10 Viking inventions that tell a lot about their life and history

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Today, the Vikings are more often remembered as the brutal barbarian raiders who sowed death and enslaved the survivors of their raids. And few people remember that the Vikings were talented engineers, whose inventions gave them significant advantages in military affairs, in trade, in shipping and other occupations. We have collected a dozen amazing inventions that lift the veil of secrecy over the way of life and history of the Vikings.

1. Battle ax

Although the early Viking battle axes were simply tools used to chop down trees, they have evolved over the years to become unique weapons among medieval warriors. The blade of the ax got bigger and wider. A hook was added to the lower end of the blade. In battle, this grappling hook could be used to catch an enemy's leg or the edge of his shield. The ax handle has become longer, allowing the Vikings to strike their enemies from a greater distance. It was a well-balanced weapon, easy to use, and effective at wounding or killing enemies. Although some Viking tales contain scenes in which axes are used as throwing weapons, such tactics were rarely used in battle.

2. Comb

Most of the inventions and innovations of the Vikings were associated with military campaigns and raids - most of the time they were engaged in shipbuilding, building fortifications, combat practices, etc. Despite their penchant for guerrilla warfare, it seems that the Vikings were quite picky about their appearance. When they sailed on the next raid, they took with them the ridges that they created from the antlers.

“One would expect these to be purely utilitarian objects, but in some cases the crests have been beautifully decorated,” said archaeologist Steve Ashby. He added that the combs were made from the same material as specialty tools like polishers, saws and rasps. For the Vikings, appearance was an important aspect of their identity. Combs were even often placed in the grave of soldiers.

3. Keel

The earliest Viking ships were based on Roman and Celtic designs that floated with oars. But in the choppy waters of the northern seas, such ships tended to capsize. They were also slow, so they usually swam a short distance and along the coast. In the eighth century, the invention of the Vikings revolutionized shipbuilding and sea travel. We are talking about the keel, thanks to which the Viking ships became much more stable and seaworthy. Also, thanks to the keel, it became possible to install the mast.

Instead of relying on rowers, the ship could now be propelled by sail. The Vikings were no longer limited to short raids along the coast. They could carry loads of food, timber and animals and swim up to 4,400 kilometers in the Atlantic Ocean.

4. Drakkar

The marvel of shipbuilding, the famous drakkar, was unprecedented in the medieval world. The Vikings enjoyed advantages in battle, trade and exploration thanks to the flexible, durable designs of their ships and their ability to sail with the power of the wind. Dr. William Short, who specializes in the history and culture of the Vikings, noted that the small landing of their ships allowed them to sail in shallow water. Thus, they could travel along rivers and "attack settlements in places where no one expected the appearance of an ocean ship."

From their homes in Scandinavia, the Vikings traveled westward as far as Villand (Newfoundland), eastward to Russia, and southeastward to the Byzantine Empire. Unlike other ships of the time, Viking ships were also surprisingly flexible. As William Short notes, "Drakkars actually bent under the onslaught of the waves, and did not break." This flexible design of their ships was another characteristic that allowed the Vikings to sail on the high seas despite the stormy waves.

5. Magnetic compass

Using the mineral magnetite found throughout Scandinavia, the Vikings invented one of the first magnetic compasses. The only other culture that invented such a compass, perhaps even earlier than the Vikings, was the Chinese. It was only when other Europeans started trading with China that they could buy magnetic compasses in China. And before that, for 500 years, only the Vikings used this tool, keeping its existence a secret.

Using their compasses, the Vikings were able to navigate across the Atlantic Ocean despite frequent thick fogs. Neither the Vikings nor most other medieval sailors were able to determine longitude, but the Vikings were adept at calculating latitude. They knew that the sun at dawn appears in the east and sets in the west. This knowledge allowed them to use their magnetic compasses in navigation.

6. Shield

The Viking shield was unlike any other medieval shield. Its dimensions were 75-90 centimeters. Used as a defense in battle, the shield also protected the Vikings from winds and waves during their sea voyages. The flat part of the shield was made of seven or eight planks (usually spruce, alder, or poplar).

These boards were lightweight and flexible. Interestingly, instead of directly connecting to each other, the boards were probably connected with fasteners or even glued together. The thin, flexible wood of the shield made it less likely to be shattered by enemy weapon strikes. The wood absorbed the force of the blow, and the fibers of the flexible wood often led to the fact that the sword was completely stuck in the shield. This helped block the punches. Viking warriors also often built a solid defensive "shield wall" against archers.

7. Western-style skis

When the Vikings weren't busy with raids, looting, rape and murder, they found time to get on their skis. While the Russians and Chinese may have invented skiing before the Vikings did, the Normans are the creators of Western-style skiing. The word "ski" comes from the Old Norse "skio". During the Middle Ages, Scandinavian hunters, farmers and warriors often used skis. In Norway, troops in the 18th century participated in competitive ski matches. In the 1700s, Swiss soldiers also trained and competed on skis. These events were inspired by the Viking tradition of skiing for recreational and transportation purposes. If you look at Scandinavian mythology, even the Norse gods went skiing and snowshoeing.

8. Solar compass

The Vikings' solar compass was a simple yet ingenious navigation device that allowed them to navigate long distances. The solar compass consisted of a peg, a gnomon, inserted through a hole in the center of a circular, wooden or talochlorite plate, a slab known as a "sun shade board." The die was installed horizontally so that the gnomon stood upright. The shadow of the gnomon fell on the board, its position was marked with a dot, and this process was repeated every hour from sunrise to sunset. Then the points were connected by a curved line, along which the position of the ship in space was determined.

9. Sunstone

A calcite crystal (aka Icelandic spar) was found among the wreckage of a warship known as the Alderney ship. The ship sank in 1592 near the Channel Islands. The location of the crystal suggests that it could have been used as a navigation device. Although the excavations of the places where the Vikings lived did not previously find any calcite crystals, a fragment of one of them was recently discovered. The two discoveries - the fragment and the Alderney crystal - represent the first evidence that the legendary Viking sunstone may have actually existed. Due to its shape, the crystal doubles the image by bending or polarizing sunlight. By holding the sunstone so that the images merge together, the navigator could determine the east-west direction even in heavy fog, in cloudy conditions, or after the Sun had dropped below the horizon. Such tools allowed the Vikings to swim in any weather and under favorable and unfavorable conditions.

10. Tent

The Viking tent was simple and practical. Frames for such tents have been found on ninth-century Viking burial ships in Gokstad, Sandar, Sandefjord and Vestfold, Norway. A pair of crossed beams were inserted into the two ends of a square wooden platform. Then a pole was installed on each pair of beams near their top, on which a rectangular piece of material 5 meters long and 4 meters wide was laid (its ends were attached to the other two sides of the platform). The 3-meter-high awning could be set up in just a few minutes and provided the Vikings with a dry shelter with a wooden floor.

Today scientists are ready to tell the whole truth about the Vikings. Or at least dispel 7 common myths that have nothing to do with reality.