Viking Longships, how were they designed?

Here is another post on the Vikings series from the History of the Ancient and Medieval World that I started over a month now. Today I will be sharing with you what Viking longships are.

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Viking attacks were only as successful as their longships, which were speedy and well-built vessels. A typical longship was a narrow boat made of overlapping oak planks that measured 60-80 feet (18-24 metres) from stem to stern. It was powered by sail and oars and had a shallow keel that allowed it to negotiate rivers.

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On each side of a ship, there were around 30 oarsmen. In calm weather, they could row together to power the ship, while a big, rectangular fabric sail allowed the ship to sail at up to 10 knots (11.5 mph; 18.5 km/h) in favourable breezes. The Vikings could travel from Norway to England in 24 hours at that rate.

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A carved dragon's head adorned the prow of each vessel, its look designed to instil dread in all who saw it. The sails of the longships were frequently vividly coloured to attract attention to the fleet. Warriors typically draped their shields around the exterior of the ship's hull when embarking on a hostile raid.

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The Vikings were superb navigators, which allowed them to accomplish their perilous Atlantic voyages. They relied on the sun and stars for navigation, and a mystery sunstone, a polarising crystal, may have aided them. Despite the fact that their vessels were oceangoing, they were light enough to be dragged overland when necessary, such as during the ninth century CE push to Kiev on unnavigable parts of the Dnieper River. The Vikings rigged their ships with tree trunks that served as rollers.

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In the summer, replica longships sail from Norway to various locations of Britain as a reminder of the Viking Age. This ring us to the conclusion of this post.