Viking Ships

Viking Ships were the indispensable key to the Viking Age.  At once graceful, sturdy and functional, these wooden vessels made the explosion of the Norse onto the world stage possible.  The warship - longship - is the design which most of us envision at the mention of Viking Ships.  But it was the workhorse knarr - that less graceful, bulkier ship - that enabled the vast trade networks to be established.  It was in a knarr that Norse mariners ventured to North American shores.

Viking  Longships

The sleek, shallow-draft warships that spread fear throughout northern Europe.

 

The Sturdy Knarr

Knarrs were the bulkier, utilitarian trading ships of the Norse peoples .  Though not as sleek as the longships, it was knarrs that crossed the North Atlantic.  And it was in a knarr that Leif Eriksson explored Vinland. 

 

Other Ship Related Data

Additional information about  ships and seamanship in the Viking Age.

 

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Last modified: October 18, 2003