Nothing is as symbolic of the Vikings as the longship or drakkar. Also called a dragon ship by its enemies, the drakkar was really a warship designed to carry fearless Viking warriors on their raids across Europe.
Today we have a quite clear impression of what a viking ship really is. But the vikings themselves never used the term "viking ship" about their ships. "Viking ship" is a modern term used about a whole group of different ship classes which were used in Scandinavia in the viking age (800 AD - 1050 AD) and in the next couple of centuries. We often associate the term with elegant longships with dragonheads and upright sterns and stems, and a rig with a broad square sail. Actually only a few ships were equipped with dragonheads, as they should mark the status and rank of the viking kings. The majority of the ships were more modestly decorated, optimized for sailing abilities, strength, speed and cargo capacity needed for the purpose.
The average length of a longship was 80 feet. The largest ever excavated was over 220 feet long. Its sixty oarsmen could swiftly deliver as many as four hundred warriors to a battlefield along the coast or well inland via a river. Like most large drakkars, They were owned by a powerful king. In the last days of the Viking Age, three hundred of these longships were in the Viking fleet.
Vikings ships were rarely at the mercy of their enemies. The ships were more maneuverable, better equipped and superiorly built. They could navigate in water less than a three feet deep. In shallow water, the warriors would move to one side of the ship to tilt it so it would pass over rocks and shoals. The longships' tapered bows and sterns enabled the Vikings to row the ships forwards and backwards without first having to turn the ships around.
The deck of a longship was completely planked over. There were no sleeping quarters below deck. Crewmen and warriors stored their personal belongings in chests on the deck. The oarsmen sat on these chests when rowing.
If you'd like to see your shipping cost, add the item to your "Shopping Barge" and then use our Shipping Rates Calculator on the next page.
For Go2marine's shipping and return policy,
click here.
)
