DK Eyewitness Books - Viking

55

REBUILDING THE OSEBERG SHIP
The Oseberg burial mound was 144 ft (44 m) long and 20 ft
(6 m) high. It was excavated in t he summer of 1904. The
ship inside was in a bad condition. It had been filled with
heavy stones, which had broken the wood into thousands
of fragments. Each fragments was numbered, washed,
and protected with preservatives. Then the ship was
painstakingly put back together, piece by piece.

Prow, or stem-post, is a snake’s head in a spiral

Mast

Stern-post

Bailing

bucket

Pine shield rack

INSIDE THE BURIAL SHIP

The Oseberg ship is the most sumptuous

Viking burial. The bones of two women were

found inside. They had been buried in the

mid-9th century. Judging by the rich furnishings,

one was probably a queen. The other may

have been her slave or servant. The ship also

contained a richly carved wooden wagon, three

beautiful sleds (p. 40), a work-sled, and many

pieces of furniture, tapestries, and kitchen

utensils such as an iron cooking cauldron (p. 35).

The carving on some of these objects is superb.

The dead women must have once lain on the

beds found in the burial chamber. These were

littered with feathers and other remains of

bedding. Two oxen and at least 14 horses

had also been slaughtered and

thrown into the ship.

Keel, nearly 65 ft

(20 m) long, made

of two pieces of oak

Hull of ship is made of oak

Oarports (holes)

Oars

WE BURN HIM IN A MOMENT

This is a reenactment of a Viking funeral pyre. The Arab traveler

Ibn Fadhlan (pp. 19, 47) saw a Viking chieftain’s funeral in Russia

in 922. The dead man was dressed in beautiful clothes and seated

in the ship, surrounded by drinks, food, and weapons. Then

various animals and finally a woman were killed and laid in the

ship with him. Finally, the ship was set on fire. Ibn Fadhlan was

told: “We burn him in a moment and he goes at once to paradise.”

BURIAL CHEST

The burial chamber

of the Oseberg ship

contained the fragments

of many wooden chests.

This is the best preserved

one. It is made of oak and

decorated with broad

iron bands. The elaborate

locking system includes

three iron rods that end

in animal heads. The

chest was full of tools,

which the dead woman

may have needed to

repair her vehicles in

the next world.

BURIED BROOCH

No jewelry was found in the Oseberg ship, because the

mound had been robbed long ago. But this bronze brooch

was found in a woman’s grave nearby. It is in the shape of

an exotic animal with an arched head. The style is very

similar to some of the Oseberg wood carvings.

Rows of nails decorate and

secure t he iron bands

One of t hree rods

wit h animal heads

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