Denmark - Trying to find the inner Viking

August 2

Hello everyone!

If someone said ‘Denmark’ to you, what would be the first things to pop into your mind? Chances are it would be connected to this…

Invading army!

The word ‘viking’ was originally used to describe a pirate

The land which now constitutes Denmark was a key part of the ‘Viking Age’, an era of Scandinavian seafaring and success between the eighth and twelfth centuries. They’re known in the UK as being invaders, with two incursions into English territory helping to shape the country’s future. As well as being the main characters in a particularly entertaining Horrible Histories book.

There were four main groups - Danes, Gauts,

Norwegians and Swedes - who all spoke a similar language

Their decline is often associated with 1066 (ask a Brit)

Not having luxuries such as long bridges, trains which pass through underwater tunnels or planes back in those days, the Vikings managed their vast territory with boats. The longboats were famed and feared, but they actually had quite a variety of vessels which had different purposes, such as sending supplies to faraway lands such as the Faroe Islands.

A picture in the museum showing a key aspect of Viking life

It would take three days to row to England, and two weeks to get to the Mediterranean

For a time, one of the main towns was in Roskilde, which nowadays is a short train ride from the Danish capital of Copenhagen. Interestingly, the latter didn’t really exist during the Viking Age. Roskilde, which I’d only previously heard of because of its massive music festival, very much did exist. This is partly why it hosts the Viking Museum.

Copenhagen is about 35 km away

They are continuing to make boats using
Viking techniques at the museum 

The other reason is because of what they have found in the fjord leading from the town to the Kattegat Strait and eventually the North and Baltic Seas. They know about the different ships used because they found them. At the bottom of the fjord. Due to risk from other factors, they decided to raise the remnants of the five boats and painstakingly tried to reconstruct them in the museum’s working harbour.

A copy of this orignal, called Skuldelev 3, was used
for over 30 years until being retired in 2016

The result is a hall of not-fully-completed boats - they obviously couldn’t find every piece. They have tried to rebuild them in the same way that they were originally built hundreds of years ago. Research of the wrecks has helped them understand a lot more about Viking culture.

They traded with places as far-flung as Constantinople and Baghdad

Weapons have been found to show how the Danes utilised their aggression

They also managed to learn, after synthesising with other information, why these boats were on the floor of the fjord. The Vikings had sunk them on purpose. They were scuttled after being used as part of a defensive wall on the water, stopping any potential invaders from reaching the town of Roskilde.

The little details are interesting - this protruding piece of wood
has a gap which would have held a shield in place

This vessel was probably built for fishing and whaling

It’s all well and good looking at Viking things…but what about using them? Channelling the inner Erik the Red or King Canute? This was the real reason I was here: to help sail a Viking ship. 

Those oars - not as easy to use as they look...

Mast. See, I know sea words.

This was great fun, arguably made better by having a skipper who looked like Jurgen Klopp with long hair and who initially had quite a blunt demeanour. There aren’t many pictures because he had harangued a man who was taking snaps during his explanation of how to manoeuvre the oars.

Our vessel, which left 30 minutes after it was supposed to,
meaning that I had to power walk to the train station afterwards

Having volunteered to go in the front row, I and one other man were responsible for setting the rhythm of the oars behind us. This was quite tricky as I had to look at and maintain my partner’s pattern on the right, whilst making sure I was paddling properly on the left and not smacking into the oars behind. We made the Klopp doppelganger laugh and state almost proudly at one point, “Wow you are both so out of rhythm.”

Vikings probably didn't have liefjackets and sunglasses

After paddling out to more open water away from the harbour, we worked together to raise the sail and navigate using the wind and our body weight. If nothing else, I realised that I would be hopeless on a life raft.

Our rudder, briefly used by an American teenage boy 

Sails were often made from wool

One other interesting thing to note about Roskilde, which came shortly after the decline of Viking Power: its cathedral. Standing tall enough to be seen from the harbour, it is a UNESCO Heritage Site made of 2.5 million little red bricks. It’s quite striking as a building. I didn’t have time to properly explore it, but the cathedral is the funeral church for Denmark’s royal family, 

The Cathedral was first built in the 12th and 13th centuries

The former queen Margrethe II, who abdicated early
in 2024, has already had her tomb prepared here

Roskilde was a fun, fleeting stop between two of Denmark’s bigger cities. Having tried to row a Viking boat, I now have infinite respect for their expeditions and seafaring skills. I certainly won't be a Viking anytime soon! 

Love you all,

Matt