Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-14
STORY OF A VIKING SHIP,
Built 1000 Years Ago by Norsemen-A ves-
sci L sed for a Tomb,

sci Used for a Tomb.
One Of the most interesting exhibits at the
National Museum is a miniature Viking ship
an exact reproduction on a small scale of one of
the vessels used by the Norsemen in a semi
heroic age, 1000 years ago. In such craft they
were accustomed to scour the ocean. yeritable
terrors of the seas, pillaging communities along
shore and disporting themselves in thoroughly
freebooter-like style. Many of their national
poems, called ''sagas," have been preserved to
the present day, which give most interesting
accounts of voyages in these great and staunch
boats for war and other purposes
These CLASSIC verses, however, do not call up
to the mind so vivid picture of the lives that
were led by those hardy people as is presented
by discovery of their own personal relics and
belongings such as was made a short time ago
at Godstad near the mouth of Christiania Ford
There burial mound of the Vikings was I'M
earthed. and in the middle of it was found ore
OF their ships-an open boat % great size which
was constructed on such scientific principles and
with such excellent workmanship as the art of
shipbuilding even now would hardly be able to
improve upon. The craft was eighty feet in
length by seventeen feet beam. ..clinkerbuilt"
that Is, pointed at both ends-and made
throughout of oak timbers and boards put to-
gether with iron nails, the seams being caulked
with oakum manufactured from cows hair
The ship lay on an even keel. just as she had
been placed originally in the burial mound and
| on board of her were found the various equip
ments and articles of furniture which belonged
| TO a vessel of the Vikings. There was a single
mast. which was unstepped when there was a
head wind or when battle was imminent
The mast bore one large square sail. However
the craft depended chiefly for motive power
upon great oars twenty feet long, of which there
were sixteen on each side. They were Piled not
IN rowlocks, but through holes in the sides
whether the oarsmen stood up or
were seated while rowing il il I'M
possible TO state with certainty but il
is probable that they did the former. inasmuch
as no trace Of thwarts seats was found. and
they could hardly have managed such big oars
otherwise than standing erect Whether more
than one man worked at each oar cannot be
told. At all events, such a ship must have had
| complement of at least forty sailors.
As has been said, the vessel was built after
the fashion of an open boat-the bow and stern
| rising high i'll graceful lines There was no
deck. but boards were placed across. readily
movable, SO as to serve as a sort of false deck.
beneath which articles were slowed away. A
tent cloth was stretched over some part of the
craft, under which those on board could find
| shelter from sun or rain. In the ship described
| were discovered four wooden supports for the
tent, together with portions of the tent cloth
and OF the cordage employed for fastening
IL.
| fabric of fine texture with red stripes
sewn upon it. The supports were heavy
boards twelve feet long. with heads of animals
| Enthusiastically carved and painted at the upper
| ends. They were intended TO be placed
| obllquely, so rs to form two crutches. one at
each end of the tent, which were connected by
a pole, thus forming gable-ended roof Over
| this framework the tent cloth was fastened
Among the interesting objects found on board
Of the ship were sleeping berths. very much
broken. which were made exactly like the low
bedsteads In common use today among the
Norwegian peasantry. They were constructed
SO as TO be easily taken TO pieces and slowed
away in small compass. Parts were discorered
of a superb wooden chair. which was probably
the seat of the commander and chief The Arms
| of the chair were carved to represent grotesque
heads of animals. There was a great variety of
| cooking utensils, including large and massive
copper kettle with gracefully wrought iron
chain for suspending il over the fire. Like wise
| tubs and buckets of wood. wooden
plates and several small and finely carved
drinking cups. The cooking apparatus
| was not commonly used on board the
vessel. but on shore at landing places Al
though the Vikings did sometimes make long
voyages across the seas, they usually kept as
near the coast as was practicable. Another ar
| ticle of practical Use was a landing stage, %
| feet long and 20 inches wide, for crew and pas
| sengers TO get ashore with.
Ever so many more things would have been
| found in this wonderful ship tomb. had it not
evidently been visited previously by grave rob-
bers, presumably during pagan times There
was built in the middle of the vessel kind of
sarcophagus, composed of logs. in gable shape
and planked up a. the ends. Inside of this war
originally placed bed. on which was laid the
corpse of the great parsonage in honor to whom
the mound was constructed. Unfortunately the
wicked persons who disturbed the repose of the
dead chieftain. having merely pillage
and no scientific purpose in view, took
away everything they could find that
was of any use to them. What they chose
| to leave behind indicates that there must have
been originally great collection of valuable
weapons, ornaments, &c, deposited in the
tomb. Among other things several iron fish
hooks were found in the grave chamber.
great number of animals must have been sacri-
feed at the burial, inasmuch as the bones of
at least twelve horses and six dogs were dis
covered inside the vessel