For the Vikings of the north lands, traveling over water, via rivers, seas, and oceans, was often easier than traveling overland, where they were faced with mountains, ice, and undeveloped roads. While the Vikings are most well-known for their fierce-looking longships, these small draft, durable, iconic vessels weren’t even the most popular boats of their time. As sea-faring tradespeople, the variety of boats that Vikings used were suited for different purposes. There was no need to call out your 30 mightiest friends to man the oars if you wanted to go on a pleasant fishing trip. Likewise, carrying heavy freight required something larger and less maneuverable than the longship.
Most Popular Viking Boat
Comparatively easy to make, dugouts were the most common boats that Vikings used. A dugout would be carved from a single log and provided access for almost anyone to communication and trade routes. The largest dugouts topped about 30 feet in length and could accommodate people and cargo. The smallest would hold one person.
Other Small Viking Boats
A step up from the dugout was the row boat. Also called a skiff, more prosperous people, like fishers and important farmers, likely owned this type of boat. It would have made getting to the market with farm goods or large catches easier.
Larger Boats that Vikings Used
In 1962, researchers found five boats that had been used to defend the Roskilde Fjord in Denmark. These ships were deliberately scuttled to allow the people living there to control access to the fjord. The ships were:
- A small warship, known as a snekkja
- A 90-foot-long warship that could carry 80 people and had a shallow draft of three feet
- Two cargo ships for offshore and coastal trading
- One deep-sea going vessel of the knarr type.
Previously, these types of ships had not been found in the archeological record.
The Viking Knarr
Knarrs were “the workhorses of Viking-Age maritime power,” according to author Neil Price. These were the ships that would carry settlers across the rough North Atlantic Ocean and haul the most cargo for merchants.
Viking Byrding
The byrding were smaller and more maneuverable than their Knarr counterparts. They were used for hauling goods in places that required smaller boats with shallower drafts.
Viking Boats in Alaska
One of Asgard Alaska’s goals is to bring Viking boats to its village and allow guests to enjoy a ride on an authentic longship. It will be thrilling to ride the waters on a boat like the boats that Vikings used. Help us achieve our goal with a donation and visit our shop for some cool Asgard Alaska merchandise.
Sources: Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings by Neil Price (2022).
https://www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk/en/professions/the-boat-collection
https://www.reykjavikcars.com/blog/icelandic-culture/viking-ships
