What is the oldest national flag in Europe / the world?

The Red Dragon flag of Wales is the oldest flag in the world (the second oldest is Denmark's). Some say the Romans brought the Red Dragon there, some say that it grew out of the Druids' veneration of the serpent or dragon (Wales was a Druid stronghold) and some say that it is an echo of the dragon legends to be found in the mythology of many lands across the world, surviving in just two of them - Wales and China.
http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofWales/The-Red-Dragon-of-Wales/

Just to confuse the issue: www.heraldica.org/topics/national/denmark.htm

According to a 17th c. myth, Dannebrog fell from the sky among the Danish forces during the battle of Lyndanisse in Estonia on June 15, 1219. According to some, the Danish levy navy immediately adopted it as its symbol, making Dannebrog the oldest national flag in continued use. However, real proof of use dates back at best to Valdemar IV (king 1340-75). This way Denmark and Austria can both claim the oldest flag, that of Austria being known on seals from 1230.

And another one to add to the argument: www.biblebelievers.org.au/nl075.htm

Brother Branham said, 'the oldest flag in the world, the six-point star of David, which has been down for over two thousand years, flies again over Jerusalem. We're at the end time.'

Denmark

The Dannebrog is the oldest continuously used national flag in the world. Regions, counts, kings and the like have had flags or banners older than Dannebrog, but no sovereign nation has used the same flag as long as Denmark.

Legend relates that the 'Dannebrog' fell from the skies on 15 June 1219, the day in which King Waldemar II defeated the Estonians in battle.
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/dk.html

Denmark
http://www.navalhistory.dk/English/TheFlag/Colors_of_the_danes.htm


The people of Denmark, the Dane's, proudly claim, not only that Denmark is the oldest Kingdom of the World, but also that they fly the oldest flag of the World.

The Danish national symbol, the flag, is red with a white cross. Officially, it is named the Dannebrog.

The Dannebrog is most likely one of the oldest flags in the world.

According to legend, the Dannebrog descended from the skies during a battle in Estonia on June 15, 1219.

I semi agree mochyn. I found that answer, but also found another site that says Scotland's flag has its orgins back to 832 AD. Denmark's flag is from 1219 AD. Also, they mentioned it was Europe's oldest national flag. So still don't know if there is an older flag from Asia.
https://www.patriotwood.com/blogs/news/17943449-the-5-oldest-country-flags-in-the-world


Everything you wanted to know about vexillology - that's the scientific name for flag history and symbolism - can be found at:
http://www.flags.net/
http://www.flaginstitute.org

Denmark's. Dates from second half of 14th Century.

(World Atlas of Flags, B.J.Barker.)

"The World Encyclopedia of Flags" Alfred Znamierowski agrees with Shady (Denmark's flag was officially confirmed in 1625).

This site claims Latvia's
http://flagspot.net/flags/lv.html

It was the banner of the home guard of Cesis in 1279. It was approved as a national flag in 1921, and re-adopted in 1990.

This site claims Scotland Cross of St. Andrew, but provides no documentation.

[link no longer works] geo.ed.ac.uk/home/scotland/saltire.html

And this site gives the title to the flag of Wales, (the red dragon [Y Ddraig Goch] dates from the 4th century and adopted to the battle standard of Cadwaladr, Prince of Gwynedd in the 7th) and a dragon is recorded as being the symbol of Wales in c.820 c.e.

These last two beg the question if they are national flags. The above mentioned Encyclopedia lists them as United Kingdom Territories.

The first "national flag" in the modern sense is the Dutch Prinsenvlag, (adopted 1574, but was replaced by the current flag in 1796) followed by the flags of the U.S. and France (adopted 1794, uninterrupted use since 1848).

Several sites that I have found support my answer. Webster's Dictionary states that the Danish flag is the oldest national flag continually in use.
http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/flag


Perhaps McG could clear this up for us. After all, he HAS been around forever!

I can clear this up for you very fast. I am danish I live in Denmark and I study history. The flag fell on to the the battlefield the 15 of June 1219. After King Valdemar of Denmark won against the Estonian's in Estonia near Lyndanisse.

You can go on google and serch on ( Lyndanisse 1219 ) and read the hole story about it. Or do like I did go to the Royal Library and ask for a book named - Flagets Historie - in English the flags history.

Danish history - we invented a LOT of stuff. Like the Speakers, the Dry Cell Battery (Wilhelm Hellesen in 1887), the Atom structure (Niels Bohr in 1913), the Tape Recorder (Valdemar Poulsen in 1898), Electromagnetism (H.C.Ørsted in 1820) and Antabuse (Erik Jacobsen in 1974) and lots of other stuff. have funn ^^

Guinness World Records says that Denmark has the oldest continuously used national flag.

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/oldest-continuously-used-national-flag/

Denmark is the consensus from multiple sources.

Here's where Wales fits in: "It is often said that it is one of the oldest national flags in Europe although this is almost impossible to verify. Certainly, the association of the Red Dragon with the people of Wales has existed far longer than that of the English with the Cross of St George. However, it was not made the official flag of Wales until 1959 and before then many alternatives had been in use." from welshflag.org [no longer exists]

Also known as the Dannebrog, the national flag of Denmark is the oldest state flag. The flag was officially adopted on June 15, 1219.

http://www.mapsofworld.com/flags/denmark-flag.html