Battle of Lyndanisse
Battle of Lindanise | |||||||
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Part of the Northern Crusades | |||||||
Dannebrog falling from the sky during the Battle of Lindanise. Painting by C.A. Lorentzen, 1809. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Revala Harjumaa | |||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
unknown | |||||||
Strength | |||||||
1,000–2,000 | unknown | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
several thousand | unknown but heavy |
The Battle of Lyndanisse or Lindanise
The 1219 Battle of Lyndanisse is still well known to this day, especially amongst Danes and Estonians, because of a popular legend about the first ever Danish flag, the Dannebrog, which allegedly fell from the sky, as an apparently helpful divine intervention, just when the Danish Crusaders were about to lose the battle to the local pagans.
Battle
Valdemar II, along with Archbishop
On 15 June 1219, the Estonians attacked the Danes near the castle, right after supper time. They advanced from five different directions and completely surprised the crusaders, who fled in all directions. Bishop Theoderich von Treyden was killed by the Estonians, who thought he was the king. The Danes were saved by their Wendish vassals, as Witslaw led a quick counterattack which stopped the Estonian advance. This gave the crusaders time to regroup, and the Estonians were routed.
Association with the Dannebrog
Tradition has maintained that the
This account builds on two different versions from the early 16th century, both based on an even older source. According to legend, Denmark received its national flag, the Dannebrog, during the battle. This legend is mentioned in the last three books (14-16) of the Gesta Danorum, which describe Danish conquests on the south shore of the Baltic Sea and the Northern Crusades. An edition of the Gesta Danorum was edited by Danish priest Christiern Pedersen, and published by Jodocus Badius on 15 March 1514.
This older source set the emergence of Dannebrog as a battle in Livonia in 1208. But the Franciscan friar Peder Olsen (c. 1527) rectified the year as 1219. The legend became affixed to the Battle of Lindanise. The legend of Dannebrog as originating in the Northern Crusades holds true, as the red flag with a white cross originated as a crusader symbol.[4]
See also
- Castrum Danorum
- Danish Estonia
- Flag of Denmark
- History of Estonia
- Livonian Crusade
- Northern Crusades
Notes
References
- ^ "Danish Flag (FYI Denmark)". Archived from the original on 2012-03-13. Retrieved 2010-10-01.
- ^ "The Danish flag, the Dannebrog (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark)". Archived from the original on 2011-12-21. Retrieved 2010-10-01.
- Amalekites, given in the Book of Exodus, Ch. 17. There, too, the outcome of the battle depended on whether Mosescould keep his hands raised, with the Amalkites on the verge of winning whenever Moses grew tired and had to lower his hands.
- ^ a b "Dannebrog (Danmarks historie. Aarhus University)". Archived from the original on 2012-03-04. Retrieved 2010-03-25.
Bibliography
- Urban William L. The Baltic Crusade (Northern Illinois University Press. 1994) ISBN 0-87580-052-1
- Lindholm, David; Nicolle, David The Scandinavian Baltic Crusades 1100–1500 (Osprey Publishing; 2007) ISBN 978-1-84176-988-2
- Christiansen, Eric Northern Crusades: The Baltic and the Catholic Frontier (University of Minnesota Press, 1981) ISBN 978-0-14-026653-5