The final stop in our Denmark jaunt was Roskilde. About a half hour west of Copenhagen, the city is known for hosting one of Europe's best outdoor music festivals every July. We were there for a different reason entirely - Vikings!
A thousand years ago Vikings scuttled five ships in the fjord, creating underwater barriers in the navigation channels to protect what was the capital at the time, Roskilde. Fifty years ago a team created another kind of barrier around the area, drained the waters, and excavated the ships. As the centrepiece of the Viking Ship Museum, they are historically significant because each ship was for a different use, ranging from a merchant ship with a crew of 5 people to a longship that could carry 80 warriors. Just like the Iron Islands.
More curious than the preserved ships is that the museum does a lot of experimental archaeology, which is basically being like Mythbusters. There is an actual boatyard on site, where archaeologists and craftsmen build ships using the tools and technologies of the time. Strikingly, Vikings loved their axes so much, they didn't bother with inventing a saw to fell huge trees... which kinda sucks for the modern shipbuilder. The museum also tests the reconstructed ships in real life, most notably in the sailing of a longship from Roskilde to Dublin, Ireland... and back. Watching the documentary, the trip looks pretty miserable - the crew is exposed day and night to the elements, and with just one sail, when the winds are unfavorable, time to row, me hearties, row!
But the best part of the museum is that you can do it, too. Square-sailed boats go out for a short trip around the fjord. After a brief safety chat and demo, we climbed on board, cack-handedly arranged our oars, and rowed into the harbor. Those long oars are so heavy it's amazing we got anywhere, and as non-rowers, our technique left much to be desired... as the old Australian guy in front of me would attest, shouting "Stay with the stroke!" every time I was out of sync or knocking his oar. Thankfully, we made it far enough out that the sail could be put up, and we could enjoy the views. I even got to hold the sail for a while!
A thousand years ago Vikings scuttled five ships in the fjord, creating underwater barriers in the navigation channels to protect what was the capital at the time, Roskilde. Fifty years ago a team created another kind of barrier around the area, drained the waters, and excavated the ships. As the centrepiece of the Viking Ship Museum, they are historically significant because each ship was for a different use, ranging from a merchant ship with a crew of 5 people to a longship that could carry 80 warriors. Just like the Iron Islands.
More curious than the preserved ships is that the museum does a lot of experimental archaeology, which is basically being like Mythbusters. There is an actual boatyard on site, where archaeologists and craftsmen build ships using the tools and technologies of the time. Strikingly, Vikings loved their axes so much, they didn't bother with inventing a saw to fell huge trees... which kinda sucks for the modern shipbuilder. The museum also tests the reconstructed ships in real life, most notably in the sailing of a longship from Roskilde to Dublin, Ireland... and back. Watching the documentary, the trip looks pretty miserable - the crew is exposed day and night to the elements, and with just one sail, when the winds are unfavorable, time to row, me hearties, row!
But the best part of the museum is that you can do it, too. Square-sailed boats go out for a short trip around the fjord. After a brief safety chat and demo, we climbed on board, cack-handedly arranged our oars, and rowed into the harbor. Those long oars are so heavy it's amazing we got anywhere, and as non-rowers, our technique left much to be desired... as the old Australian guy in front of me would attest, shouting "Stay with the stroke!" every time I was out of sync or knocking his oar. Thankfully, we made it far enough out that the sail could be put up, and we could enjoy the views. I even got to hold the sail for a while!
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