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Figure 1: Viking longboat on a calm sea with northern lights.
The Beginning of the Viking Longboat
The Beginning of the Viking Longboat
In 787 C.E., three narrow boats filled with northerners approached the monastery in Lindisfarne, a small island in England. These raiders killed and looted the Christian monastery marking the beginning of a new civilization, the Vikings. Over the next two and a half centuries, the Viking longboat was the spearhead in the attacks in Europe. The Viking longboat dominated in almost any scenario and was the key to Viking success.
The Design of the Viking Longboat
The Design of the Viking Longboat
There were many aspects about the Viking longboat that made it standout amongst its peers. In keeping with its namesake, the long narrow design was built so that there could be many rowers and the strong warriors could help propel the vessel forward. It also allowed it to be much lighter and streamlined for faster speeds up to around 15 knots which is 17 miles per hour. A special design which the boat had two front ends allowed the boat to back out of a tight space instead of turning around. There were many versions for a different use, such as some were much larger spanning up to 30 meters that were used for cargo and much smaller lighter ones reaching 10 meters for raids. A very interesting piece of information about the Viking boats was that each one was slightly different like a fingerprint of its builder according to “The Viking Ship’ a journal by Per Bruun.
Figure 2: Individual stages of building a longboat.
The Deadly Snekke
The Deadly Snekke
These longboat was the swift sword in the fleet. The Snekke was much smaller then its larger brother the Knarr and much lighter allowing for nearly twice the maneuverability and speed. they were made much shallower making it much more streamlined so it can be faster. They had a very narrow and long shape so that they could fit many soldiers and have them able to row. These boats lead the attacks and raids on the coast becoming the fearsome and deadly sight most of Europe feared.
Figure 3:Top:A Snekke longboat
The Strong Knarr
The Strong Knarr
These longboats where specialy made to carry the valuable cargo across the ocean. The large ships ranged up to about 30 meters in length in metric terms around 98 feet long. These monsters carried dozens of livestock and treasuries from raids. Carrying up to 48 tons of crew weapons and cargo. These ships were the ones that crosses oceans and traveled very far. The boat most likely the reason viking settlers in america are because of these boats.
Figure 4:Top:A Knarr longboat
Figure: 7 Cutouts showing the design of the Viking longboat.(The Archaeology of Boats: Ships of the Vikings by Richard W. Unger)
The Viking Longboat: The Symbol of the Vikings
The Viking Longboat: The Symbol of the Vikings
“The Viking ship was the symbol of the viking age” quoting Per Buun and his work The Viking Ship. The long boat affected the Vikings in so many aspects of their lives that it soon became the emblem of their civilization. Each viking was a trained sailor and warrior, ruthless merchants that controlled the ocean. Raids were the source to Viking success because they crafted a strategy of silently and quickly overwhelming their targets. Most of Europe came to fear the sight of the dreadful boat and started to pay a tribute to the vikings as to leave them alone. The Vikings were also very creative and unique in the building of each boat. Many had shields decorating the edge of the ship or some had lavish figure heads of dragons or mermaids.
Figure 8: top: A longboat sailing across a stormy sea.
The Immense Impact of the Longboat.
The Immense Impact of the Longboat.
The Viking Longboat is an amazing invention of the Viking Age. The innovations and ingenuity put into the simple design is incredible. From the double sided ends to the rowing and sailing design. The symbol of the Vikings and the source of their wealth was the longboat because the Vikings could reach their hands to the world for exploration and attacks. From crossing the Atlantic to raids on the coast of Europe the Viking longboat was involved marking history or defying the world powers. The great countries of the time trembled at the sight of the fearsome boats and the dangerous and brave soldiers they brought.
Some great sources to check
Some great sources to check
This explains some of the symbolic and cultural nature of the boats.
Figure 9
This one walks through some of the process of the archeology and recovery. and some of the famous boats buried deep in the earth.
Figure 10
This one will teach about the design and build of the viking longboat. it also will describe how the boat would sail.
Figure 11
Creator - Peter
Curator - Peter
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