Dannebrog - from story to happiness




It is 15 June 1219. The Danes are fighting in Estonia. King Valdemar Sejr (Valdemar the Victorious) is on a crusade and has gained victory over the northern region in this area. However, the Estonians attacked the Danish army and Valdemar once again has to defend his territory.


It is a rough battle and the Danes are exhausted.  They have experienced victories and losses for days and are now on the defense.  At the very moment all seems lost, a flag appears in the heavens and gently falls toward the earth.  King Valdemar grabs the flag, sees it as a sign from above and shows it to his troops.  Reenergized by the sign from above, the Danes fight back and are victorious.


This battle really did take place, but I think you would be hard pressed finding a Dane that genuinely believes our flag fell from the skies as a divine promise of victory.  However, don’t make fun of the story. It is a powerful story that has been passed on from generation to generation for centuries, and when we teach our children this story (or any newcomers to our society), they become part of a very long tradition of people who have kept passing on this story.


Our flag, Dannebrog, not only represents the Danes as a people but also the history that wove the fabric of our society, our identity.  And everybody that tells that story to the next generation becomes part of that fabric.  It connects us as a people.


On our itinerary today was a visit to the National Gallery of Denmark. Among the wide variety of gorgeous artwork, you might have noticed a painting by Christian August Lorentzen. Painted in 1809, it depicts the battle at Lyndanis and our flag appearing in the heavens.


Since 1913, June 15 is named Valdemar’s Day and celebrates our flag and its origin.  When you are in Denmark, you may notice that we love to raise our flag and at any occasion. We raise the flag on the weekends over our small allotment gardens, stake it in flowerpots on birthdays or when we expect company, even smaller versions of the flag are often placed in birthday cakes and other delightful pastries.  You will find the flag on produce and schoolbags, and at Christmas time we hang it on the Christmas tree with other decorations.


The flag is effectively everywhere in Denmark.  It is a symbol of connectedness and happiness, a symbol of something that is undefeatable, something that can withstand the strain of time and changes in the world.  Regardless what happens and how individual we are, there is something greater than us that connects us when it matters.



At the end of the day, we were going to be visiting a yoga studio.  While this honestly sounded wonderful, I must admit that I am not very good at yoga.  I opted today instead for a 4 mile walk with my dog and substituted “onward dog” for the “downward dog”.  That was probably a good choice considering all the lovely delicacies I have indulged in today.










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