26th May 6.00 pm in The Priory
‘The Building of Viking Ships’ Steven Etheridge, member of Regia Anglorum, will explain the technology and consequences of the Viking’s ships. Viking shipbuilding revolutionized global connectivity by introducing advanced, durable, and flexible shallow-draft vessels (longships and knarrs) that allowed for rapid, long-distance ocean voyages and deep inland river navigation. This innovation enabled the Vikings to expand the known world, establish vast trade networks, and project military power across Europe and North America. Longships , often called ‘dragons’ because of the carved dragon or serpent heads on the prows, intended to intimidate enemies and ward off evil spirits, were a way to travel to another world, a bridge between the old world and the new.
His dragon with her sails of blue,
All bright and brilliant to the view,
High hoisted on the yard arms wide,
Carries great Canute o’er the tide.
Brave is the royal progress — fast
The proud ship’s keel obeys the mast,
Dashes through foam, and gains the land,
Raising a surge on Limfjord’s strand. (The Song of Canute, Saga of St. Olaf)
Viking ships were primarily constructed using the clinker (lapstrake) technique, where oak planks were overlapped, fastened with iron rivets, and caulked with tar and wool/hair for flexibility and durability in rough seas. The shell-first method involved building the hull before adding internal ribs, allowing vessels to twist and bend.
- Construction Method: Clinker construction created a flexible, lightweight, and seaworthy hull. Unlike Roman/Mediterranean carvel methods, Viking ships built the shell first, then added ribs, often tying them with larch tree roots.
- Materials: Oak was favoured for its strength. Caulking, used to fill gaps, included materials like wool.
- Design Characteristics: Ships featured a strong keel, a shallow draft for both open sea and river navigation, and were largely symmetrical.
- Evolution: Early vessels were largely rowing boats, but within a century, they developed into advanced sailing ships with single masts and square sails.
Ship Types: Vessels ranged from fast warships (increasingly long by the 11th century) to broad,, high-capacity cargo ships (knarrs).
