Models of Viking ships at port, including a Knarr, Longship and Faering

Viking ship is a collective term for ships used during the Viking Age (800–1100) in Northern Europe. The ships are normally divided into classes based on size and function: Image File history File links Modell_Knorr. ... Image File history File links Modell_Knorr. ... The Viking Age is the name of the age in Northern Europe, following the Germanic Iron Age. ...

Types of Ship

Longship

Main article: Longship

These were the most versatile of the Viking ships, with a length of about 100 feet (30m), a 20-foot (6m) beam, up to 60 oars, and a crew of about 70-80. These could carry up to 20 tons of supplies. A large type of longship, known only from historical sources, is the Drekkar. These are said to have been the pride of Viking war-fleets, and were known as "Dragon Ships". The largest longship ever found however, is the Roskilde 6 discovered in Roskilde harbour in 1996/7. This ship is approximately 36m long and was built in the mid-11th century. The Oseberg longship (Viking Ship Museum, Norway) Oseberg longship from the front, one of the most stunning expressions of Norse art and craftsmanship A longship tacking in the wind Longships were ships primarily used by the Scandinavian Vikings and the Saxons to raid coastal and inland settlements during the European... Drekkar, translated as dragon ship, was a longship used by Scandinavian Vikings for raids during the 11th century AD The Drekkar was designed to carry more troops that the standard Gokstad longships, as many as 80 fully armed Vikings, while still being able to travel in bodies of water, due...

Knarr

Main article: Knarr

The Knarr was a cargo vessel with a length of about 54 feet (16m), a beam of 15 feet (4.5m), and a hull capable of carrying 15 tons. Knarrs routinely crossed the North Atlantic centuries ago carrying livestock and stores to Iceland and Greenland. The vessel also influenced the design of the cog, used in the Baltic Sea by the Hanseatic League. The knarr (plural: knarrer) was the generic name for viking trade and mercantile ships. ... The knarr (plural: knarrer) was the generic name for viking trade and mercantile ships. ... For other uses, see Atlantic (disambiguation) The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ... Excavated cog from 1380 Cogs or rather cog-built vessels came into existence around 12th century AD. They were cheracterized by flush-laid flat bottom at midships but gradually shifted to overlapped strakes near the posts. ... The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. ... Carta marina of the Baltic Sea region (1539). ...

Smaller Vessels

The Karve was a Viking ship unlike the longships, with a length of 70 feet (20m), a 17-foot (5m) beam, 16 oars, and a draft of about 3 feet (1m). The Faering was a small boat resembling a dinghy used to travel up and down rivers. A faering is an open rowboat with two pairs of oars, commonly found in most boat-building traditions in western and northern Scandinavia. ...

Preserved ships

Deck from the ceremonial Oseberg Ship.

Only a few Viking ships have been excavated and preserved, the most famous of these are: Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3264x2448, 1168 KB) de:Wikingerschiff in Oslo Source: eigene Aufnahme (Juni 2005) en: Viking longboat in Museum in Oslo, Norway. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3264x2448, 1168 KB) de:Wikingerschiff in Oslo Source: eigene Aufnahme (Juni 2005) en: Viking longboat in Museum in Oslo, Norway. ...

• The Gokstad ship
• The Oseberg ship
• The Tune ship
• The Skuldelev ships

History Gokstad viking ship -excavation. ... The Oseberg ship (Viking Ship Museum, Norway) Detail from the Oseberg ship View from the front - one of the most stunning expressions of Norse art and craftsmenship The Oseberg ship is a Viking ship which was found in a large burial mound at the Oseberg farm near Tønsberg in... The Tune ship is a viking ship of the karv type found at Haugen farm in Østfold, Norway. ... The Skuldelev ships is a term used for 5 Viking ships recovered from Peberrenden by Skuldelev, c. ...

See also

• Cog (ship)
• Modern Recreations of Viking-age ships

Excavated cog from 1380 Cogs or rather cog-built vessels came into existence around 12th century AD. They were cheracterized by flush-laid flat bottom at midships but gradually shifted to overlapped strakes near the posts. ... Modern Recreations of Viking Ships There are a surprising number of modern reconstructions of Viking-Age ships in service around Northern Europe and North America. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Viking ships

• The Vikingship Museum in Roskilde, Denmark
• Web page about the Gokstad ship excavation
• The Oslo Viking Ship Museum
• Gaia, the Gokstad Ship copy
• The Oseberg Ship
• Leif Ericson Viking Ship LEVS is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit educational organization dedicated to the study, education and promotion of the fact that Leif Ericson was the first European to set foot upon and explore the North American Continent and of Vikings in general, their times and travels throughout the world.
• Rebuilding and sailing a Viking Knarr ship