The Bayeux Tapestry and the Vikings - Peregrinations

used closely resemble those in the ship-building scene in the Embroidery. The felling
axe, the broad axe, the small shaping axe, the spoon drill (breast auger), and adze were all
similar to those attested in the Embroidery. The depiction of the stemsmith checking the
lines of the boat by eye suggested the importance of the use of the eye to align the pieces
and to check measurements.
Figure 24: Eye-measuring in the Tapestry. Detail from the Bayeux Tapestry – 11th
Century by special permission of the City of Bayeux.
The sea performance of the vessel was perfect. Roar Ege has been described as “a
voyager through time and a tangible reminder of the spirit of an amazing age.” 29
29 Henrik Juel, Roar’s Circle – a Viking Ship returns to the Sea (Cambridge: Lutterworth Press, 2006).
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