Without their ships the Vikings would never have become Vikings. The slender longships were the high technology of their day.
The whole Viking Age would be unthinkable without one single tool: the longship. Slender, shallow and surprisingly light, it carried the Norsemen across the open Atlantic as well as upriver into the heart of Europe.
The ships were built in clinker construction: the planks overlapped like roof shingles and were riveted, making the hull both strong and flexible. This let the ship flex in the waves instead of breaking. A shallow keel allowed it to land on any beach and to navigate shallow rivers.
Just how high the art stood is shown by the ship burials excavated in Norway. The Oseberg ship (c. 834) is covered all over with intricate animal carvings; the Gokstad ship was a seaworthy ocean-going sailer – a replica crossed the Atlantic without trouble in 1893.
The ships were driven by a large square sail of wool and by rowers. A good longship reached more than ten knots. The dragon-shaped prow that gave the ships their nickname was meant to frighten enemies and ward off evil spirits.
The artfully carved prows are a fine example of how closely craft and meaning belonged together for the Vikings – an idea that guides our engravings too.