This must have been the shout-out when the Viking Longboats were spotted heaving their way expertly through the seas. Vikings were brutal in their assaults, often raiding countries they had previously traded with. They came from lands that weren’t rich, and if they were brutal in their raids, it was no more than what their enemies would have done to them. No one would look favourably on being beaten up for their silver, jewels or weapons.

They came from Scandinavia

The Vikings were Norse people who came from Scandinavia, better known as Norway, Sweden and Denmark. The word Viking means 'a pirate raid', which is a fitting name as they were fierce, fearsome warriors and looters. But they were also farmers, family members, traders, shipbuilders, etc, and they crossed raging seas in elaborate ships to conquer territories far and wide, leaving a strong mark on Northern Europe. Studies have revealed that in 844 CE they reached parts of what is now Galicia in Spain, and Braga, Porto, and Vila Real in Portugal.

Viking Longships

Primarily for commerce, exploration and warfare, many of the longship's characteristics were adopted by other cultures, like Anglo-Saxons, and influenced shipbuilding for centuries. An ordinary Viking longboat was built of tarred and caulked pine planks, with a dragon-headed prow, a single wooden sail, walrus-hide cables, and benches where rowers sat side by side. Primarily used for long sea voyages, the ‘knarr’ as it was known, was a cargo ship; the hull was wider, deeper and shorter than a longship, and could take more cargo and be operated by smaller crews.

Longships were fast, and with their skilled crews were fighting ships with the sole purpose of carrying a raiding party.

They were heavily manned with anywhere between 40 and 100 highly trained seamen warriors. The huge crew meant that the boat could be tacked very quickly, and were characterised as being graceful, narrow, long and light, with a shallow-draft hull designed for speed, which allowed navigation in shallow waters and made them suitable for beach landings, while their light weight enabled them to be carried if necessary or used upside down for shelter if needed. Fitted with oars along almost the entire length of the boat itself, later versions had a sail on a single mast, which was used to replace or help the rowers, particularly during long journeys.

This very high manning level wasn’t just for fighting. First, a Norse shipmaster could balance a longship very well by moving the whole crew from one side to the other, or stern to bow, which enabled him to do some prodigious feats of sailing both downwind and across it.

Different Types of Longships

Old Norse terminology further differentiated between different types of longships. Ones that were especially long and narrow were called skeiðar, vessels with dragon or serpent heads were called drakkar, while some slightly smaller ones were known as snekke.

The average speed of Viking ships varied from ship to ship, but lay in the range of 9–19 km/h with the maximum speed under good conditions being around 28 km/h.

Although the original Vikings have long become extinct, their genes can still be found today. People from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark are said to be most closely related to the Vikings, with physical signs of fair skin and tall stature being linked to a possible Viking ancestry.

Isle of Man connection

Strangely, the Viking Long Boat Championship is unique to the Isle of Man, which has a strong connection to the Vikings. Teams of 10 are challenged against each other for the fastest time around the 400m course in Peel Harbour. I got roped into this one year myself, and I can’t say it was easy! We were fighting the waves and the one oar permitted per person was cumbersome and heavy, and had to be worked hard and in rhythm with the other rowers. Although it was only for fun and for the amusement of the bystanders, there were prizes to be won. However, I was useless and wasn’t asked again, having managed to topple myself backwards into the lap of the rower behind me!

Author

Marilyn writes regularly for The Portugal News, and has lived in the Algarve for some years. A dog-lover, she has lived in Ireland, UK, Bermuda and the Isle of Man. 

Marilyn Sheridan