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longship |
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longshipViking warship, probably developed in the 8th century. Longships were manoeuvrable and fast, well designed for raiding coastal settlements. They could carry 60 or more warriors and travelled under sail or by rowing. There were up to 30 rowing benches in standard longships (the ‘great ships’ of the late Viking Age had even more). The length-to-breadth ratio of the longship is greater than 6:1 (11.4:1 in one case) enabling them to cut swiftly through the water. Speed was further enhanced by lightness; the timbers of the shell were planed to a width of only 2 cm/0.8 in. In 1997 Danish archaeologists discovered a longship dating from AD 1025, in the mud of Roskilde harbour. At 35 m/115 ft, it is the longest discovered so far. |
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Any place within reach of Viking longships was in peril--especially England, surrounded by seas. He implemented some innovative defensive measures, such as a conscription system for alternative service in the military and in agriculture, a shipbuilding program with vessels of his own design to oppose the Danish longships (whence he was called "The father of the British Navy"), and a system of fortified towns (buhrs) for defence against land-invaders--this latter was never fully implemented by his officials. Two kinds of Viking boats were the Longship and the _______________. |
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longship
