A medieval
ship flag captured by forces from
Lübeck in the 1420s showed the
arms of
Denmark,
Sweden,
Norway and
Pomerania. At the time, Denmark, Norway and Sweden were united in the
Kalmar Union. The flag is believed to originate from the reign of king
Eric of Pomerania due to its inclusion of Pomerania's
griffin symbol. For the following five hundred years, the flag was displayed as a
war trophy in a
Lübeck church until destroyed during a World War II air raid on the city. An 1880s copy of the flag is preserved in the museum at
Frederiksborg Palace, Denmark. The saint accompanying the Virgin Mary and infant Christ is Saint
James the Greater, identified by his
scallop shell emblem. The flag was made of coarse linen. All figures and heraldic insignia were created using oil-based paint.
Image credit: Julius Magnus Petersen