Last modified: 2021-08-25 by christopher oehler
Keywords: denmark | kalmar union |
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The Kalmar Union existed for 25 years (1397-1521), starting under Margareta Valdemarsdotters' leadership in 1397. At a conference held at Dalaborg Castle, in March 1388, the Swedes were compelled to accept all Margaret's conditions, elected her "Sovereign Lady and Ruler", and engaged to accept from her any king she chose to appoint. On February 24, 1389, Albert, who had returned from Mecklenburg with an army of mercenaries, was routed and taken prisoner at Aasle near Falköping, and Margaret was now the omnipotent mistress of three kingdoms. The monarchs of the Union were:
1375-1387 Oluf III
1387-1412 Margrethe
1396-1439 Erik of Pomerania
1440-1448 Christoffer of Bavaria
Sources are scant about the Union of Kalmar flag. These are a couple of brief
passages of text. There is no pictorial evidence attesting to the Union flag
from the time of the Union of Kalmar (though some authors point to heraldic
evidence for a red union cross) and definitely no surviving flag. A flag seen by
Hugh Watkins in a museum showing a red Scandinavian cross on a yellow field is a
recreation of what is thought to have been the union flag.
Jan Oskar Engene, 11 February 2004
On a web page, Alex Heick claims the flag is well documented in contemporary
sources (http://www.alexheick.dk/historisk/rigens_banner/s.htm).
Hugh Watkins, 7 February 2004
Heick seems to presume, for instance, that all references to "banner of the
realm" in sources refer to the Union of Kalmar banner, ignoring the discussion
in serious historical scholarship which is careful to distinguish between
passages referring to the "banner of the realm", singular and referring to the
Dannebrog (or the flag of another realm) and "banner of the realms", plural and
referring to the Union banner. Some of the sources he quotes are thus actually
on the Dannebrog. Heick, and all vexillologists who can read Danish, would
benefit from consulting serious scholarship, for instance
Bartholdy (1996) and
Bartholdy (1997).
What remains of evidence is two letters from 1430 in which King Erik orders the
priests of Vadstena and Kalmar to wear the "banner of the realms" on their
robes. The banner is described as "a red cross on top of a yellow field."
Jan Oskar Engene, 16 February 2004