The size of longships varied, for they were measured according to the number of rowing places; for example, a thirteen venture with thirteen benches on each side, a total of twenty-six, was the smallest ship that was used for war. Longships had small raised decks at the bow and stern, and a rough deck made of loose planks that could be lifted to facilitate bailing, The main deck area could also be covered with a large awning over a collapsible light timber framework. In addition, the sail and mast could be easily raised and lowered, which was a feature that was particularly useful during ship-to-ship sea battles.
These ships were immune to the possibility of being becalmed and could manage even the most difficult conditions of wind and current. They were the
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Its lack of height above the water led to the ultimate failure of the Viking ship as a fighting vessel. The Vikings had little success in the Mediterranean against galleys, with their doubled or tripled banks of oars. And in Northern waters, the Scandinavians began to lose their advantage in the eleventh and twelfth centuries to larger and sturdier vessels, namely cogs and hulks, that were developed by European shipwrights. In 1304, the whole Danish fleet, nearly 1,100 ships, was converted into cogs. In addition to this detriment, the Vikings ultimately were too individualistic to be organized into effective national powers. In spite of this, the settlements in Greenland have “stubbornly persevered to the present day.”
The Viking Era begins around 800 A.D., a bit earlier, and ends slowly between the years 1000 and 1066 A.D. In 1066, the Norwegian King Harald Hardrada, whom I discussed earlier, attempted to regain the English throne, which a Viking ancestor had briefly occupied, and was defeated by the Saxon King of England, Harold II. Thenceforth, the Vikings never again threatened
Known for being one of the newest and largest ships at the time, headed high speed through
The Great Heathen Army was the name of a coalition of Norse armies from the Scandinavian region; Denmark, Norway, and possibly also Sweden in approximately 865CE, and ending in approximately 875CE with the defeat of the Viking army by King Alfred ‘The Great’ of Wessex. There were multiple possible motivations for this invasion, including (but not limited to): revenge for the death of legendary Ragnarr Lodbok, the expansion of Norse control into the British Isles, and the need for fresher lands for agriculture. There are two main sources that tell us about the Great Heathen Invasion; The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle by various authors and Life of King Alfred by Asser, which will be evaluated to determine their reliability as primary sources for the
The carrack, or nao, was a large, multi-decked ship that used a combination of square and lateen sails to ensure a balance of power and maneuverability. The carrack became the premiere ship of early exploration and trade as it was able to carry up to 1,000 tons(Johnston) and was capable of withstanding the lengthiest voyages. The premiere ships of the voyages of Columbus, De Gama, and Magellan were all carracks.
When the Vikings reached the New World, they called the native inhabitants (American Indians or Native Americans), “Skræling.” There has been much debate as to what exactly this word or label meant. Some translate it as “skin wearers,” which may be true as to how they described them, being the Norse generally wore woolen or linen clothing and North American Natives generally wore animal skins. But there was one additional thing puzzling about the Norse and the Skræling. The Viking explorers weren't curious or baffled by these new people. As if, they'd come into contact with people like this before and their way of life. 500 years later, when other Europeans had come to the New World (The Americas), they were ultimately curious of these strange new people and their ways that they had never seen before. But not the Norse, the Norse hint that they have come into regular contact with people like this on a fairly regular basis.
Upon first encountering one another, the vikings and the natives of Scotland often experienced violent confrontation. However, through the passage of time they contributed in shaping each other in equal and sometimes opposite measure. There are several hypotheses that describe the details of the first viking-indigenous interactions.1 Out of the many propositions, two theories appear most often. The first asserts that the vikings set up an earldom and thenceforth ruled over the native Scottish population. Sometimes this earldom is portrayed as peaceful, at other times more violent. The second proposition asserts that a genocide took place in which the vikings eliminated and replaced the native people.2 The evidence for either model is contradictory and variably justifiable. The best explanation therefore is a syntheses of both hypotheses. Namely, that both earldom and genocide took place in different circumstances. Bands of viking ships were often federations, and as such individual rulers within the federation must have had some measure of latitude. In some areas viking captains completely exterminated the indigenous people they found. In other instances, the leaders simply subjugated the people they encountered. In areas where the local population were left alive they influenced the Scandinavian settlers in terms of religion and material culture to different degrees. Conversely, the viking presence in Scotland forced the native inhabitants to become more militant and politically united.3 Furthermore, the natives eventually adopted parts of Scandinavian language, material culture, and custom as well.
When we hears the term Viking an immediate image of bloodthirsty men with long beards and horned helmets is conjured up in our minds. This is the image the historical sources have given us, and it is partly true. Vikings were merciless when raiding, but they were peaceful when they traded. Their navigational technology was exceptional, and the ones who settled in foreign lands contributed greatly to the lands’ culture.
TheVikings have been sailing for thousands of years (Steel 1). The Vikings traveled for 2 years this was called a Vikings trial (Steel 1). They would go out in search for land and new wonders in life. They would build their own boats out of wood and hides of animals. They were known as the best sailors of their time.
The Vikings in their time were the best shipbuilders and sailors in the world. Their ships were very strong as they were made out of a very long-lasting type of wood, which was oak wood. They thought of many creative ways to make their ships more durable, such as dipping sheep?s wool in tar and then filling in the ships gaps to make it waterproof. The Vikings had long voyages, passing many parts of Europe and simultaneously speeding at least glimpses of their amazing technology skills to the people who saw there ships. For example many people from Ireland and Brittan must have seen their ships as they travelled from their homeland Scandinavia to France in the year 798. But their amazing technology skills would have not been spread throughout the world with out the help of navigation.
... aircrafts in their time. Likewise they also sunk a German destroyer and permanently put a German torpedo boat out of action due to damages.
...nly able to think about themselves not about what is best for the team. Shackleton was able to disregard selfish thoughts and with a little luck, good leadership, and strategic thinking his team was led to rescue.
Britain in the 800’s was much different then than it is now. The people of Denmark, called Danes or Vikings, attacked Britain and started a war between the two countries. Britain was helpless at the time because of their lack of leadership from their king. When King Alfred came to power, Britain turned the war around and found a king worthy of the title. Because of King Alfred’s reign, Britain was shaped to be what it is today.
This made a change from dugouts to the use of birch bark. Birch Bark canoes started in the 1800’s in Canada. Various people such as, Native Americans, missionaries, and trappers, would use this type of canoe for travel through the North American waterways (Winkler). The bark itself would be strong enough to carry large loads that normally dugouts could not hold, as well as, be light enough to be carried across land and used again. Continuing, the canoe was completely waterproof, causing a smooth flowing canoe, therefore, the people paddling would not have to worry about their items getting wet when being transported. These canoes could also be fixed easily, because of the material being used was so available, therefore, even if this canoe broke a little, it can be prepared fast and easy. Birch bark canoes started a new form of transportation in the way that they could run all sorts of water flows. From rapids to slow moving backwaters, this canoe could adapt it’s function. When European explorers came over, they immediately found an interest to the birch bark canoes and decided to bring them back over to Europe. Expansion of the birch bark canoe, soon developed all over the world. Transportation, was in fact, made easier through the use of the birch bark canoe, due to it’s easy accessibility and it being
Typically, the image of a Viking is a barbaric, bearded man plundering and destroying a neighboring village. This is actually the stereotypical viewpoint. In actuality, Vikings, have a very different image. For example, Vikings did not wear furry boots or furry armor, they did not have horned helmets, they invaded Britain, and they also were the first to discover America! They were also experts in nautical technology, crafts, trading, warfare and many other skills (Jonsson 1). With all of these traits, the Vikings seem like an unstoppable force in the European continent. But, who were the Vikings? The Vikings were actually venturesome seafarers. This means that they were travelers who were constantly exploring and looking for new areas of land. There roots can be traced all the way back to 6000 B.C. were nomadic men traveled in primitive crafts up the Denmark coast. Fast forward two millennia and these nomadic people have established permanent homes, but still using the boat for food and travel. As stated before, they were not just raiders, although they did do this frequently, but they were actually expert traders, trading all around the world. It wasn’t until around 793 A.D. that a Viking explosion took place in northern Europe (Jonsson 2). Raids began to take place on neighboring villages and their places of worship. To some this is the only type of knowledge they have about Vikings. However, their culture was something to be admired. Trading, religion, and everyday life are all important parts of a Viking culture.
The Vikings began as a vast number of Scandinavians leaving their homelands seeking for fortunes elsewhere. Known for their raids, the Vikings terrorized the coasts of Europe between 800 and 1050 CE. The Viking longship proved to have ultimate operational flexibility from the strongly built overlapping planks that carried the structural load of the hull. Most of the their settlements were located in England and Normandy. However, some of the Viking traders penetrated the heartland of Russia by following the great rivers. The Scandinavian culture during this period was highly intriguing from their burial customs to the warfare and raids. Leif Eriksson also plays a part in the colonization Iceland and Greenland and the exploration of the North
The history of warships goes back in history to the ancient Greeks and Romans. Their ships were called galleys. The galleys were powered by oarsmen. The galley had a sharp point in the front for ramming other ships. In the A. D. 700's, the Vikings invented the long ship. It weighed less than the galley and was stronger and more seaworthy. The Viking's controlled the seas until the 1000's. By the 1500's most warships carried guns, and later became heavily armed ships.