Danish Sisterhood News February 2020

News

Danish Sisterhood In this Issue: Latest Lodge Updates Danish Coat of Arms Member Story

Serving the Danish Sisterhood of America since 1947

February 2020

President’s Corner

News

Danish Sisterhood

www.danishsisterhood.com

Honorary Member Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark

Volume 73, Number 2

Published by the Supreme Lodge of the Danish Sisterhood of America, (Dansk Søster Samfund) as its Official Publication.

DANISH SISTERHOOD NEWS (USPS 148-200) is published monthly by the Supreme Lodge of the Danish Sisterhood of America. Office of publication at 1557 Oak St. Solvang, CA 93463. Periodicals Postage Paid at Rochester, MN.

Christina Sallee, National President While February may be the coldest month of the year, it is also the month where we celebrate Fastelavn.

Fastelavn was originally an adult religious holiday where people would indulge in all the foods that soon would be absent during the next 40 days of fasting. As times changed the fasting was replaced with pounding a barrel containing a black cat and nowadays we celebrate Fastelavn with dress up, fastelavns rolls, and pounding a barrel full of candy and other goodies.

It will come as no surprise to anyone that Danes like to party! This year we have a major celebration on our hands, as Queen Margrethe of Denmark is turning 80 years old. I would like to feature her, and some of you, in our April newsletter, so I ask you to send any personal stories or pictures about Queen Margrethe to the editor (editor@DanishSisterhood. com) before March 27th. I am sure you have a lot of stories to tell, and we would like to hear them all.

In the end of February, we will have our very first face to face Board meeting which is taking place in Solvang California. We are all very excited and have a lot of ideas and changes we think would be great for the Sisterhood.

The Board strives to make the Sisterhood what you want and need it to be but need your input. It is easy to see things from your own perspective and the Board wants to know: what do you want out of the Danish Sisterhood? We would like to hear your positive and negative feedback as well as your hopes and aspirations for what your view of the Sisterhood should be. Without this feedback we cannot help shape the Sisterhood in our collective mold and set our Sisterhood up for continued success.

Mange tak to all of you who have pointed things out to us. We are working on it.

As with all things, the Board alone cannot solve problems! We all need to roll up our sleeves and work together to achieve our goals. As we all know change is hard, but sometimes it just needs to be done.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DANISH SISTERHOOD NEWS, 1555 Oak St. Solvang, CA 93463 Editor: Lauren C. Nielsen (507) 206-9099

Articles for publication in the Danish Sisterhood News must arrive to the Editor no later than the 1st day of each month previous to publication.

Subscription: Members $12 (US) Non-Members $20 (US) Officers of the Supreme Lodge National President: Christina Sallee, Lodge #81 16116 SW Deline Ct, Beaverton, OR 97007-3425 (503) 848-0837 president@danishsisterhood.com National Vice President & Website: Karin S. Wasler, Lodge #68 814 S Sherbourne Dr #7, Los Angeles, CA 90035 (310) 903-8837 vicepresident@danishsisterhood.com National Secretary: Glenda Madrid, Lodge #177 1557 Oak St. Solvang, CA 93463 (805) 448-7631 secretary@danishsisterhood.com • glenda_madrid@hotmail.com National Treasurer: Linda Brooks, Lodge #21 8402 Winter Berry Dr., Castle Rock, CO 80108 303-905-9934 treasurer@danishsisterhood.com National Trustee & Butikken Chairman: Linda Holz #102 4400 EP True Pkwy Unit 47, West Des Moines, IA 50265-5615 (515) 225-0951 trustee1@danishsisterhood.com National Trustee & Scholarship Chairman: Nealna Gylling, Lodge #186 1474 Floan Point Rd, Brainerd, MN 56401 612-390-1374 trustee2@danishsisterhood.com National Trustee, Membership Chairman: Karen Vig-Keathly, Lodge #4 109 South First Street, Itasca, IL 60143 708-715-0071 trustee3@danishsisterhood.com National Past President: Sindy Mikkelsen, Lodge #126 2938 Sweet Grass Lane, Santa Rosa, CA 95407 (707) 755-0260 National Historian: Donna Christensen Thomas, historian@danishsisterhood.com Copyright 1946-2020 by the Supreme Lodge of the Danish Sisterhood of America,

Christina Sallee, National President Danish Sisterhood News, February 2020

Email: editor@danishsisterhood.com

All Rights Reserved.

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Velkommen

Lauren C. Nielsen, Editor

In this Issue President’s Corner.............................................p 2 Editor’s Welcome..............................................p 3 Lodge Updates...............................................p 4-7 Danish Coat of Arms...................................p 8-11 Member Story.................................................p 12 Butikken.....................................................p 13-14

Dear Sisters, I am looking towards the next year with hope. In October, we welcomed a new National Board, which is about to hold their first big meeting together of 2020. With each new board, we see new changes that come up to help us better our organization.

I, too, am looking to the future and working to make sure that our Danish Sisterhood News is the best it can be and is functioning in a way that serves our members and our organization as a whole.

I am always eager to listen to ideas, but I also can’t always implement all of those ideas on my own. That means, I need your help! The newsletter is what we all make it.

So, if you have the time to write something, if you have photos to share, if you have a presentation or recipe or activity you’ve shared with your lodge—send it my way! If you’re unsure, send me an email—I’m always available at editor@danishsisterhood.com.

So, Sisters, what do YOU want your DSN to be? How would you like to better connect with other members and lodges? Let’s all work together to answer these questions!

Until next time...

Lauren C. Nielsen, Editor

Youth Birthdays Happy February Birthday to: Names Liliana Galarza Freya Hansen David Keough Paige Proper

Lodge 4 68 21 181

Age 14 11 10 18

On the Cover Title: Mads Tolling Performs at Convention Location: Omaha, NE Photo by: Anna Nielsen Mads Tolling performed as the entertainment for one night of the Danish Sisterhood National Convention in October 2019. He is an internationally renowned violinist and composer and has won two Grammy Awards.

He is currently touring around the world­—check to see if he is coming to a town near you!

Submit Your Cover Photo!

Do you have a photo that you’d like to see on the cover of the Danish Sisterhood News? Send in your submissions and yours could be featured next!

Photographs must be high resolution and should be accompanied by a short description of the photo’s content.

Photos from Danish events, Sisterhood meetings, travels around Denmark, Danish culture and more are all great topics. Send photos to: editor@danishsisterhood.com 3

Danish Sisterhood News, February 2020

Updates from Hygge Lodge #188 Velsignet påske Danish Sisters!

Hygge #188 enjoyed a wonderful Hometown Harvest fundraiser event last fall and at our most recent meeting decided to gift nationally and locally for humanitarian and cultural purposes $750 of those dollars. We are grateful to be able to give in this way, due to the generosity of our friends and neighbors.

God Påske indeed!

DSS Hygge #188, Enumclaw, WA

Updates from Frihed Lodge #153 Frihed Lodge 153 (Hartford CT) met on December 14, 2019 for our Holiday meeting at Lodge Treasurer Jackie Smith’s home which was beautifully decorated for Christmas. We enjoyed delicious food and wonderful company. Some of our pot luck dishes had Danish roots including Brunede Kartofler. Jackie’s husband provided special candy for us as well. After eating, we had fun with a Yankee Swap gift exchange. We were all mild mannered at first but after all the gifts were opened, the gift stealing began with much laughter.

At the meeting, we were also delighted to initiate two new members to our lodge, Gwen and Lilla Bishop, the daughter and granddaughter of Jackie Smith. We are looking forward to enjoying their company.

Lisa Petersen, President, Lodge 153

In Memoriam NAME Robert J. Hunter Grace Johnson Esther Swanson Augusta Raap Elsie Johnson Kate Praegel June Nissen Donna Steffensen Myrtle Harrington Margie Miller Lillian Hougaard Gudrun Solomon

Cert # 256 23440 22287 22100 20310 571 24138 20074 21875 24281 24968 1229

Lodge # 181 15 40 146 10 300 36 65 49 90 181 24

Danish Sisterhood News, February 2020

Location Birth Date Birth Place Initiated Holiday, FL 9.12.42 Troy, NY 3.10.96 Milwaukee, WI 11.25.21 Chicago, IL 3.16.76 Seattle, WA 10.30.23 Raarup, DK 2.10.65 St. Charles, IL 8.23.14 St. Charles, IL 11.6.63 Council Bluffs, IA 1.10.26 Council Bluffs, IL 6.4.48 Tivoli Lodge 11.5.42 9.18.80 Perth Amboy, NJ 6.22.26 Richmond NY 1.18.84 Greenville, MI 1.28.25 Stanton, MI 8.21.47 Ludington, MI 5.14.20 Manitoba, Can 11.26.61 Lincoln, NE 10.27.38 Maxwell, NE 1.11.86 Holiday, FL 10.11.23 Brooklyn, NY 11.13.94 San Francisco, CA 2.20.25 Galten, DK 10.6.88

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Died Benefit 12.28.19 0 6.28.19 500.

11.16.18 125.

11.27.17 125.

7.13.12 125.

5.29.19 0 11.13.19 125.

12.29.19 250.

7.2.19 125.

5.14.19 1,000.

12.2.19 125.

1.10.20 0

Resolution from Lodge #15 for Grace Johnson and Ginny Paulsen Grace Johnson joined Dronning Margrethe Lodge #15 in 1976. It is believed she was born in Denmark.

Although Grace has not attended meetings for many years, she did keep in touch with the Lodge. Unfortunately after the death of her son Richard we sadly lost our connection.

Not many current members had the pleasure of meeting and knowing Grace. However, one member who had spent some time with Grace, commented on a visit she had with her in her home. She sent her son to the bakery for some pastries and insisted on serving coffee in the true Danish tradition. She wrote the following regarding the visit, “ I just remember her as a great person who loved showing us her Danish things and talking all things Danish. She was a lovely person.“

Another member remembers how Grace would always mail a Christmas card to her mother who was also a Lodge member. The card was usually the one issued by the Museum of Danish America.

She continued to send the cards long after this member’s mother no longer could remember who Grace was.

Grace Johnson died on June 28, 2019 at the age of 98. She was a lodge sister who took her oath to the lodge seriously and worked for the betterment of the lodge and showed care and compassion for

her fellow sisters.

Ginny Paulsen joined Dronning Margrethe Lodge #15 in 2012. She was not from Denmark, but she shared with the lodge members an interest in Denmark. Her husband Rodney was Danish. Ginny often commented on how much she enjoyed the lodge, especially the fellowship with members.

Ginny held a master’s degree in special education and spent 24 years as a special ed teacher in Delavan Wisconsin. She was also the First Lady of the Masonic Lodge where her husband served as Grand Master. Rodney and Ginny loved to travel and saw much of the world. One of our members and her husband often traveled with Ginny and Rodney and she has fond memories of cruises on the Danube and time in Spain and Gibraltar spent with them.

For the past several years Ginny battled with Parkinsons, but when she could she attended meetings. Her determination not to let her illness keep her down was inspirational.

We will miss her. She was a very kind and personable woman. She passed away on December 23, 2019.

The members of Dronning Margrethe Lodge #15 in Milwaukee Wisconsin send our sincere sympathy to the family and friends of these two very special women.

Resolution for Vera Iversen • Mar 26, 1919 - Aug 5, 2019 Our long time Sister was born Mar. 26, 1919 and passed peacefully away after a short stay in the hospital in the afternoon of Aug. 5, 2019

Vera joined the Danish Sisterhood on Jan.17, 1985 - and was a member for 34 years.

In 2004 she became an Honorary Member and later in 2010 she received her 25 year Pin.

She lived for many year at CMM on Norland Avenue in Burnaby and always came to our monthly meeting in the Auditorium located below in the building....but in 2016 she decided to moved over to The MANOR and we did not see her so much anymore, due to her health...

However she always managed to join our yearly Christmas parties.

Vera was always very supportive to the Sisterhood in all those past years and contributed to and participated in so many of our various events....

Country Fair, Midsummer Festival, Summer picnics , Bingo and our annual Bazaar – just to mention a few... and if we did anything wrong...she was the first to let us know...

At our March meeting in 2019 we celebrated Vera’s 100th birthday with a special Danish dinner, balloons, speeches and a big cake and shared the great sister friendship we had with her over the many years...and that was the last time many of us saw her.

She went through many Milestones of happenings in the World during her 100 years long life and we all shared and gained from her knowledge... and she will be missed - but never forgotten.

At Vera’s own request – no Funeral Service to be held.

At our Danish Sisterhood meeting in September 2019 - we honored Vera by draping the Charter for our departed Sister, while we had a moment of Silence and a little Eulogy was read in her memory.

The Danish Sisterhood Lodge #179 would like to express with heartfelt Sorrow - our sincere Condolences to the entire Family.

Respectfully submitted, Jannet Tricarico, 1st Trustee – Canadian Lodge #179 5

Danish Sisterhood News, February 2020

Updates from Sunshine Lodge #181 Sunshine Lodge #181 in Holiday, Florida enjoyed a wonderful Christmas Party at a great restaurant.

We played games, exchanged gifts, ordered food from the menu and then enjoyed Janet Proper’s Danish Rice Pudding dessert. Lucky Tim Proper found the almond and was rewarded with an adorable marzipan pig and a cute pig Christmas ornament.

We were saddened in 2019 by the loss of long time sisters Ellen Nielsen and Lillian Hougaard. Betsy Hunter also lost her husband, Robert Hunter, who was a Social Member of Lodge # 181, and a couple of weeks after Ellen’s death her son Henry passed away. It is always sad to lose members and friends who’ve been a part of our lives for so long. They will be missed.

Our January meeting was held at sister Cheryl’s house in Tarpon Springs. People came from far and wide. Karin Werk, her 10 year old daughter, Rose and Ruth Sabinsky made the long trip from the other side of Florida. Ruth was recognized for 60 years of membership in the Sisterhood with a Certificate from National and Flowers from Lodge # 181. A truly amazing accomplishment.

Lindsey Proper, who brought her sweet baby daughter, Aymriah, was presented with her 25 year pin.

Welcome New Members!

We were pleased to welcome sister Connie Schell and “Mr. sister”, Earl Schell from Lodge # 78. Doris Burk and daughter Dianna Kennedy also made the long trip across the state and Betty Jean Proper from Lodge #78 came to our meeting as she is spending time with family in warmer Florida.

Past President, Dianna Kennedy, was our installing officer for our new officers. Our new officers are: Past president--Anni Callaghan; President--Linda Morris; Vice President--Kristie Whitmore; Secretary--Leslie McCutcheon; Treasurer--Janet Proper; Trustees--Karen Smith and Diane Musto. Everyone is excited as we begin a new year.

All sisters are now working to prepare for the 92nd EGC Convention to be held May 1,2,3.

It will be held at Hampton Inn and Suites 39284 US Hwy 19 North, Tarpon Springs, Fl. 34689 (727-945-7755). The special rate of $ 114.29 (incl. tax) gives you a room with 2 Queen beds.

Interested persons should make reservations before 5pm on April 10, 2020. Detailed information is being mailed to EGC Officers and Lodge Secretaries.

Look forward to seeing you in May! Anni Callaghan, Past President, Lodge # 181

Membership Expansion LODGE 300 68 153 184 19 149 15 15 15

Danish Sisterhood News, February 2020

NEW MEMBER SPONSOR Jennifer Phoebe Linda Brooks Desiree Borg Burmeister Aase hansen Katrina Riggs Betty Lou Titus Ella Kamemdat Kim Judge Karinya Castonguay Gloria Finkbeiner Jill Bienemann Margaret Raven Mary Ann Koehler Marcia Jante Constance Koehler Marcia Jante Beverly Kirk Marcia Jante

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Updates from Dorthea Lodge #65 Ladies from the Dorthea Lodge held their annual Christmas luncheon on December 7th, 2019 at the historic Winter Inn in downtown Greenville.

There were nineteen members and three guests in attendance. The menu included salad, Chicken Alfredo, spaghetti, and bread. Cake was furnished by the sisterhood.

I had the honor of presenting a seventy-five year membership certificate to our sister Dolores Hansen. In doing the math, I realized she’d joined at the age of sixteen. She said her folks were members of the Sisterhood and Brotherhood and because she usually went with them, they felt she might as well be a member also.

She recalls her dad serving as Brotherhood president and her mom serving on the Sisterhood Board as well. When her Lodge in the town of

Edmore closed, she transferred to ours and continued to attend and help out, when the need arose. Congratulations Dolores!

Recently we have given monetary donations to our local food pantry and the “Giving Tree” - helping local children in need at Christmas time.

In November we had our last gathering at our hall, before we end our meetings until spring. The Brotherhood treated us to pizza and we enjoyed playing bingo afterwards. Our next meeting will be on April 10, 2020.

We look forward to the new year and once again meeting for fellowship.

Martha Roy, President

Updates from Katherine Lodge #20 On Saturday January 25th, we had our annual Christmas Party (delayed from January 11th due to weather). Twenty-one Sisters were in attendance for a lovely luncheon at The Boathouse Pub in Kenosha. The Sisters had a choice of Roast Pork, Chicken Divan, a Large salad with Chicken or a vegetarian Fettuccine Alfredo with Vegetable. A tasty Marble cake was provided

by Sister Jonna Chiapete. At the party we had installation of our new officers, Majbritt Steward

as President, Jonna Chiapete as Vice President, Bette Lasch as Trustee and Holly Anderle as Marshall. Bette Lasch was presented with her Past President pin at this time. Thank you for 4 years of being our President.

Lorraine Harris was presented with a plaque honoring her as a Lifetime Achievement member of the Sisterhood. She is the third Sister to be given the award from our Lodge.

Our charity for this Christmas party is Heifer International. Majbritt Steward gave a presentation on what this organization does and a charity collection was taken. We will decide at our February meeting on what animal (s) we will be donating.

Danika and Devon Steward entertained us with playing two songs for us. Danika plays the cello and Devin plays the flute. We also sang a couple of songs in Danish and English.

Our next meeting will be at Festival Foods on February 18th at 6:30pm Respectfully submitted, Marge Orth

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Danish Sisterhood News, February 2020

Kongeriget Danmark’s Rigsvåben The Kingdom of Denmark’s Coat of Arms History of the Danish Coats of Arms The Seal of King Canute VI of Denmark is the oldest known example of the a Danish Coat of Arms. It is from around 1190. The only known copy of this insignia was found in 1879 in the Grand Ducal archive of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Germany. It is historically the arms of the House of Estridsen, the dynasty from which between 1047 and 1412 Denmark got her kings.

After 1412 the Kings came from the House of Oldenburg, the dynasty which rose to prominence when Count Christian I of Oldenburg became King of Denmark in 1448. The current queen of Denmark is from the House of Oldenburg.

The lions seen on the seal were part of Canute’s personal arms. It is thought the lions may be a little older because they were also used by Canute’s brother and his successors, indicating King Valdemar the Great (1157-1182) used them. It is thought King Valdemar the Great may have gotten his arms from the arms of Schleswig, but that cannot be verified. Therefore, unfortunately, the exact meaning of the three lions is unknown, but in heraldry lions symbolize bravery.

By the middle of the 13th century, the lions are wearing crowns. The many hearts seen on the seal of King Canute are more often described as water lily leaves and by official royal decree in 1972 these shapes are defined as søblade (lake leaves).

In the late middle ages the coat of arms that had been associated with noble families began to be associated with the territory that these families ruled. In Denmark when the House of Estridsen became extinct, their coat of arms became that of Denmark. When Olaf II of Denmark

The first time I remember seeing a Danish insignia was when my Faster Anna sent me a necklace from Denmark for my 6th birthday.

It was a crest with three lions with a crown on top. Except for that necklace I never paid much attention to what I later learned was the Danish Coat of Arms. The next time it came to my attention was shortly after I joined the Danish Sisterhood. At the Christmas party I won a coffee mug put into the raffle by member Marcia Jante.

That was many years ago and I am still drinking my morning coffee from that mug with the Danish Coat of Arms.

Then this year my sister-in-law sent me a refrigerator magnet with the swallow tail flag of Denmark bearing the Danish Coat of Arms. It was not the same coat of arms I had been looking at every morning for all those years Was it really the Danish Coat of Arms?

Off to the internet.

What I found was that the Kingdom of Denmark has a lesser and greater version of their coat of arms. Going forward “Coat of Arms” may be referred to simply as “Arms”.

The smaller version, the one on my necklace and mug is now called the National Coat of Arms and the larger one, the one on my refrigerator magnet is now called the Royal Coat of Arms.

The internet solved the mystery of the two arms, but opened up a whole new world to me—heraldry.

When reading about arms, you find there are specific rules about what appears on them and almost a different language used to describe the rules. This is heraldry. It will be discussed later in this article. For now, let’s take a look at the history of the Danish Arms.

Danish Sisterhood News, February 2020

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(Olaf the IV of Norway as well) became king after Valdemar IV in 1376 he became the first king to rule both Denmark and Norway in personal union.

He still displayed the arms of Estridsen but also added the arms of Norway, dividing the coat of arms into two shields.

Also in the late middle ages (1300 - 1500) a herald under the employ of the Duke of Guilders completed an Armorial. Known as the Genre Armorial it displays some 1800 coats of arms in color.

The Danish arms are shown. In addition the Danish flag is shown. This is the oldest colored image of the Dannebrog.

The Arms of Christian I used during the late 1450’s introduced the arms of the House of Oldenburg (a shield with two bars). It is this coat of arms that, while it has changed often as monarchs came and went, is a direct line to the current royal coat of arms used in Denmark today.

The two lions representing Schleswig first appeared on the Danish Arms in 1460. The crown used on the Danish Coat of Arms was originally open, but since 1624 it has been shown with arches and an orb with a cross above.

The Coat of Arms used between 1699 and 1819 was the arms for both Denmark and Norway. The greater coat of arms used in Denmark from 1819 to 1903 was the first Danish arms which replaced the Norwegian lion with the coat of arms of the three parts of Norway that Denmark retained after 1814—Iceland (represented by a stockfish), the Faroe Islands (represented by a ram) and Greenland (represented by a polar bear). After 1903 the arms of Iceland were represented on the Danish Coat of Arms as a falcon. In 1819 King Frederick VI fixed the number of hearts shown on the arms to nine. Prior to that the number of hearts displayed varied wildly. King Frederick also decreed that the heraldic beasts were lions.

The Danish Arms used between 1948 and 1972 no longer included the Icelandic Arms. Although Iceland got its independence from Denmark in 1944, their arms was not removed until after the death of King Frederick IX.

In 1959 it was decided that the Royal Coat of Arms (Kongevåben) is to be used by the monarch, the royal house, the royal court and the royal guards. The National Coat of Arms (rigsvåben or lille våben) is used by other authorities such as

parliament and courts. It also appears on Danish passports and embassies and consulates.

The current Danish Royal Coat of Arms was established by royal decree on July 5, 1972. Compared to earlier versions, the current coat of arms has reduced the number of quarterings.

Drowning Margrethe no longer wished to hold some of the official titles her male predecessors had.

Heraldry - What is it?

Before describing the meaning of what we see today on the Danish Royal Arms and the Danish National Arms, it would be helpful to take a look at Heraldry. In broad terms heraldry is a system by which coats of arms and other heraldry depicted on a shield (armorial bearings) are devised, described and regulated.

The main point of heraldry is to have a brightly colored and easy to identify symbol to help soldiers identify the enemy. Unique color combinations and shapes as well as animals painted on shields and banners became known as ‘arms”. A way of describing these arms in precise ways led to rules for arms. This is heraldry.

There are many, many books on heraldry and the study of it could consume a lifetime. Online is a Beginners Guide to Heraldry from which most of the following is taken.

The five traditional tinctures (colors) used are Red = Gules, Blue = Azure, Green = Vert, Black = Sable, Purple = Purpure.

Two metals are also used. They are Gold or Yellow = Or, Silver of White = Argent.

In the rules of heraldry one color can never be put on another or one metal on another. There are also furs used in heraldry. Ermine represents the white winter fur of stoats with their black tail tips and Vair represents squirrel skins in blue and white. If something natural is used its natural colors it is referred to in heraldry as “proper.”

Shapes are also important in heraldry. They are referred to as ordinaries. Ordinaries are simple shapes used on shields with a background in one of the colors, metals or furs.

The main ordinaries are: Fess = horizontal stripe across the shield Pale = vertical stripe down the shield 9

Danish Sisterhood News, February 2020

Bend = diagonal strip Chevron = upward pointing triangle Cross = a plain cross Saltire = an X Chief = bar across top edge of shield Bordure = border around edges of shield Pall = a Y Pile = downward-pointing triangle

and many, many more animals.

The animal(s) chosen are symbols. Some of the animals and what they symbolize are: Lions = bravery Dog = faithfulness, reliability Stags = wisdom and long life Eagles = power and nobility Hares = speed Baders = endurance Human Charges Examples of Human Charges are soldiers, riders, pilgrims and wild men

The shield itself can be divided into two colors either horizontally or vertically or into four quarters.

Charges in heraldry refer to emblems. They can be added on the background of the shield or on the ordinary or both. There can be one large charge or several small ones that are repeated.

They can be any color, but the rule on putting a color on another or a metal on another applies.

Some common geometric charges are crosses, stars, crescents, diamonds, flowers and leaves.

Animal charges are also used. Again it can be one large or several small animals. They can be shown in many different ways:

Vocabulary The following vocabulary is selected to help you decipher the heraldic description of the Royal and National Danish Coat of Arms printed in the next section. argent = tincture of silver armed = when an animal has weapons such as teeth, claws, horns, hoofs, beaks or talon often shown in a different color from its body base = lower part of the shield blazon = formal description of a Coat of Arms chief = band running across the top of the shield.

Usually 1/3 to 1/2 of shield collar = an ornate chain unique to members in a chivalric order. dexter = right side doubled = lined escutcheon = or shield upon which the coat of arms is placed fimbriated = narrow border, typically of a specified color mantle = symbol of sovereign power languid = having the tongue of a specified color party per fess = divided in half horizontally overall = said of a charge placed over several other charges or an escutcheon placed over four or more quarters sinister = left side unguled = having nails or talons in a different color woodwose = a wild man of the forest

rampant = rearing up statant = standing displayed = birds with wings outstretched passant = walking along (a more specific definition found of passant is “an animal represented as walking, with the right front foot raised. The animal is depicted in profile facing left with the tail raised.� If the animal is looking toward you it is guardant. If it is a walking animal looking at you it is a passant guardant. Lions who are shown as passant guardant have a special name in heraldry—leopards. These leopards do not have spots.

Some animal charges can include: Felines (lions, tigers, panthers, cat) Canines (fox, dog, wolf) Ungulates (antelope, cattle, camels, deer, elephants) Bears Badgers Reptiles Insects Birds Fish and Sea Life Hybrids (sphinx, griffin, unicorn,dragons) Danish Sisterhood News, February 2020

Once you have this rudimentary grasp of the language of heraldry you can better under10

stand blazon (the heraldic description of a Coat of Arms).

Description of the Danish Coats of Arms Following are the heraldic descriptions for the Danish Coats of Arms: The Danish National Arms.

“Or, three lions passant in pale Azure crowned and armed Or languid Gules, nine hearts Gules.”

The Danish Royal Coast of Arms.

“A shield quartered by a cross Argent fimbriated Gules, first and fourth quarter Or, three lions passant in pale Azure crowned and armed OR languid Gules, nine hearts Gules (for Denmark); second quarter Or, two lions passant in pale Azure armed Or languid Gules (for Schleswig) ; third quarter Azure, party per fess, in base per pale, in chief three crowns Or (for the Kalmar Union ) in dexter base a ram passant Argent armed and unguled Or (for the Faroe Islands), in sinister base a polar bear rampant Argent (for Greenland). Overall an escutcheon Or two bars Gules (for Oldenburg) the whole surrounded by Collars of the Order of the Dannebrog and the Order of the Elephant. Supporters two woodwoses armed with clubs Proper standing on a pedestal. All surrounded by a mantle Gules doubled Ermine crowned with a royal crown and tied up with tasseled strings Or.”

So, do you got that? If not, the description of both coats of arms follows.

The Danish National Coat of arms consists of three crowned blue lions with nine red hearts, all in a golden shield topped with crown with arches and an orb with a cross above.

The Danish Royal Coat of Arms has a shield which is divided into quarters by a silver cross outlined in red. Some say this is derived from the Danish flag. The first and fourth quarters represent Denmark by the three lions on a blue background represented as walking, with the right front foot raised. The animal is depicted in profile facing the left side of the shield with the tail raised. The fourth quarter lions are sometimes said to represent Sweden and its historic relation to Denmark.

Surrounding the lions are nine heart shapes said to represent lily pads. The second quarter contains two lions and represents Schleswig, the former Danish province that is now divided between Ger-

many and Denmark. The third quarter contains a total of three symbols.

The three crowns are interpreted as a symbol for the former Kalmar Union. This was a union of Scandinavian countries that from 1397 to 1523 joined under a single monarch the three kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden (then including most of Finland’s populated areas), and Norway, together with Norway’s overseas dependencies (then including Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and the Northern Isles). The silver ram in the third quarter represents the Faroe Islands and the silver standing polar bear represents Greenland.

The smaller shield in the center has two red bars on a golden background and represents the House of Oldenburg, the former royal dynasty that ruled Denmark and Norway since the middle of the fifteenth century. Two attendant wild men carrying clubs stand one on each side of the main shield and serve to support it. They stand in a pavilion. The use of these two attendants can be traced back to the Oldenburg dynasty. Two ornate chains surround the shield but can only be seen hanging below. They are made up of the insignias of the Order of Dannebrog and Order of the Elephant, the two chivalric orders in Denmark.

Finally the shield and the attendants are framed by a royal red robe lined with ermine tied back with silver ropes. At the top is a crown with arches and an orb with a cross above. It is said the crown is based on the Crown of King Cristian V. The crown King Christian V is now located in Rosenberg Castle. Some sources say the crown symbolizes both the real and national authority.

Most of us have seen the Danish Coats of Arms many times. Hopefully the next time you see either the Danish National or the Danish Royal Coat of Arms, you will look at them a bit differently. It turns out they have some pretty interesting stories attached.

Photo credits:

By Kongeriget Danmark,file made by Galico, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10851483

By Sodacan, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index. php?curid=9701564

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Danish Sisterhood News, February 2020

Finding Beginnings in Denmark

My grandmother, Maren Dorthea Jacobsen, and grandfather, Marius Engvardt Simonsen, immigrated from Denmark to the United States in the late 1800s.

They met at Danish Sisterhood and Danish Brotherhood meetings in Chicago and were married in 1903.

My mother, Anna Simonsen Farrell was born to them in Chicago. I was exposed to Danish relatives and language literally through my teen years but Mother would not let me learn Danish because she felt I should be an only English speaker which I regret now. I can remember Danish being spoken at family get-together but I could only listen as a child and not participate.

After my husband retired, we began to travel the US but deep down, our thoughts began to lean toward international destinations. With my Danish roots in mind, we thought it would be interesting to go to Denmark, but, had no real knowledge of how to prepare for an international destination.

We decided to go to Chicago with two objectives: visit the current Danish Sisterhood office for information about travel to Denmark and go to the Danish Consulate to see if a visa was required and get tourist information. By now, we were getting serious about a trip to Denmark.

In material provided by the Danish Consulate was a directory of Best Western hotels in Denmark which became very valuable. After we settled on a ten day period, we searched the Danish countryside for cities and villages that were interesting. Then, we made Best Western hotel reservations at eight different locations based on my father’s remembrances of my grandmother and grandfather’s conversations.

Our hotel locations were made at or near those locations. One place he noted was Bornholm, an offshore island which we basically ruled out because of the difficulty of getting there.

To begin our travel from Chicago to Copenhagen by SAS Airline, when we checked in, the agent moved us from tourist class to business class on the airplane for which we felt lucky. This turned our first luck to many more ‘lucks’ on our adventure.

When we arrived in Copenhagen, and after claiming our luggage, we went to the rental car desk to get a car we had reserve din the US previously.

The agent asked where we were headed, we said our first hotel was Rodbyhvn. He gave us directions, from the airport and said we may wish to visit the nearby “wildlife park”.

We drove the short distance to our hotel, it Danish Sisterhood News, February 2020

was early afternoon and we tried to rest a bit but decided we would try a short drive to see what was around. The hotel clerk also mentioned the ‘wildlife park’ with directions. And talk about another bit of luck! When we drove a short way, I remembered that I had brought some of the old black and white pictures my mother had given me years ago, with one of them showing an old stone fence along a road. i noticed such a fence along the road we were driving on and lo and behold, there were some wire animal cages inside the property. And no comes another ‘luck’ a roadside sign said “Banholm” which was a very small village.

We entered the village, noticed a Danish gentleman riding a bike and we rolled down the window to ask questions. he spoke no English but motioned us to follow him. He turned around and headed back further in the village and found a young gardener and pointed to him. We learned the young man could speak English. I opened the pictures to show him along with some letters I had. He pointed to the nearby castle and told us to follow him.

He took us inside to meet his boss who turned out to be the grandson of a German Count and present owner of the park. When he looked at the letters, he instructed his young employee to take us to a nearby church to see if it would be helpful. This church was built in 1880 which was too late for the records we sought. Upon our return to the castle, the Count had searched some of his grandfather’s old records and to our lucky surprise, my grandmother, Maren Dorthea, had worked as a housemaid for the original Count. he took us on a tour of the lower level of the castle and showed us actually where the household servants had lived. We walked right where my grandmother walked! you can imagine that on our very first day in Denmark, we were “lucky”. And, to top it all off, the Count knew of another church pastor who may know of Maren Dorthea’s birth and confirmation records. He placed a telephone call to the pastor and handed me the phone so I could give her the information I had.

She told me to come to the church the next day and she would see what she could find. We returned to our hotel to spend a very happy night.

Upon our arrival at the church the next morning, the pastor was waiting in the parking lot and told me, “I found her!—the original handwritten birth and confirmation records from 1872 for Maren Dorthea Jacobsen. ­ — Carolyn Marie Farrell Reynolds

12

Danish Sisterhood Marketplace Butikken DanishSisterhood.com

Contact Linda Holz for shipping and handling charges.

Red plastic heart-shaped paper clip $1.00 Letter Opener $4.00

Hygge T- Shirt  Red with white print M, L, XL, XXL $20 Greeting Cards blank inside, $1.00 each

Frik T- Shirt Red with white print (Front and Back Shown) M, L, XL, XXL $20

Black baseball cap with heart logo in satin stitch embroidery $20.00

Black baseball cap with Laser cut boxes heart logo in sequins (unassembled) for table $20.00 favors $ 0.75

To order contact: Linda Holz Email: trustee1@danishsisterhood.com Phone: 515.225.0951 4400 EP True Pkwy, Unit 47 West Des Moines , IA 50265-5615 13

Danish Sisterhood News, February 2020

Danish Sisterhood Marketplace Butikken DanishSisterhood.com Contact Linda Holz for shipping and handling charges.

Sisterhood License Plate Frame Frame has dual fastening holes at the top of the fame. White with red DSS logo. $4.00 each or 2 for $6.00

Red ball point pen with Sisterhood website address $5.00

DSS Fleece Jacket Available Red and Black $37.50

Coral Pendant with Silver Filigree Red and silver necklace pendant $45.00

Denmark Flag Enamel Earrings pierced $10/pair

Onesie Red with white print 6 mo - 12 mo - 18 mo $15.00

Car Decal White with a red Danish Flag Heart $3.00 ea or 2 for $5.00

Wine Bottle Opener Red with black trim, danishsisterhood.com printed on side. $5.00

Heartscarf Available in Red and White $15.00

To order contact: Linda Holz Email: trustee1@danishsisterhood.com Phone: 515.225.0951 4400 EP True Pkwy, Unit 47 West Des Moines , IA 50265-5615 Danish Sisterhood News, February 2020

14

DSS Angel Member Status The Danish Sisterhood has a new and very special member status, the DSS Angels. This status belongs to those members that wish to gift their funeral benefit back to the Sisterhood. We have had some members in the past make the Sisterhood their beneficiary. We believe this is a generous and significant gift, and wish to honor them while we can, keeping a list of our current “Angels� posted.

If you wish to change your status, please contact your lodge or National Secretary for a Beneficiary Change form. Your benefit does not need to be fully paid yet, and you would be expected to maintain your payments, as the Sisterhood will not receive the benefit until your passing. Those that do not have a funeral benefit as part of your membership category are welcome to participate by donating $1000 to the Danish Sisterhood, which can be sent to the National Treasurer.

On behalf of our entire membership, we wish to Lodge #

Name

166

Viola Wilson

168

Joann Scott

126

Dorothy Petersen

188

Karin Plagens

75

Sandra Nelson

22

Carole Hodges

15

Andrea Sue Welling Leih

12

Elizabeth Haar

177

Glenda Madrid

125

Nancy J. Mayland

171

Johanne Gade

Address Changes If you have moved please use this form to notify the Danish Sisterhood of America.

Clip and mail to: Danish Sisterhood News National Secretary: Glenda Madrid 1557 Oak St. Solvang, CA 93463 I belong to Lodge #: Name: New Address: City: Zip Code:

State:

Submissions Guidelines Submissions should be received by the Editor by the 1st of the month previous to the month published (Deadlines can be found on page 2).

Please submit captions for pictures, including names of people in the picture.

Text for submissions should be less than 600 words (one typed page).

Mail or electronic submissions are welcomed The Editor will proofread for spelling and grammatical errors and will edit for clarity.

Upcoming Newsletter Deadlines April 2020 issue.....................Submit by March 1 May 2020 issue........................Submit by April 1 June 2020 issue........................Submit by May 1 July 2020 issue.........................Submit by June 1 August 2020 issue.....................Submit by July 1 September 2020 issue.........Submit by August 1 October 2020 issue..................Submit by May 1 November 2020 issue.............Submit by June 1 15

Danish Sisterhood News, February 2020

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The Danish Sisterhood News including, but not limited to, design, text, & graphics, are Copyright 2020 by the Supreme Lodge of the Danish Sisterhood of America. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Any use of materials in this publication, including reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication without the prior written consent of DSS, is strictly prohibited by law. Copyright infringement will be punished to the maximum extent the law allows.