The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-07-22
A Chieftain's Tomb-Buried in his
Own Ship.


We copied from the Star last week let
,or from r. Z. Heide respecting an old
Morse war vessel found miles inland from
,bo coast in Norway. He is more about it.
CopENHAGEN, June l6.-Near small
,,illaoe called Gogstad is a tumulus or fun
araaf hin, long known in the local tradi-
IONS under the name Of Kings Hill. This
mole. nearly one hundred and fifty feet in
Iiameter, rises slowly from the ground,
covered with green turf. A nlighty king
had here found his last resting place, sur
rounded by his horses and hounds, and with
costly treasures near his body but for cen
rnries superstition and the fear of avenging
ghost had prevented any examination q.
the supposed grave, until new the spirit OF
investigation has dared to penetrate into its
secrets. The result has been the discovery
# A complete vessel of war, perfect Nik-
ipg craft, In which the unknown chieftain
had been ent@mbed.
The sons Of the present owner on whose
.round the tumulus is situate began inJ an
ary and February this year an excavation !;
hey dug dowa a we'll from the top, and soon
met with some tim Der. Happily they suspend
edtheir work at this point, and reported the
matter to Christeania, when the Society
forthe Preservation of Ancient Monuments
took up the task, and sent down Mr.. Nlco-
lsvsen. 10 conduct the further investigation.
.sliei on in the months of April and May,
''-a.hs % l-appy conclns'an. reveal,
mo the whole body of an old tiaiEg vessel,
/ feet long between stem and stern, l6
feet broad amidships, drawing feet, and
With % ribs This is by far the largest craft
found from the elden times.
1t was the grand imagination of the
period that when the great Father of the
Universe should call him the mighty chief
tain might start from the funeral hill with
his fully-appointed vessel out upon ttae blue
ocean.
In the stem of the ship, first disclosed to
the eye, several interesting obec S were
ound A piece of timber proved to be the
stock of the anchor; it was perforated to
hold the iron, but of this no more was found
than few remnants. La the bottom the
remains of two OIL three small oaken boats of
very elegant shape were placed over
multitude of oars, some of them for the
large craft itself The form of these cars is
highly interesting, and very nearly like that
still in use in English rowing matches, end
ing in small, fnely-cut blade, some of them
With ornamental carvings The bottom
deals, as we'll preserved as if they were of
yesterday, are 0rnamented with circular
Ines In heap of oaken chips and splin-
ters was found an elegantly shaped hatchet,
acouple of inches long, of the shape pecu-
liar to the younger iron age. Some loose
beams ended in roughly carved dragons
heads, painted In the same cOlors as the
as the bows and sides of the vessel-to wit,
Yellow and black. The colors had evidently
not been dissolved in water, as they still
exist but, as olive or other kinds of vege-
table oil were unknown at the time, it is
supposed the colors have been prepared with
some sort of fat, perhaps with blubber.
As the excavation proceeded the whole
ength of the vessel was laid bare. All along
the sides, nearly from stem to stern,
and On the outside, extended a row OF cir
cular shields, placed like the scales of fish;
nearly one hundred of these are remaining,
partly painted in yellow and black, but IN
many of them the wood had been con
sumed and only the central iron plate Is
preserved. From the famous tapestry OF
baveux it is well known that the ancient Vlk-
ing vessel had these rows of shields along
Ine treeboard, but it was supposed that they
We're those used by the warriors in the strife,
and only placed there for convenience. 1t
IS now clear that they had only an orna-
aenta! purpose, being Of very thin wood.
not thicker than stiff pasteboard and unable
- ward off any serious hit from sword. In
Cne middle of the vessel large Oaken block,
ssoldly fastened to the bottom, has a:square
Iole Tor the mast. and several contrivances
:uow that the mast was constructed for be.
ing laid down aft. Some pieces of tow and
'al: alew shreds of woollen stuff. probably the
IIainsail. u were found here. In this part OF
5he vessel was built the funeral chamber,
'Ofmed BY strong planks and beams placed