Queen Dagmar
The first Dagmar Cross was found in 1683 at Queen Dagmar's grave in St. Bendt's Church in Ringsted. Whether this cross truly belonged to Queen Dagmar cannot be said with certainty, but it became known by her name in popular tradition, as it was believed that she had worn it.
It was a relatively large cross adorned with the most beautiful and colorful enamel work made with genuine enamel, as was done back then. After that, it took its own place in the royal chambers.
Queen Dagmar was a princess of Bohemia in Germany and married the Danish King Valdemar II in 1205.
Her real name was Margreta, but she was also given the nickname Dragimir, from which the name Dagmar arose, and this also became her Danish name.
Dagmar actually means "day maiden," which stands for a bright and friendly woman.
She was very well-liked by the Danish people and was also referred to as the people's queen, as she was both beautiful, kind, and gentle, making her one of Denmark's most famous queens.
So, never mind that the cross may not have belonged to her; it's still a good story.
Queen Dagmar was born around the year 1186 and died on May 24, 1213, and she was the Queen of Denmark for 7 years alongside Valdemar II.
Queen Dagmar was only 26/27 years old when she died in childbirth.
In fact, her original name is not Dagmar but Margrete, and she came from Bohemia, which is today the Czech Republic. She had 2 children with the Danish king.
Interestingly, it was actually difficult to find a picture of the Danish queen... But here I have found a small drawing of what she might have looked like. At the very least, we now know that she was both young, beautiful, and a remarkable woman.
The Meaning of the Dagmar Cross
The cross is part of Danish history, but you might be wondering why it's called the Dagmar Cross and why it has that name?
The Dagmar Cross is also known as the Dagmar Cross.
This cross is named after Queen Dagmar of Denmark and has a deep symbolic meaning that is often associated with religious ceremonies and traditions.
In Danish culture, the Dagmar Cross symbolizes love, faith, and protection.
It is often given as a gift to celebrate special occasions such as baptisms, confirmations, and weddings. As a symbol of hope and blessings, the Dagmar Cross holds a special place in the hearts of many Danes.
Could it not just as easily have been called something entirely different, like Ane, Marie, or Gitte?
It could have, but her name was Margreta, which became Dragimir and then Dagmar, which is also a lovely story. And if it were today, we might have laughed a bit about it and thought that she had been to a numerologist and had her name changed to something else, perhaps better.
Billedet er lånt af fotografen Bo Gabrielsen
Original Dagmar Crosses
The original Dagmar Cross features an image of Christ on the cross, with “Jesus Christ” written in Greek letters at the top, which we today refer to as the Dagmar Cross Our Father.
On the back, we see the Virgin Mary on the right side of Christ and John the Baptist on the left side. Above and below Christ, there are two saints, with Basilios at the top and John, nicknamed Goldenmouth, at the bottom due to his eloquence.
And now that we are on the subject of the pious Queen Dagmar, the young bride who married Valdemar II in Lübeck and died quite young.
The Dagmar Cross was found in the beautiful church of St. Bendt's Church in Ringsted in 1683 in one of the royal graves, where today you can also see the first copy of the cross made by Frederick VII in 1863 from the original cross, which Princess Alexandra wore during her wedding on March 10 of the same year when she married Edward, the Prince of Wales.
Would you like to follow the journey of the Dagmar Cross?
Then it’s a great idea to visit Ribe one day to see her statue at Riberhus Slotsbanke. Or take a trip to Copenhagen, where you can see a display case with the Dagmar Cross at the National Museum.
Where can I buy a Dagmar Cross?
If you have become so fascinated by these amazing Dagmar Crosses that you must own one, then visit the page right here
