Ships and Pirates By: Jena Bishop and Jennifer Witczak

The Viking Age Started in 793 AD with the raid on the Monastery at Lindisfarne Island. Ended in 1066 AD at the battle of Stamford Bridge near York. This is a picture of a Viking Ship made around 800 AD.

Purpose of the Viking Ships The ships were able to navigate rivers that other navy’s ship could not travel through. Also able to handle rough seas like the North Atlantic Ocean. The ships were found in Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland, the Mediterranean, and Africa.

The Ships They were all made of wood. It was the considered opinion that only Oak was used but as more shipwrecks from the Viking period have been discovered, we have learned that ships were made out of Ash, Elm, Pine, and Larch. Oak was used because only the greatest warships were always made from Oak.

Types of Ships Knarr- Cargo ships with a length of about 54 feet. They consistently crossed the North Atlantic carrying livestock to stores in Greenland. Smaller Vessels- Used for human transport, livestock, and other goods. They were able to navigate in very shallow water so they were good for coasting.

Types of Ships (continued) Viking Symbol- Called “Dragon Ships” because there was a large object coming from the front of the ship. They were the pride of all Viking fleets. The ships were fast and powerful.

Shipwrights People who make ships and boats. Decided which trees were best for the various complicated tasks the wood had to do when it was cut to shape and fitted into the form of a ship. Understood the different needs of a cargo ship and a fishing trawler.

Shipwrights (continued) At times, they recycled planks from decommissioned ships Filled in gaps and joints with patches and re-fitted them into a new ship or used them to repair old ships. They were constantly busy building different types of boats and ships.

Log Boats Very common and easy to build. Durable and they cost very little money. Used to cross small rivers or lakes or to move livestock. It’s construction lasted until the early eighteenth century in England. Still being made in places such as Poland in the 1930s.

Construction Different parts of the ship were made from different parts of the tree. Builders took advantage of naturally grown ‘joints’ where the branches grew from the main trunk of the tree. These joints are stronger than the man-made ones, avoiding the need for glue and nails in construction.

Construction (continued) Almost all of the work on the ship had to be done with a variety of axes. Hammers, wedges, chisels, drawknives, and planes with saw were only occasionally used. A ‘shipwright’ splitting a log in half in the process of building.

Works Cited lf%20survey.htmhttp://ve017.k12.sd.us/12th%20LA/beowu lf%20survey.htm