DK Eyewitness Books - Viking

Gunwale (top strake)

Shield rack, a long plank

behind which t he shields

could be rested

RUNNING WITH THE WIND

These warships are loosely based on the ships

found at Gokstad and Oseberg in Norway. With a

good wind behind it, a Viking warship was fast. In

1893, a replica of the Gokstad ship took 28 days to

sail from Norway to Newfoundland, Canada.

Flat wooden blade

The warriors would pull

out t heir shields when t hey

fought at sea or landed on a

foreign beach

Leat her t hong

to attach to t he

stern-head

DETACHABLE
Figureheads and
stern-posts may have
been detachable. This is
a replica stern-post. The
Bayeux Tapestry shows
ships on the beach with
holes in their prows where
carved and painted dragon
heads may have been
attached.

STEERING OAR

The steering oar was

fastened to the gunwale

(top strake) by a broad

band of leather. Lower

down it was also fastened

to a wooden boss (knob) on

the ship’s side with a flexible

piece of willow branch or pine

root. This allowed the

steersman to move the oar easily.

In shallow water, he undid the

leather band and pulled the oar up.

IN FULL SAIL

This model shows the Roskilde warship in full

sail. Viking sails were often dyed blood red, to

strike fear into anyone who saw them coming.

The shields were slotted into a shield rack that

ran along the side of the ship. On other ships,

the shields hung from cords.

In Viking times,

t his rope would

have been made of

willow or pine

Prow (front)

Steering

oar

Stern (rear)

Lower slot

for attaching

t he oar to t he

gunwale

Rope made of plant fiber

such as bast or hemp

Sail made of wool or linen,

sometimes quilted in stripes

or a diamond pattern

Rigging (t he ship’s ropes)

Carved and

painted wood

FOR THE TILLERMAN

This is a modern replica of a tiller. It slotted

into a hole at the top of the steering oar. The

steersman always held the tiller on the level. By moving

it to fore (forward) or aft (backward), he turned the ship to

the left or right. The rope would have been tied to a peg in

the deck, to stop the tiller from swinging wildly in a storm.

Slot for tiller

(c) 2011 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.(c) 2011 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.