Page:The Book of Orders of Knighthood and Decorations of Honour of All Nations.djvu/190

84 dispersed. They had already lost their ensign, and were about to flee, when suddenly a red flag bearing a white cross appeared from the Heavens, the sight of which inspired the Danes with renewed courage. They rallied their ranks, and gallantly vanquished the enemy. The heavenly flag became, to Denmark, what to France was the Oriflamme, whose origin tradition assigns to a similar miracle wrought for Chlodwig. Waldemar II., in commemoration of the event, and at the same time as a reward for his brave warriors, founded the Order of the Danneborg. Thus far tradition. History, however, knows nothing certain about the origin or date of the foundation. The year, 1671, is certainly mentioned as the epoch, but it remains doubtful whether the Order was not renewed rather than founded then, as it may have been lost, or have fallen into decay in consequence of the events of the Reformation. It was Christian V. who most probably revived the Order on the 12th October, 1671, by the advice of his favourite, Count Griffenfeld, who, no doubt, hoped, by this political toy, to indemnify the Danish nobility for their loss of the right to elect a King, the result of the preceding revolution. The statutes of the Order—then reduced to a mere court honour—were published on the 1st October, 1693, and remained in force until 1808. In that last year, King Frederick VI. raised it to an Order of Merit, by a patent of the 28th June, and gave it its present organization.

All native Danes of merit, whether civil or military, are admissible to the Order, without regard to birth or age, nor is the number of the Knights limited. They are divided into four classes, so that no one can enter the higher without having first belonged to the class immediately below it, though the King has the power of making exceptions to the rule. The Knights of the first class go by the name of Grand Commanders; they are members of the Chapter, bear the