SPANISH TRACES IN DANISH BLOOD ?
Today I want to write briefly about how Spain and Spanish soldiers over the years came into direct contact with countries like Denmark. Basically, there have been no big problems or wars between the two countries. A friend of mine, a former Danish ambassador to Spain, once told me that the biggest problem he had to deal with during his five years in Madrid was to try to convince visiting Danes, that wine had to be poured into the small glass, not into the big one, which was for water 😊
Ok – there have, of course, been problems between the two nations over the years. The first one I want to mention is the arrival of the Danish Vikings to Spain in the 9th century. They came to the Basque countries as well as to Galizia and to Western Andalucia. Some of their opponants were the Moors, who had conquered large parts of Spain in 711 AD. In a small town in Galizia, CATOIRA, about 30 km west of Santiago de Compostella, they every year organise a “Viking Battle” – a big popular festival over several days. Viking ships coming from the sea are driven back, and a lot of red wine instead of blood is consumed by everybody.
Next time I want to mention is 1808. This was in the middle of the Napoleonic wars. France had occupied Spain, and Denmark had chosen the wrong side and was an ally of Napoleon – against England. It did not go well. First, the Brits destroyed the French-Spanish navy at Trafalgar in 1805. Then the British navy stole the whole Danish-Norwegian navy in Copenhagen in 1807 – without asking!
This meant that the British Royal Navy was in charge of all seas in Europe, including internal Danish seas and fiords. Napoleon then sent 34.000 troops to Denmark to help defending it. Their commander was marshal Bernadotte – the later Swedish king. Half of the troops were Spanish. Their commander was the Mallorca born Spanish general, Marques de la Romana. A former officer in the American independence war. The Spanish soldiers were very popular with the Danes, not least with the girls 😊 It is still everybody’s guess how many dark haired and brown eyed descendants they have left in Denmark.
What is known is that many young Danish girls were very anxious to marry a Danish man very quickly right after the sudden departure of the Spanish soldiers. No mention of Spanish fathers in the church books was wanted 😊
The stay of the Spanish troops ( División del Norte ) was very short. They arrived in March 1808 and left in August-September the same year. Why? Because they had heard that a revolt against Napoleon has started in Spain. And when the British navy offered to sail them back home to Spain – for free, of course – most of them left. Those who did not make it to the British ships were disarmed and later forced to join Napoleon’s war against Russia.
One additional special story linked to these events: a small Spanish town in the Granada area, HUÈSCAR, declared war on Denmark on November 11, 1809. Probably because some of the Spanish troops in Denmark came from that town ? No fighting took place between the two. And only 172 years later, in 1981, a local historian discovered, that the state of war between Huéscar and Denmark was still on. So “peace negotiations” were quickly organised. And on November 11, 1981, the Danish ambassador to Spain and the local mayor – in the presence of military officers from both sides - signed the peace agreement!
The soldiers from Huéscar had probably stayed in the Danish town of Kolding. The two towns now have a twinning agreement – and enjoy many peaceful activities together 😊
Any traces in Denmark or in Spain from these encounters ? There is for sure still traces in the blood of many Danes and also in many Basque or Galizian people. And when family names are concerned the names Panduro and Augustinus – which exist in Denmark today – are believed to come from Spanish ancestors.
We are all in one way or another interlinked in Europe. And that is very good 😊
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