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Viking ship is a collective term for ships used during the Viking Age (793–1066) in Northern Europe. They often had a dragon head or other circular object protruding from the front and back, for design. The ships are normally divided into classes based on size and function:

Types of Ship

Knarr

The Knarr is the norse term for ships that were built for Atlantic voyages. They were cargo ships with a length of about 54 feet (16m), a beam of 15 feet (4.5m), and a hull capable of carrying up to 24 tons.^[1] Knarrs routinely crossed the North Atlantic centuries ago carrying livestock and stores to Iceland and Greenland. The vessel also influenced the design of the cog, used in the Baltic Sea by the Hanseatic League.

Smaller Vessels

The Karve was a Viking ship unlike the longships, with a length of 70 feet (20m), a 17-foot (5m) beam, 16 oars, and a draft of about 3 feet (1m). The Faering was a small boat resembling a dinghy used to travel up and down rivers.

Viking Symbol

The Viking ships were called “Dragon Ships” because they had a large circular object protruding from the front of the ship. These ships were the pride of all Viking fleets. They symbolized the Viking force and power because the Vikings were great raiders. Their ships were fast and ruthless lead on by the Vikings themselves for their next trip. The Vikings were feared among many civilizations in ancient Europe and the dragon heads, usually on the boat, depicted their strength and brutality as well as their fearlessness.

Preserved ships

Only a few Viking ships have been excavated and preserved, the most famous of these are:

External links

Recreating a Viking voyage - BBC
The Vikingship Museum in Roskilde, Denmark
Web page about the Gokstad ship excavation
The Oslo Viking Ship Museum
Gaia, the Gokstad Ship copy
The Oseberg Ship
Dreknor Project, Normandy
Leif Ericson Viking Ship LEVS is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit educational organization dedicated to the study, education and promotion of the fact that Leif Ericson was the first European to set foot upon and explore the North American Continent and of Vikings in general, their times and travels throughout the world.
Rebuilding and sailing a Viking Knarr ship
History of vikings
Francis Miltoun: Ships & shipping, London, Alexander Moring Ltd., 1903
The Mariner's Museum: Age of exploration

References

^ Peter Sawyer, (1997) The Oxford Illustrated history of the Vikings. Oxford University Press ISBN-13: 978-0-19-285434-6 ISBN-10: 0-19-285434-8

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[1] Peter Sawyer, (1997) The Oxford Illustrated history of the Vikings. Oxford University Press ISBN-13: 978-0-19-285434-6 ISBN-10: 0-19-285434-8

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 === Knarr ===
 {{main|Knarr}}
-The ''[[Knarr]]'' was a cargo AMIT with a length of about 54 feet (16m), a beam of 15 feet (4.5m), and a hull capable of carrying 15 tons. Knarrs routinely crossed the [[North Atlantic]] centuries ago carrying livestock and stores to [[Iceland]] and [[Greenland]]. The vessel also influenced the design of the [[cog (ship)|cog]], used in the [[Baltic Sea]] by the [[Hanseatic League]].
+The Knarr is the norse term for ships that were built for Atlantic voyages. They were cargo ships with a length of about 54 feet (16m), a beam of 15 feet (4.5m), and a hull capable of carrying up to 24 tons.<ref>Peter Sawyer, (1997) ''The Oxford Illustrated history of the Vikings''. Oxford University Press ISBN-13: 978-0-19-285434-6 ISBN-10: 0-19-285434-8</ref> Knarrs routinely crossed the [[North Atlantic]] centuries ago carrying livestock and stores to [[Iceland]] and [[Greenland]]. The vessel also influenced the design of the [[cog (ship)|cog]], used in the [[Baltic Sea]] by the [[Hanseatic League]].
 === Smaller Vessels ===