Portal:Denmark/Selected article/Week 45, 2006

The National Coat of Arms of Denmark consists of three crowned blue lions surrounded by nine red hearts, all in a golden shield. The oldest known depiction of the insignia dates from a seal used by King Canute VI c. 1194. The oldest documentation for the colours dates from c. 1270.

Historically, the lions faced the viewer and the number of hearts was not regulated and could be much higher. Historians believe that the hearts originally were søblade (literally: sea-leaves) but that this meaning was lost early due to worn and crudely made signets used during the Middle Ages.

The current version was adopted in 1819 during the reign of King Frederick VI. A rare version exists from the reign of king Eric of Pomerania in which the three lions jointly hold the Danish banner, in a similar fashion as in the coat of arms of South Jutland County.

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