lokariototal

why did Scandinavian countries adopted the cross from the Danish flag (the "Dannebrog")???

Qymaen

The Kalmar Union probably was a deciding factor. Also the cross is a Christian nation and the Denmark, Sweden, and Norway are predominately Christian. I'll be back with more info.

Qymaen

Look at these:

Danish Flag
Swedish Flag
Norwegian Flag

Shasta

It may also have to do with their centuries-long battle with paganism. They never quite extinguished it, as there are still annual celebrations that are pagan tradition.

jeroenrottgering

Denmark possesed Norway for a while. Also all the Scandinavian countries were united in the Union of Kalmar for a while under one King maybe in that time the flags developed.

Zeno

The Danish Dannebrog is considered the oldest flag in the world. Alledgedly it originates from the crusades in the Baltics. King Waldemar II would have used it during a battle in 1219. It only became Denmark's official flag in the first half of the 17th century 'though.

Zeno

My best guess is that they did that because they fought mostly the same enemies. Mediaval heraldry is aside from a battlefield tool also an emblem of unity. The Danish flag, the Dannebrog was a battle-flag during the Baltic crusades of the 13th century.

Sweden and Norway were dominated by Denmark from the late 14th century to the early 16th. It is logical that they adopted a similar flag, like today stars on a flag are in vogue, back then, in Europe, it were crosses.

Mr. Rhombus

I remember hearing somewhere that the Danes copied the Flag of the Teutonic Order's State in the medieval period, which makes some sense as the Teutonic Order had quite a bit of influence in the Baltic at the time.

here is a link: