Gelre Armorial

Page 55 verso in the Gelre Armorial, displaying the Danish coat-of-arms surmounted by a helmet with horns. Behind the sinister horn is a lance tip with a banner, displaying a white cross on red. The text left of the coat of arms says die coninc van denmarke ("the king of Denmark"). This is the earliest known coloured image of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

The Gelre Armorial (Dutch: Wapenboek Gelre) is an armorial composed between 1370 and 1414 in the Duchy of Guelders. The book displays some 1,700 coats-of-arms from all over Europe, in colour. Most historians claim that the book was written by the herald Claes Heinenszoon. It is now located at the Royal Library of Belgium. The book is especially important as a historical source. For instance, it gives the first known colour rendering of the Dannebrog, the flag of Denmark, whose precise origin is shrouded in myth.

External links

• Gelre Armorial in Gallica