In the literature, Viking ships are usually seen divided into two broad categories: merchant ships and warships, the latter resembling narrow “war canoes” with less load capacity, but higher speed. However, these categories are overlapping; some transport ships would also form part of war fleets.

The “prow” (French : proue) is the forward-most part of a ship’s bow above the waterline.

Viking names

• Arne: eagle.
• Birger: keeper.
• Bjørn: bear.
• Bo: the resident.
• Erik: absolute ruler.
• Frode: wise and clever.
• Gorm: he who worships god.
• Halfdan: the half Danish.

Another name by which Viking longships are known is Drakkar. This term was first used in a French translation and derived from the word dreki, dragon….

Food would have been dried or salted meat or fish. It could only be cooked if the crew were able to land. They’d drink water, beer or sour milk. The hardship of life on board, especially in rough seas, meant that Vikings did not make voyages in the winter but waited until spring.

around 15 knots

If there was no wind, the Viking warriors would row their ships which allowed them to travel around coasts and up rivers. 3. Any free man could become a warrior but he would have to buy his own armour and weapons.

To do this required naval force and an ability to sail far on the open ocean without sinking. The Viking longship fit the bill brilliantly. Longships featured sharp bows that could easily cut through the sea, thereby reducing resistance when motive force was applied to the hull either through sails or oars.

Deceased

The Vikings probably used a sun compass. A sun sompass always shows the correct direction. This comprises a vertical pointer on a horizontal surface, on which the shadow of the pointer, the so-called gnomon, is drawn through the day.

Archaeological evidence suggests they traveled with portable wooden sundials, which would have been useful on clear days. Along the Vikings’ primary sailing routes, however, the sun could disappear for days at a time.

Most Vikings were farmers as previously mentioned in “Life on a Viking Farm”. They were also excellent all-around handymen: carpenters, blacksmiths, bone-carvers, animal doctors, fence repairers, herdsmen and so on.

The reason for the confusion is that the definitions of ‘Scandinavian’ and ‘Nordic’ are broad and not set in stone. According to Tripsavvy, the generally-accepted definition of Scandinavia is the ancient territories of the Norsemen—more commonly known as the Vikings—present-day Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

Long before the Swedish, Finnish or even the Viking culture had developed, the Scandinavian peninsula was populated by the Saemieh (hereafter referred to as Sami). Later the immigration by and mixing with germanic tribes gave birth to the wellknown Viking culture in Sweden and Norway.