A
Virtual
Look at
a
VIKING
SHIP
The keel, the ship's backbone, gave Viking warriors
greater control over their ship's direction. Since the keel
supports the entire ship, it is made from the strongest and
best quality oak. The keel was sculpted from one single
oak tree so that it was thicker and deeper in the center
where the greatest weight would be placed. Its tapered
ends helped the ship to glide through water.
The unique shape of the hull (the main body of the ship) was
what made a Viking ship so formidable. The base of the hull was
made as flat as possible so that the ship could sail in shallow
waters -- allowing warriors to raid any town along a shore or
riverbank. The sides of Viking warships were built high to
prevent water gushing in while under sail. But the high sides
brought another advantage -- protection from spears and other
missiles during sea battles.
Viking ships were built by overlapping the strakes (or planks) and
then fastening them together by iron rivets. The strakes were then
made watertight by caulking -- packing tarred wool or fur between
each strake. This method allowed the hull to flex with the waves,
thus avoiding being torn apart. To make the ship as light as
possible and, therefore, faster, each strake was made as thin as
possible. Although strakes were only about an inch thick, they
were very strong because they were cut following the grain of the
wood.
When Vikings wanted to go
faster, they would switch
from oars to sail. Hoisted on
the mast, sails were easily
raised with ropes made from
leather. Under sail and
during strong winds, a ship
could go as fast as 15 knots
or 17 mph! Sails were made
from wool or linen, quilted in
stripes or a diamond pattern
and reinforced with leather
and rope. They were often
dyed blood red to make the
ships look even more
fearsome.
The mast held the sail and was attached to a large block of oak
called the kerling ("old woman" in Old Norse). The kerling rested
on the keel and was fastened to two ribs of the ship, allowing it to
evenly distribute the weight of the mast and sail near the center
of the keel. Above the kerling was the mastfish, which held the
mast erect. The kerling and the mastfish prevented the mast from
toppling into rough seas. They also made it possible for the mast
to be removed and laid on the deck during high winds and heavy
seas so it would not break.
The rudder or steering oar was fastened
onto the right side of the ship near the
stern and onto the gunwale (the top
strake) by a band of leather. Since the
helmsman needed to twist the rudder to
change the ship's direction, the rudder
was fastened further down the hull with a
flexible piece of willow branch and
through a rib of the ship. This also
allowed the rudder to swing out of the
water when the ship was beached.
Oars, about 18 feet long, were passed through small
circular holes with a diagonal cut through which their
blades were pushed. Under sail, oar holes were
covered with a wooden plug to keep water out. When
rowed, a Viking ship could reach a maximum speed of
seven miles an hour.
Shields were placed into a rack
that ran along the side of the
ship. The shields protected
warriors from arrows and spears
during sea battles. Like the
blood red sail, the shields in the
rack were designed to be a
terrifying sight.
Viking boats did not have
seats for oarsmen. Instead,
these warriors probably sat
on sea chests. Warships,
unlike cargo or merchant
ships, did not have storage
below deck, so the chests
doubled as storage for
weapons and other
belongings.
The prows of Viking ships
were often carved into
dragonheads to ward off sea
serpents and evil spirits of
the sea that the Vikings
believed were responsible for
sunken ships. Viking
warships were nicknamed
"dragon ships" because of
these boldly painted
figureheads.