r, Og mænd or raske svende Bebo de danskes øer. Hil drot og fædreland! Hil hver en danneborger, Som virker, hvad han kan! Vort gamle Danmark skal bestå, Så længe bøgen spejler Sin top i bølgen blå.
Lyrics by Adam Oehlenschläger, 1819