Ships of the Vikings: An example of ancient artistry
Despite their reputation as crude barbarians, the Vikings of Scandinavia are recognized as some of the best ship builders of the Dark Ages. The long, low design of their hulls gave the Viking ships great speed and agility, even in turbulent waters.
When a Viking ship builder began a project, he worked without a written plan or blueprint of any kind. He simply came up with the right measurements and remembered them while he cut and assembled the planks. The ships could be made differently, each one suited for a specific purpose. A long, broad, heavy vessel with a deep hull made an ideal merchant ship, with lots of space in the middle for cramming barrels, crates and livestock. The longship, also called the Knarr, was built for war and exploration. It was long, low in the water, and had two high prows at each end.
The front prow was usually a work of art, carefully carved into the shape of a curling spiral or a dragon’s head. One single mast was placed in the center, and on it was hoisted a large rectangular sail. Vikings didn’t need much sail power considering that the entire crew would be rowing the ship along with long oars.
During a raid, the warships came in handy for speedy getaways. The Vikings would swoop down on a coastal village, plunder as much as they could carry, and then hasten back to their ships, speeding off before the local militia could respond. In a naval battle, the Danish ships could usually outmaneuver their foes. That is, until Alfred the Great of Wessex (the kingdom of western England) developed a ship that could best the Vikings at their own game. Unfortunately, only a few of these ships were made, and the design never reached the rest of Europe.
Viking ships traveled incredible distances, sailing from Norway to what is now Turkey, and even crossing the Atlantic to the New world (some say that the Vikings sailed as far south as Georgia!)
These ships played a very central role in Viking life. Because of this, the Vikings often buried their dead chieftains in ships, the decks of which were loaded with food, weapons, utensils, and other articles needed in the afterlife. Norsemen who could not afford such a tomb were buried under stones arranged in the shape of a Viking long ship. You might say that these big- bearded, bodacious boat builders were attached to their ships.
The artistry and quality of these awesome vessels serves as a testimony to the intelligence and sophistication of the Nordic Race. Contrary to popular thinking, the Vikings were not unskillful barbarians. This illustrates that cultures which appear uncivilized may in fact possess a surprising degree of creativity and brilliance in certain areas.
Source: La Fay, Howard. “The Vikings” (National Geographic Society, 1972)
