Fall of Danish Flag from the sky in 1219

 

The national flag of Denmark is called the Dannebrog. Legend has it that the Dannebrog fell from the sky in Estonia on 15 June 1219.

Dannebrog means "Danish cloth" or "well made material".

The national flag of Denmark is red with a white Nordic cross, which means that the cross extends to the edges of the flag and the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side.

A banner with a white-on-red cross is attested as having been used by the kings of Denmark since the 14th century. An origin legend with considerable impact on Danish national historiography connects the introduction of the flag to the Battle of Lyndanisse (now Tallinn) of 1219. The elongated Nordic cross, which represents Christianity, reflects its use as a maritime flag in the 18th century. The flag became popular as a national flag in the early 16th century. Its private use was outlawed in 1834 but again permitted by a regulation of 1854. The flag holds the world record of being the oldest continuously used flag, that is since 1625.

A commemorative postage stamp of Denmark from the Anniversaries and Events 1969 series depicts the Fall of Danish Flag. The postage stamp issued on 12 June 1969 is 24 x 31 mm in size and at 60 øre - Danish øre face value. It had a print run of 22,675, 000. The designers are Czeslaw Slania (E) and Povl Christensen.