Athens

On top of it, stands the picturesque St. In royal resolution of October 25, 1939 for the Danish Navy, it is stated that the Orlogsflag is a Splitflag with a deep red ("Kraprød" or "dybrød") colour. Located in the city center, near Alexandras' and Vassilisis Sofia's Avenues, it offers magnificent, literally breathtaking views of sprawling Athens that lies underneath. Especially after 1870 the government generous and with little thought hand out approval to all kinds to institutions. What is more, Lykavittos is the tallest hill of the city that, according to an ancient legend, was actually a boulder thrown down by Goddess Athena. From the mid 1800's to 1899 another bunch of institutions and private companies also received approval to use the Splitflag. Hiking and mountain biking in all four mountains have been and still remain popular outdoor activities for many Athenians. From about 1750 to early 1800's a number of ships / companies which the government has interests in, received approval to used the Splitflag.

The whole area has been remodelled by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava with monuments, gardens, futuristic passages and a characteristic new blue glass roof which was added to the main Stadium. At the same time it is now allowed the Danish East India Company to use the Splitflag when past the equator. An entirely new attraction is the massively upgraded Olympic Stadium Complex (known by its Greek initials OAKA). In 1741 it is re-stated that the regulation of 1690 is still very much in effect, that merchants ships may not use the Splitflag. Casinos operate on both Mount Parnitha, some 30 km from downtown Athens (accessible by car or cable car) and the nearby town of Loutraki (accessible by car via the Athens - Corinth National Highway or the suburban railway). In 1685 an order, distributed to a number of cities in Slesvig, says that all ships must carry the Danish flag, and in 1690 all merchants ships is forbidden to use the Splitflag, with the exception of ships sailing in the East Indies, West Indies and at the coast of Africa. Some central areas (mostly just south of Omonoia Square) are mainly peopled by immigrants and are therefore full of colorful ethnic restaurants and shops. The first regulation regarding the Splitflag dates from 27 March, 1630, where King Christian IV orders that Norwegian "Defensionskibe" (merchants ships with guns) may only use the Splitflag if they are in war-service under Denmark.

Huge malls such as the "Attica" mall in Panepistimiou Avenue and "The Mall Athens" [8] located in the classy northern suburb of Maroussi also offer an enormous variety of international selections that can totally satisfy even the most demanding customer. Any swallow-tail flag, no matter the color, is called a Splitflag provided it bears additional markings. Full of fashion shops and shopping centers featuring most international brands, it has become one of the most expensive roads in Europe. Furthermore, the Orlogsflag is only described as such if it has no additional markings. Ermou Street, an approximately 1 km pedestrian road connecting Syntagma Square to Monastiraki, has traditionally been considered a consumer paradise for both the Athenians and foreign tourists. Same flag with markings has been approved for a few dozen companies and institutions over the years. The chic Kolonaki area, near Syntagma Square, is full of boutiques catering to well-heeled customers by day and bars and restaurants by night. A few institutions have been allowed to fly the clean Orlogsflag.

The Gazi area, one of the latest in full redevelopment, is located around a historic gas factory in downtown Athens, that has been converted into the Technopolis (Athens's new cultural multiplex) and has a number of small clubs, bars and restaurants as well as Athens' nascent gay village. There are though a few exceptions to this. Theseum, or Thission is home to the remarkable ancient Temple of Hephaestus, standing on top of a small hill. The Orlogsflag with no markings, may only be used by the Royal Danish Navy. Yet another district notably famous for its student-crammed, stylish cafes is Theseum, lying just west of Monastiraki. The Orlogsflag is a Splitflag with a deeper red colour and is only used on sea. Monastiraki, on the other hand, is famous for its loads of small tourist shops as well as its crowded flea market and the legendary tavernas that specialize in what many consider to be the best souvlaki in town. The Splitflag is a Danish flag ending in a swallow-tail, it is Dannebrog red, and is used on land.

Plaka, lying just beneath the Acropolis, is famous for its numerous neoclassic buildings, making it one of the most scenic districts in central Athens. The Splitflag or Orlogsflag have similar specifications, but legally, they are two different flags. Plaka remains the traditional top tourist destination, with many tavernas featuring 'traditional' music, but the food, though very good, is often more expensive compared to other parts of the city. That some confusion still exists in this matter can be seen from the regulation of May 4, 1927, which once again states that Danish merchant ships have to fly flags according to the regulation of 1748. Rebetiko is still admired by many, therefore virtually every night rebetadika get crammed by people of all ages that will sing, dance and drink wine until the dawn of the following morning. This regulation is still in effect today and thus the legal proportions of the National flag is today anywhere between 3:1:3 width / 3:1:4.5 length and 3:1:3 width / 3:1:5.25 length. It also features a number of live music restaurants called "rebetadika", after rebetiko, a unique kind of music that blossomed in Athens from the 1920's till the 1950's. So in May 1893 a new regulation to all chiefs of police, stated that the police should not intervene, if the two last fields in the flag were longer than 6/4 as long as these did not exceed 7/4, and provided that this was the only rule violated.

Turning now to the city centre, the Psiri neighborhood - aka Athens' 'meat packing district'- has acquired many new mainstream bars, thus becoming a hotspot for many youngsters. They also noted that the flag currently used had lengths, of the last two fields, anywhere between 7/4 to 13/6. Especially during the summer time, the southern elegant suburbs of Glyfada, Voula and Vouliagmeni become home to countless such places, situated all along Poseidonos and Alkyonidon Avenues. Any new flag would also quickly become unlawful, due to wear and tear. In addition, Athens is packed with trendy and fashionable bars and nightclubs that are literally crowded by the city's youth on a daily basis. Some interested in the matter made inquires into the issue and concluded that the 6/4 length would make the flag look blunt. It is justifiably named as the "Attican Riviera" by many. As late as 1892 it was stated in a series of regulations that the correct lengths of the two last fields in the flag were 6/4.

The Athens coastline, extending from the major commercial port of Piraeus to the southernmost suburb of Vouliagmeni for more than 25 km, is also connected to the city centre with a gleaming tram and it boasts a series of high class restaurants, cafes, exciting music venues and sports facilities. During the next about 150 years nobody paid much attention to actually abide fully to the proportions of the flag given in the 1748 regulation, not even the government. To begin with, it has a great number of multiplex as well as romantic open air garden cinemas, more theatres than any other European city (including ancient marble ones that are home to the Athens Festival from June to July) and many music venues including a state of the art music hall known as the "Megaron Moussikis" [7] that attracts world-famous artists all year round. No official nuance definition of "Dannebrog rød" exists. As far as entertainment and night life are concerned, Athens offers an endless amount of possibilities, reflecting all tastes and all cultures. The private company, Dansk Standard, regulation number 359 of 2005, defines the red colour of the flag as Pantone 186c. More than 20 students were killed inside the School in November 17, 1973 during the Athens Polytechnic Uprising against the military junta that ruled the nation from April 21, 1967 till July 23, 1974. The only available red fabric colour in 1748 was made of bracken root, which make a brownish red.

The second most significant academic institution of the city is the Athens Polytechnic School (Ethniko Metsovio Politechnio), located in Patission Street. According to the regulation of June 11, 1748 the colour was simply red, which is common known today as "Dannebrog rød" ("Dannebrog red"). However, most of the university's functions have been moved to a much larger, modern campus located in the eastern suburb of Zográfou. To the best of knowledge, this regulation has never been revoked, however it is probably no longer done. This combined with the adjacent National Library and the Athens Academy form the imposing "Athens Trilogy", built in the late 19th century. the Knights Hospitaller). The old campus of the University of Athens, located in the middle section of Panepistimiou Avenue, is one of the finest buildings in the city. John (a.k.a.

Not to be missed is also the very impressive Athens Planetarium [6], considered to be among the world's best. These had to carry the King's cypher logo in the center of the flag, to distinguish them from Maltese ships, due to the similarity of the flag of the Order of St. A new Acropolis Museum is being built [4] in the central Makriyanni district according to a design by acclaimed architect Bernard Tschumi [5]. A somewhat curious regulation came in 1758 concerning Danish ships sailing in the Mediterranean. The city's classic museums like the National Archaeological Museum in Patission Street (which holds the world's greatest collection of Greek art), the Benaki Museum in the northern suburb of Kifissia (including its new Islamic Art branch) [2], the Byzantine Museum, or the Museum of Cycladic Art in the Kolonaki district (strongly recommended for its collection of elegant white metamodern figures, more than 3,000 years old) [3], were all renovated ahead of the 2004 Olympics. Both flags are identical. It holds a special interest, not only for romantic reasons but also because it is the only major stadium (60,000 spectators) made entirely of white marble from Penteli, the same as the one used for the construction of the Parthenon. This definition are the absolute proportions for the Danish national flag to this day, for both the civil version of the flag, "Stutflaget", as well as the merchant flag ("Handelsflaget").

Notably, the famous Dionysiou Aeropagitou street has been pedestrianized thus forming a fascinating scenic route. The quest to unite them into a specified flag law have been brought forth many times, especially in the 20th century, but it never amounted to anything. Entire parts of the downtown area have also been remodelled. Denmark does not have a specified flag law, but various regulations and rules spread out over many documents, from King Christian IV's time till today, can be found. Athens is home to a vast number of 5 and 4 star hotels, some of which were refurbished ahead of the 2004 Olympics. The royal seal of King Erik VII from 1398 - the first combined coat of arms found in Denmark - shows the flag twice; the cross that separates the four coats-of-arms is the cross of the Dannebrog and the coat of arms representing Denmark show the three lions holding a Dannebrog banner. Currently, Athens is the 6th most visited capital in Europe. From Queen Margaret I and King Erik VII time we also have a case that undisputedly links Dannebrog to Denmark.

As a result, the numbers of international visitors are only expected to rise even further in the coming years. This image from "Wapenboek Gelre" is near identical found in an old coats of arms book from the 15th century now located in the National Archives of Sweden, ("Riksarkivet"). The Greek state, aided by the E.U., has poured money into infrastructure projects such as the new, state of the art "Eleftherios Venizelos" International Airport, the massive expansion of the Metro system, and the new Attiki Odos ring-road. This image has been used to acknowledge a previously disputed theory that the cross found in Valdemar Atterdag's coats of arms located in his Danælog seal ("Rettertingsseglet") from 1356 is indeed the cross from the Danish flag. Over the past decade, the infrastructure and social amenities of Athens have been radically improved as a result of the city's successful bid to stage the 2004 Olympic Games. This is the earliest known undisputed colour rendering of the Dannebrog. Visitors from all over the globe have always been eager to visit its famous ancient monuments. The text left of the coat of arms says “die coninc van denmarke” (The King of Denmark).

Athens has been a popular tourist destination even since antiquity. On the right horn is a Danish banner. Athens was also the host of the 1896 Summer Olympics and of the 1906 Intercalated Games. On page 55 verso we find the Danish coat-of-arms with a helmet on top with horns. Athens was the host of the 2004 Summer Olympics. It is now located on the Royal Library of Brussels (the "Bibliothèque royale Albert Ier"). This is essentially the core of the city, the place where most of the famous ancient monuments are located, all within a radius of 2 km. The book displays some 1700 coats-of-arms from all over Europe, in colour.

The centre of the city is Syntagma Square (Constitution Square), site of the former Royal Palace, now the Greek Parliament and other 19th century public buildings. Most historians claim that the book was written by Geldre Claes Heinen. In ancient times the port of Piraeus (modern name Pireas) was a separate city, but it has now been absorbed into greater Athens. The earliest source that indisputably links the red flag with a white cross to a Danish King, and to the realm itself, is found in a Dutch register of coats-of-arms “Wapenboek Gelre”, written between 1340 and 1370 (some sources say 1378 or 1386). The ancient site of the city is centered on the rocky hill of the Acropolis. The national Coat of Arms of Estonia, three blue lions on a golden shield, is almost identical to the Coat of Arms of Denmark, and its origin can be traced directly back to King Valdemar II and Danish rule in Estonia 1219-1346. (Los Angeles has similar geomorphology and similar problems). Efforts to trace it from Estonia back to Denmark have, however, been in vain.

The geomorphology of the city frequently causes the so called temperature inversion phenomenon that was partly responsible for the air pollution problems Athens faced in the recent past. The symbol later became the coat-of-arms of the city. Athens has expanded to cover the entire plain making it difficult to significantly grow further in size in the future due to the forementioned existing natural boundaries. In Tallinn, a coat-of-arms resembling the flag is found on several buildings and can be traced back to the middle of the 15th century where it appears in the coat-of-arms of the "Die Grosse Gilde", a sort of merchant consortium which greatly influenced the city's development. Athens sprawls across the central plain of Attica, which is bound by Mount Aegaleo in the west, Mount Parnitha in the north, Mount Penteli in the northeast, Mount Hymettus in the east, and the Saronic Gulf in the southwest. An obvious place to look for documentation is in the Estonian city of Tallinn, the site of the legendary battle. Today Athens is a vibrant, sparkling metropolis with an up to date infrastracture, awe-inspiring ancient monuments and museums that go hand in hand with skyscrapers and futuristic buildings, a legendary nightlife and world class shopping malls. However, if one examines the few existing foreign sources about Denmark from the 13th to 15th centuries, it is apparent that, at least from foreign point of view; the national symbol of Denmark was not a red-and-white banner but the royal coat of arms (three blue lions of a golden shield.) This coat of arms remains in use to this day.

Part of this improvement is attributed to the transformation of the once highly problematic Kiffissos Avenue into a modern, 8 lane Expressway that stretches for more than 11 km along the Kifissos River, linking many of Athens' western suburbs, from Peristeri to the port of Piraeus. In the 19th and early 20th century, these images were used by many Danish historians, with a good flair of nationalism, trying to date the origins of the flag to 1219. As far as the situation with the traffic congestion is concerned, the latter has been considerably improved, even though it is not completely resolved as yet. However, several coins, seals and images exist, both foreign and domestic, from the 13th to 15th centuries and even earlier, showing flags similar to the Dannebrog. Those measures proved to be succesful and nowadays smog or nefos in Greek is no longer an issue for Athens, even when temperatures soar above 40 C. Whether the flag has its origins in a divine sign, a banner of a military order, an ecclesiastical banner, or perhaps something entirely different, Danish literature is no help before the early 15th century. Throughout the 1990s the city's authorities undertook a series of decisive measures in order to combat the smog which used to form over the city, particularly during the hottest days of the year. Danish literature of the 13th and 14th centuries remains suspiciously quiet about the national flag.

Greek entry into the European Union in 1981 brought new, unprecedented investments into the city along with problems of increasingly worsening industrial congestion and air pollution. Since King Valdamar II was married to the Portuguese princess, Berengaria, it is not unthinkable that the origin of the story, if not the flag, was the Spanish tale or a similar tale, which again might have been inspired by an even older legend. 1980 and suffered from overcrowding and traffic congestion. Basically, these are all variations of the same legend. Athens grew rapidly in the years following World War II until ca. In Estonia it is the Danish colours, and in Jerusalem the English colours. Along with its numerous suburbs, Athens has a population of about 3.5 million representing approximately 35% of the total population of Greece. In Spain, the colours of the Pope appears in the sky, in Finland the Swedish colours.

After the war the city started to grow again. The similarities to the legends is obvious. During World War II the city was occupied by Germany and fared badly in the war's later years. The English flag, the Saint George's Cross is also claimed to have appeared in the sky during a critical battle, in this case in Jerusalem during the crusades. In 1896 Athens was the host city of the 1896 Summer Olympics.The next large expansion occurred in the 1920s when suburbs were created to house Greek refugees from Asia Minor. Probably a later invention to counter the legendary origins of the Danish flags, but never the less of the same nature. During the next few decades the city was rebuilt into a modern city adhering mainly to the Neoclassic style. Likewise an almost identical Swedish tale from the 18th century about a yellow cross on blue appearing in 1157 during a Swedish battle in Finland.

The city was inhabited by just 5,000 people at the time it was made the capital of the newly established kingdom of Greece in 1833. Bruhn mentions a battle (also mentioned by Fabricius) taking place on September 10, 1217 between Christian knights and Moor warriors on the Iberian Peninsula near the castle Alcazar, where it is said that a golden cross on white appeared in the sky, to bring victory to the Christians. The Ottoman Empire relinquished control of Athens after the Greek War of Independence. Similar tales of appearances in the sky at critical moments, particularly of crosses, can be found all over Europe. As time went by, the Turks slackened their care for Athens' old buildings; the great Parthenon itself was used as a warehouse for ammunition during the Venetian siege of Athens in 1687, and consequently the temple was severely damaged when a Venetian shell targeted the site and set off several casks of gunpowder stored in the main hall. She claims that it is neither the battle nor the banner that is central to the tale, but rather the cross in the sky. Despite the Sultan's good intentions to preserve Athens as a model Ottoman provincial capital, the city's population went into decline and conditions worsened as the Ottoman Empire declined as well starting in the late 18th Century. A much different theory is briefly discussed by Fabricius and elaborated more by Helga Bruhn in a book from 1949.

The Parthenon was in fact converted into a splendid mosque. All these theories centre on two battles in Estonia, whether it is in Fellin (1208) or Lyndanisse (1219), and thus try to explain the origin in relation to the tale brought forth over 300 years after the event. As the Emperor entered the city, he was greatly struck by the beauty of its ancient monuments and issued a firman (imperial decree) that Athens' ruins not be disturbed, on pain of death. He repeats the story about the flag being planted in front of Bishop Theodorik's tent which the enemy mistakenly attacks believing it to be the tent of the King. In 1458 the city fell to the Ottoman Empire under Sultan Mehmet II the Conqueror. The banner would then already be known in Estonia. It faced a crushing blow between the 13th and 15th centuries, when the city was fought over by the Greek Byzantines and the French and Italian Crusaders. That is based on his tireless efforts to expand Christianity to the Baltic countries and that under his initiative and supervision several smaller crusades had already been conducted in Estonia.

During the "Golden Age" of Greece (roughly 500 BC to 300 BC) it was the Western world's leading cultural, commercial and intellectual center, and indeed it is in the ideas and practices of ancient Athens that what we now call "Western civilization" has its origins. P. Athens was the leading city in Greece during the greatest period of Greek civilization during the 1st millennium BC. The Danish church-historian L. Main article: History of Athens. The white on red warrior-cloak cannot be traced until later. See also a list of alternative names for Athens. The Knights Hospitaller is a monk-order and used black dresses.

Since the official abandonment of Katharevousa Greek in the 1970s, however, the popular form Athínai has become the city's official name. Adolf Ditlev Jørgensen does not give an explanation how the white Maltese cross on red of the Knights Hospitaller, found its way to the Danish flag of 1219, given the fact that in that time it was a white cross on black. In the 19th century, this name was formally re-adopted as the city's name. He claims that the origin of the legend of the falling flag comes from this confusion in the battle. The city's name was used in the plural like those of Tῆßa?-Thebai (Thebes) and ???ῆ?a?-Mykenai (Mycenae) because it consisted of several parts. Adolf Ditlev Jørgensen explains that it was Bishop Theodorik who carried the flag, well planted outside his tent, thus as an already well-known Knights Hospitaller symbol in Livonia, the enemy thought this was the King's symbol and mistakenly stormed Bishop Theodorik tent. In ancient Greek, the name of Athens was Ἀ?ῆ?a?-Athenai, plural of Ἀ????-Athene, the Greek name of the Goddess Athena. In the contemporary writing of the priest Henry of Livonia from Riga it is said that Bishop Theodorik was killed during the 1219 battle, as the enemy stormed his tent, thinking it was the King's tent.

. Furthermore he claims that Bishop Theodorik, already a part initiator of the order in Livonia, the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, had the idea of starting a similar order in Estonia and that he was the original instigator of Bishop Albert of Buxhoeveden inquiry to King Valdemar II in 1218, that set the whole Danish participation in the Baltic crusades in motion. Many of these cultural attractions were renovated for the 2004 Olympic Games. He supports his theory with that the order came to Denmark in the latter half of the 12th century and during the next centuries spread to major cities, like Odense, Viborg, Horsens, Ribe and their headquarters in Slagelse, so by the time of the Baltic crusade, the symbol was already a known symbol in Denmark. Athens has often been called the cradle of Western civilization due to its cultural achievements during the 4th and 5th centuries BC, which has left it with many ancient buildings, monuments and artworks, the most famous being the Acropolis, which is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of Classical Greek art and architecture. A theory brought forth by the Danish historian Adolf Ditlev Jørgensen in 1875 in his book Danebroges Oprindelse, is that the Danish flag is the banner of the Knights Hospitaller. Athens is the centre of economic, cultural, and political life in Greece today. Moreover, it is unlikely that the pope would send such a banner, given the fact that they already had one, namely the banner of the Knights Hospitaller (Danish: "Johanitterne").

Currently the city (metropolitan area) is growing eastwards across Attica (Greater Athens). It is unlikely that the very fair and loyal archbishop would do such a thing behind the king's back. The metropolitan area of Athens is home to some 3.5 million people. He suggested that it was not a pope banner to the King but a pope banner to the Churchly legate in the North, more specifically to archbishop Andreas Sunesøn, which he - without the knowledge of the King – brought with him on the King's crusade in the Baltic countries, in an effort to make the army take on a Christian symbol (over the king's symbol) and thereby strengthen the power of the church. Athens is located at 38°00′N 23°43′E (38.00°, 23.72°). A similar theory was suggested by Danish explorer, adventurer and Captain Johan Støckel in the early 20th century. It was named after its goddess from ancient Greek mythology, Athena. On the other hand, the letter in question might simply have been lost.

Modern Athens is a large and cosmopolitan city; Ancient Athens was a powerful city-state and renowned center of learning. Being granted a banner by the Pope would have been a great honour, but despite the many letters of the popes relating to the crusades, none of them mentions granting a banner to a King of Denmark. Athens (Greek: Αθήνα Athína IPA /a'θina/) is the capital of Greece and one of the most famous cities in the world. One would though imagine that if this story was true, some kind of record ought to exist of the event and presumably Danish historians would not have failed to mention it in some way. Bridge at Metro-station Katehaki by Santiago Calatrava. Other kings and lords certainly received such banners. Athens Olympic Sports Complex, by Santiago Calatrava (1998-2004) (sketches and models). The Danish historian Caspar Paludan-Müller in 1873 in his book "Sagnet om den himmelfaldne Danebrogsfane" put forth the theory that it is a banner sent by the Pope to the Danish King to use in his crusades in the Baltic countries.

American embassy by Walter Gropius, at Vassilis Sophias Avenue, 1961. Other origin theories have been put forth in the late 19th and early 20th century. East terminal by Eero Saarinen, at former Hellenikon airport, 1960-63. Many of these legends are apparently built on earlier ones. If the flag of 1208 or 1219 ever existed. Historically, it is of course impossible to prove or disprove that these records speak of the same flag.

A historian from Slesvig, Ulrik Petersen (1656-1735), wrote in the late 17th century that the flag hung in Slesvig cathedral till about 1660 until it simply crumbled away, thus ending its more than 400-year-old story. Henrik Rantzau states in his writing of 1576 that the flag was brought to Slesvig city and placed in the cathedral, following its return. A priest and historian from Dithmarschen, Johan Neocorus, wrote in 1598 that the banner captured in 1500, was brought to the church in Wohrden and hung there for the next 59 years, until it was returned to the Danes as part of the peace settlement in 1559. This is however not the end of the story.

This "Danmarckis Hoffuitbanner" was probably nothing short of the "Banner of the Realm'" (Rigsbanner), the Dannebrog.. This young man was Peder Skram. It was saved only by the combined efforts of the banner-carrier Mogens Gyldenstierne, taking multiple wounds, and a young man coming to his rescue. He writes that the "Danish head banner" ("Danmarckis Hoffuitbanner") was nearly captured by the Swedes.

An indication that we are dealing with multiple flags, are the 1570 writings of Niels Hemmingsøn regarding a bloody battle between Danes and Swedes near the Swedish town of Uppsala in 1520. In fact, the entire letter gives the impression that the lost battle was noting more than an "unfortunate affair". In a letter dated 22 February 1500 to Oluf Stigsøn, King John describes the battle, but does not mention the loss of an important flag. However, it is more questionable if he indeed was carrying the "original" flag.

It is quite plausible that the king’s personal banner as well as the leading banner of the army were both lost, as the battle was led by the King himself. Sources from Dithmarschen, written shortly after the battle of 1500, do mention banners, including the Royal banner, being captured from the Danes, but there is no mention of Dannebrog or the "original" flag. He notes that the flag was in a poor condition when returned. In 1576, the son of Johan Rantzau, Henrik Rantzau, also writes about the war and the fate of the flag.

Both claims that this was the original flag, and consequently both writers knew the legend of the falling flag. This legend is found in two sources, Hans Svanning's History of King John from 1558-1559 and Johan Rantzau's History about the Last Dithmarschen War, from 1569. In the capitulation terms it is stated that all Danish banners lost in 1500 were to be returned. In 1559, King Frederik II recaptured it during his own Dithmarschen campaign.

The flag was lost in a devastating defeat on 17 February 1500. According to tradition, the original flag from the Battle of Lyndanisse was used in the small campaign of 1500 when King Hans tried to conquer Dithmarschen (in western Holstein in north Germany). The story of the original flag has a continuation that many Danes are not aware of. Some historians believe that the story by Petrus Olai refers to a source from the first half of the 15th century, making this the oldest reference to the falling flag.

Whether or not these records describe a truly old oral story in existents at that time, or a 16th century invented story, is not currently determined. In another record by Petrus Olai called "Danmarks Tolv Herligheder" (Twelve Splendours of Denmark), in splendour number nine, the same story is re-told almost to the word, however a paragraph has been inserted correcting the year to 1219. The Danes were all but defeated when a lamb-skin banner depicting a white cross falls from the sky and miraculously leads to a Danish victory. This record describes a battle in 1208 near a place called "Felin" during the Estonia campaign of King Valdemar II.

The second source is the writing of the Franciscan monk Petrus Olai (Peder Olsen) of Roskilde, from 1527. He also mentions that this flag, falling from the sky during the Russian campaign of King Valdemar II, is the very same flag that King Eric of Pomerania took with him when he left the country in 1440 after being deposed as King. It is not mentioned in connection to the campaign of King Valdemar II in Estonia, but in connection with a campaign in Russia. The first is found in Christiern Pedersen's "Danske Krønike", which is a sequel to Saxo’s Gesta Danorum, written 1520-1523.

This story originates from two written sources from the early 16th century. Though no historical support exists for the flag story in the Fellin battle either, it is not difficult to understand how a small and unknown place is replaced with the much grander battle of Reval from the Estonia campaign of King Valdemar II. The first record of the legend dates from more than 300 years after the campaign, and the first record connects the legend to a much smaller battle, though still in Estonia; the battle of Fellin (Viljandi) in 1208. No historical record supports this legend.

The legend says that during the Battle of Lyndanisse, also known as the Battle of Valdemar (Danish: "Volmerslaget"), near Reval (Tallinn) in Estonia, on 15 June 1219, the flag fell from the sky during a critical stage, resulting in Danish victory. The legend of the flag is very popular among Danes, but most consider it to be a legend though a beautiful one. . The royal Danish yacht is named after the flag.

During the Danish-Norwegian personal union, the Dannebrog was also the flag of Norway and continued to be, with slight modifications, until Norway adopted its current flag in 1821. The cross design of the Danish flag was subsequently adopted by the other Nordic countries: Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland. The national flag of Denmark, the Dannebrog, is red with a white Scandinavian cross that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side. DS 359:2005 ’Flagdug’, Dansk Standard, 2005.

Hagerups, Copenhagen 1919. Lund, Forlaget H. D. Danebrog - Danmarks Palladium, E.

Dannebrog, Helga Bruhn, Forlaget Jespersen og Pios, Copenhagen 1949. Dannebrog - Vort Flag, Lieutenant Colonel Thaulow, Forlaget Codan, Copenhagen 1943.