Viking Sun Art Collection

EXPLORERS’ LOUNGE |

EXPLORERS’ LOUNGE | DECKS 7–8 SKULDELEV 1 Skuldelev 1, one of the five Viking ships excavated in Roskilde Fjord, is an oceangoing vessel built in Sognefjord, western Norway, dating back to circa 1030 AD. Most likely a knar, a large cargo ship of the Viking Age, it is 15.8 meters long and 4.8 meters wide, with a one-meter draught. This sturdy ship, constructed with pine planks but repaired with oak, would have had a crew of six to eight men and the ability to reach approximately 13 knots, with two to four oars and a sail of 90 square meters. Considering its seaworthiness, it is probable that Skuldelev 1 was used to sail the Baltic and North Seas, as well as the North Atlantic Ocean. Sixty percent of it has been preserved and is currently on display in the Viking Ship Museum’s Viking Ship Hall. Its replica, Ottar, can also be viewed in the museum’s harbor. THE GOKSTAD SHIP The Gokstad ship is a 9th-century vessel discovered in Kongshaugen, also known as Gokstadhaugen, a burial mound located near the Gokstad farm in Sandefjord, Norway. Excavated in 1880, scientific tests have determined the ship was constructed around 890 AD but was not buried until approximately 10 years later. It was made primarily of oak and clinker-built (a shipbuilding method in which the hull’s planks are laid so their edges overlap), with 16 strakes on each side. Measuring 23.2 meters long and 5.2 meters wide, the Gokstad most likely had a frieze sail with an area of about 110 square meters, which would have allowed it an estimated speed of up to 12 knots. The ship would have been well suited for warfare, trade or the transportation of people and cargo. One of the world’s best preserved Viking ships, it is today housed in the Viking Ship Museum at Bygdøy in Oslo. 8

EXPLORERS’ LOUNGE | DECKS 7–8 THE OSEBERG SHIP BOW The Oseberg ship is a widely renowned, well-preserved Viking vessel built in 820 AD. It was discovered in a large burial mound at the Lille Oseberg farm near Tønsberg in Vestfold, Norway, on August 10, 1903. The ship is commonly acknowledged to be among the finer artifacts to have survived the Viking Age, and was rebuilt and put on display in 1926 with some of its contents in the Viking Ship Museum at Bygdøy in Oslo, where it still remains. A clinker-built karv ship constructed almost entirely of oak, it is 21.58 meters long and 5.10 meters wide, and has a 9- to 10-meter mast. With a sail of approximately 90 square meters, the ship could achieve a speed of up to 10 knots. And its 15 pairs of oar holes means that a crew of up to 30 could row the ship. The Oseberg is known for being particularly beautiful, and a lot of resources were put into decorating the vessel. The ship is embellished with animal decor, and great animal ornamentation has been carved all the way from the keel, far below the waterline, and up to the curved, swan-like bow culminating with the head of a serpent. Ships with such rich decorations would probably have been reserved for people from the upper class. 9