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Denmark in the "Book of All Kingdoms"

Last modified: 2010-01-22 by rob raeside
Keywords: denmark | book of all kingdoms | dacia | salanda | zealand |
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Dacia de Danes

[Flag of Dania] image by Eugene Ipavec, 20 December 2009

An anonymous 1350 Castillian friar reported a 10th flag from his voyage "Dacia de Danes", he calls it: Denmark, it would seem.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 5 November 2007

The quote of the original book as transcribed in the 2005 version is: "el rey esta Dacia á por seńales un pendón de oro con tres leones prietos atales", meaning "the king of this Dacia has for device a golden pendon with three black lions like this". (The name "Dacia", identical to the unrelated Roman province in nowadays Romania, is quite misleading and wouldn't surprise me to see these lions attributed to it.) This flag design is identical to the 9th flag of the same source, Frisia, but the author doesn't mention this, although both flag accounts follow immediately each other. It is unexpected not to find the dannebrog in this source, it being reportedly in use on the date rage of this source. No mention of this flag in or under, though it seems a crude or previous banner of arms of the Danish arms.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 29 November 2007

Salanda (Zealand)

[Flag of Dania] image by Eugene Ipavec, 20 December 2009

The 19th flag mentioned and illustrated in the Book of All Kingdoms is attributed to "Salanda" (Zealand). As depicted in the Spanish illustrated transcription (2005 version), a yellow flag with a black lion passant (facing the hoist) with both forepaws raised (though definitely on his fours…), in the ogival default shape. This image in is identical to the Norwegian flag (18th), and different from the Flemish flag of the same source (the 7th flag), which shows, in the same colors, a lion rampant.

The anonymous author of Book of All Kingdoms describes the flag thus: "E el rey d’esta isla á por seńales un pendón de oro con un león prieto, como el de Noruega.": And the King of this island has for sign a golden pendon with a black lion, as that of Norway.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 11 November 2007