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HISTORY
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. Most of the viking age
principles for shipbuilding are still used in western and
northern Norway in traditional wooden boat building.
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