Longship

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Image:Oseberg longship.png Image:Vikingshipkils.jpg Image:Vikings02.jpg

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Development History 3 Early Ships 3.1 Hjortspring 3.2 Nydam 3.3 Kvalsund 3.4 Oseberg 4 Types of Ships 4.1 Snekke (snekkja) 4.2 Rosklide 4.3 Dragon Ships 5 Construction 5.1 Wood 5.2 Building 5.3 Sail and Mast 5.4 Maintaining Integrity and Strength 6 Navigation and Propulsion 6.1 Navigation 6.2 Propulsion 6.3 Sail 7 Life Onboard 7.1 What They Ate 7.2 Entertainment 8 Famous longships 8.1 Ormen Lange 8.2 Mora 9 Legacy 10 External links 11 References

Introduction

Longships, the name originating from the Insular Celtic word for "ship", Old Irish long, and Welsh llong is (commonly assumed to be an adaptation to the longships as they appearded to the British population)(McCone),were ships primarily used by the Scandinavian Vikings and the Saxons for their raids on coastal and inland settlements during the European [Middle ages]. The longships did not always have a violent intention, even though the very sight of them struck fear into the opposing population and sent them running. The longships were also used for long distance trade and commerce and were used for exploration missions to Iceland, Greenland and beyond. Longships were the epitome of Scandinavian naval power at that time, and they were highly valued as material possessions. Often, they would be owned by seaside farmers and then, in a time of conflict, which occurred often in Viking society, the king would then commission them into a huge menacing naval force. While longships were used by the Vikings in warfare, they were troop transports, not warships. In the tenth century, these boats would sometimes be tied together in battle to form a reliable platform so that infantry warfare could occur.

The composition of the longship was a long, narrow, light boat with shallow draft designed for speed. They were fitted with oars along almost the entire length of the boat. Later versions sported a rectangular sail on a single mast which was used to augment the efforts of rowers, particularly during unusually long journeys. In combat, the variability of wind power made rowers the chief means of propulsion. Nearly all longships were clinker built, meaning each hull plank overlaps the next, and waterproofed by moss drenched in tar. In the autumn these ships would be tarred and would then sit throughout winter in a boathouse to protect the ship an allow time for the tar to dry. The ship's low shallow draft allowed navigation in waters measuring as little as one metre deep, rapid beach landings, and its light weight allowed portages. The ship became outdated around the thirteenth century, but even after that, up until the 1400s, Norway was still using traditional longships.

Development History

The famous Viking longships did not suddenly spring into being, but developed over time. Archeology has uncovered a number of ships and boats showing this development.

Early Ships

Image:Stages in Scandinavian Ship Design.jpg

Hjortspring

One of the earlier forms of longships was the Hjortspring. The Hjortspring was found in Als southwest of Denmark and was probably built around 300 B.C. It likely was an earlier war canoe before it was destroyed as a weapon sacrifice. The Hjortspring’s composition later influenced the way in which longships were created. The Hjortspring featured the style of overlapping planks, this was later adapted to the longships. Also the method of attaching the boards and gunwales was a later adaptation to longships to make them flexible for ocean voyages. The hjortspring hull boards were cut in a wedge shape pieces, or cleats, and inside hazel wood ribs were fastened. This lengthened the place of the ribs and braced in place by the rower’s seat or thwart. (Trent) The boat was propelled by paddles. Both the cleat and the thwart appeared in later longship designs.

Nydam

One of the more modified and more improved designs over the Hjortspring was the Nydam ship. The Nydam was found on Flensburger Fjord in Southwest Denmark. It was larger than the earlier Hjortspring and measured 75 feet in length. The major areas of change between the Hjortspring and the Nydam were its construction. The Nydam had planks long enough to run the entire length of the hull. The planks were held together by iron rivets and the hull had a curved prow. The Nydam used oars rather than paddles to propel itself, which were held in place by bent branch secured to the rail. This allowed greater speed and easier rowing for the crew. The Nydam had no sail because of the bottom planks held their own on the rough sea. The Nydam’s narrow shape gave it superior speed and agility. These small changes later began to evolve into the longship.

Kvalsund

The Kvalsund was the next improved ship. The Kvalsund was found in Sunnmore, Norway. Despite its reduced length at 61 feet, the Kvalsund was far wider than its predecessors. With a long spine and strengthened keel, the hull structure had greater maneuverability. These key improvements allowed future longships to maintain a course in the most adverse weather conditions. The Kvalsund had oars that were fastened to the rails with wooden pegs or trenails. Sails were still non-existent and came later in the 7th century.

Oseberg

The evolution of the Scandinavian sailing ships was emphasized in the Oseberg which predated 820 A.D. and was found in a fjord west of Oslo, Norway. The Oseberg could be considered one of the first true longships. The Oseberg featured a built in mast and mast partner which allowed the necessary speed for raids and ocean voyages. The distance between the ship’s ribs was now a standard length and the ribs were stronger. (Trent) The hulls had more of a V shape and the length expanded from gunwale to gunwale. These new hulls had bad lateral stability but made up for it in speed. The Oseberg had wood fastened together instead of single pieces which allowed greater stability and agility. The Oseberg echoed in the Vikings primary vessel, the longship.

Types of Ships

Longships can be classified into a number of different subclasses, depending on size, build details, and prestige.

Snekke (snekkja)

The Snekke was the smallest type that would still be considered a longship. A typical Snekke might have a length of 17 m, a width of 2.5 m, and a draught of only 0.5 m. It would carry a crew of about 25 men.

Snekkes were one of the most common type of ships. According to historical lore, Canute the Great used 1400 in Norway in 1028, and William the Conqueror used about 600 for the invasion of Britain in 1066.

The Norwegian Snekkes, designed for deep fjords and Atlantic weather, typically had more draught than the Danish model designed for low coasts and beaches. Snekkes were so light as to not have need of ports, they could be beached and potentially even portaged.

The Snekke continued to evolve after the end of the Viking age, with later Norwegian Snekkes becoming larger and heavier than Viking age ships.

Rosklide

Danish archeologists uncovered a longship in Rosklide harbor. The longship was the largest longship ever found and historians may rethink their estimates of the size of Viking longships. The Rosklide was 115 feet in length. The Rosklide might have been its own breed of cargo ships that were used for Viking exchange.

Dragon Ships

Not only were longships graceful, some longships were more ornate and elegant than others. The Dragon Ships were for those Vikings who went i-viking. A Viking myth was that terrible monsters lurked in the abounding oceans, and that ships (we know were sunk by storms) that sank were attacks from sea serpents and monsters. To protect their longships and crew, the prows were carved with menacing and frightening beasts and dragons to ward off the sea serpents and water beasts. These carved beasts did not only frighten the mythical sea serpents but also scared the Vikings enemies and townspeople.

Construction

Through the development of several centuries the longship finally developed. The fully developed longship emerged sometime in the middle of the ninth century. It’s long, graceful, menacing head figure carved in the stern echoed in its predecessor. The mast was now squared and located toward the middle of the ship and had the option of being lowered or raised. If not being propelled by the wind, longships could be rowed by oars in oarlocks (removable oar covers) on the side of the hull. The hull’s sides were fastened together to allow the hull to flex with the waves to insure stability and integrity. The ships were big enough to carry cargo and passengers on long ocean voyages, but still maintained fast speed and agility. This made the longship a versatile ship, warship and cargo carrier. Image:The Longship.jpg

Wood

Wood was the fundamental material of the longship. Longships used for every part of the ship from the planks for the hull, the mast and oars. The Vikings had picking and cutting wood to a fine science. The Vikings made planks from splitting huge oak trees usually from southern Scandinavia. The trunks were cut radially from long trees, which contained few knots. The planks had exceptional strength, due to the fact that they were cut following the grain of the wood. The planks also were cut in a way that did not shrink or warp as they dried. Shipbuilders used fresh cut tress than seasoned timber because it was easier to work. The curved pieces were made from naturally grown trees in that shape. This method allowed that the piece could be made from a single piece of wood, which cut down the weight of the ship. (Trent)

Building

The Viking shipbuilder pictured the long boat before its construction. They had no written diagrams or even a universal standard written design plan. The ships were built from the ground up than framing the whole ship and fitting it with various parts. The keel and stems were made first. The shape of the stem was based on segments of circles of varying sizes. The arc sizes determined the length of the keel. The next step was building the strake, or the line of planks joined endwise from stern to stern. As the strake reached its desired height, the interior was build. (Trent) The frames were completed as the bottom was finished; this required that the sides were high enough and cross beams were added. Iron rivets were then used to hold the parts together. Longships had about fine rivets in each yard of its plank. The longship had to be held together or they would inflexible and break. The longships were held together with spruce strips that were fastened to the ribs inside of the keel. Image:Building Stages of a Viking Ship.jpg

Sail and Mast

The sail was an important element that made the Viking longship faster and be able to cover long distances. The sail was held in place by the mast. The mast was then supported by a large block of wood called the Kjerringa or “Old Woman” in Old Norse. (Trent) The kjerringa was made of oak, and was tall as a Viking man. The kjerringa lay across the two ribs and ran width wise along the keel. The kjerringa also had a companion. The mast fish, a wooden object above kjerringa, provided extra help in keeping the mast erect. With the mast fish and the kjerringa, the mast would remain strong and erect. Image:The Mast.jpg

Maintaining Integrity and Strength

Any boat has to fight water from getting in. To keep the sea out, wooden disk were put into the oar holes and could be short from the inside when oars were not sued. The longships’ wider hulls provided strength beneath the waterline which gave more stability. This made the longship less likely to tip or bring in water.

Navigation and Propulsion

Navigation

The Vikings were a major seafaring people. They were experts in knowing the current, judging speed and wind direction, and when to expect high and low tides. The way in which the Vikings were able to navigate the seas is still an unknown however; Historians postulate that the Vikings probable had some sort of primitive astrolabe, which was able to use astronomy for navigation. At night the Vikings used the stars to plot their course. A Viking named StjernerOddi compiled a chart showing the direction of dawn and twilight. This chart enabled navigators to sail longships from place to place with ease. Almgren, an earlier Viking, had another method that could have been used by the Vikings. “All the measurement of angles were made in what was called a “half wheel”, a kind of half sun-diameter, which corresponds to about sixteen seconds of an arc. This was something which was known to every skipper at that time, or by the long-voyage pilot” or kendtmand (man who knows) who sometimes went along on voyages…When the sun was in the ski, it was not, therefore, difficult to find the four points of the compass, and determining of latitude did not cause any problems either”(Algrem)

Of course there were others ways of navigation. Birds provided a helpful guide to find land. A Viking legend stated that Vikings used to bring crows in cages abroad and let them loose if they got lost or needed direction. The crows instinctively would find land and that this directed Viking navigators toward the mainland. Even thought not much is know of Viking compasses, Viking legends do tell accounts of small magnetic stones floating on a piece of wood in water to provide a point of navigational reference. The process, how it was read, and what happened was never told, however it was a possible way of navigation.

Propulsion

The longship had two main ways of propulsion, by rowing and sail. Oars were used when land was spotted, to gain quick acceleration (when there was no wind) and to get the boat started. The crew sat on sea chests to row. No Viking shipbuilder made benches, therefore Vikings made use of chests that would otherwise take up space. The chests were made the same size and were the perfect height for a Viking to sit on and row. Longships had hooks for oars to fit into, but smaller oars were also used with crooks or bends to be used as oarlocks. If there were no holes, then a loop of rope kept the oars in place.

Sail

At sea, the wind made longships faster than by oar. Even though no longship sail has been found, accounts verify that longships had square sails. Sails possibly measured 35 ½ to 40 feet wide and could be raised or lowered quickly. Sails were made of WadmilI, rough wool, which was woven by looms. Image:The Sail.jpg

Life Onboard

Before longship went on their long ocean voyages, the entire family and village made preparations for the all those who were going. Weapons had to be made and sharpened, ships were repaired and brought up to standard, and other chores were done to make sure the ships were ready.

What They Ate

Nothing is truly certain what was eaten along their long sea voyages.But whatever it was, it must have been preserved. Salt was a main ingredient to preserve food. Domestic animals, fish, and other animals were killed, skinned and buries in salt. This would allo meat and fish to be preserved for over a season and did not make the meat bad. Smoking was also another way to preserve food. Holes were poked in the meat or fish and hung on pegs that were later put in a smokehouse. These preserved goods were taken aboard the boat and eaten when needed. Fishing was also a way to get food. Vikings not only ate fish but also sea mammals that they were able to kill and capture. Walrus were considered a favorite food among the sailing Viking. For drinks they usually drank water, but milk and beer was also brought along. They were stored in skin bags which took up a lot of space on the longship. The Viking could not really cook food, but cauldrons were brought along for storage, making soups and boiling things.

Entertainment

When not sailing, fishing or doing other chores, Vikings had many pastimes. Chess was a popular game as well as backgammon. Many pieces were carved from sticks, bones, and whatever they could find. The Vikings also played music. Whistles were quite popular as well as other instruments. The major pastime along the longship was storytelling. Great legends were told, stories of Ymir, Odin and other Viking gods.

Famous longships

Ormen Lange

The Ormen Lange ("The long Serpent") was the most famous longship of Olaf Tryggvason.

Mora

The Mora was the ship given to William the Conqueror by his wife, Matilda, and used as the flag ship in the conquest of England.

Legacy

The Vikings were major contributors to ship building at that time. The Vikings had extensive contact between other cultures to spread their ways of shipbuilding. Ships in the 11th and 12th centuries were known to borrow many of the longships’ elements and add those techniques into their shipbuilding. Despite many centuries that have passed. Many historians, archeologists, and adventure hunters, have recreated longships to see how they sailed and their significance. Recreators were able to find the advances that the Vikings implemented into the longships to make them superior vessels. On reconstructed longship covered 223 nautical miles in a single day. Another recreator was able to go faster than 8 knots in his longship. The longship was a master of all trades; it was wide and stable, yet light, fast and nimble. With all the designs cumulated into one ship, the longship was unrivaled for centuries until the great gunboats and galleons appeared.

External links

• The Ormen Friske disaster – a warning against construction errors in Viking ship replicas
• The Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde
• The Viking Ship Museum in Oslo
• Vikingships and traditional norse wooden boats
• Heritage Hjemkomst Interpretive Center in Moorhead, Minnesota

References

William Fitzhugh and Elisabeth Ward, "Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga" Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press. 2000. A.W. Brogger, "The Viking ships, their ancestry and evolution." Oslo, Dreyer. 1951.

• Kim McCone, Zisalpinisch-gallisch uenia und lokan in Festschrift Untermann, ed Heidermans et al., Innsbruck, 1993.1.

Trent, Lynda. The Viking Longship. 1st ed. San Diego: Lucent Books, 1999.

Forte, Angelo, Richard Oram, and Frederik Pederson. Viking Empires. 1st. ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Dersin, Denise, ed. What Life Was Like When Longships Sailed. 1st ed. Richmond: Time Life Books, 1998.

The Viking Ships. A. W. Brogger and Haakon Shetelig. Twayne Publishers, New York, 1971, and C. Hurst, London, 1971.

Hale, John R. "The Viking Longship." Scientific American February 1998: 58-66.da:Vikingeskib de:Langschiff es:Drakkar fr:Drakkar is:Langskip nl:Vikingschip no:Vikingskip nn:Vikingskip pl:Drakkar pt:Navio dragão ru:Драккар sk:Drakkar fi:Pitkävene sv:Långskepp