Drakkars are Viking ships with a highly curved stern and bow. Their image can often be found in illustrations describing the adventures and exploits of the ancient Scandinavians.
The word "drakkar" comes from the Old Norse words drage and kar. The first word is translated as "dragon", and the second - as "ship". That is, when literally translated, this word means a dragon ship. The Vikings traveled on these ancient ships from the 9th to the 13th century.
Advantages of Viking ships
The ancient Scandinavian ships were perfectly adapted to travel in the rough northern seas. Otherwise, the Vikings would hardly have sought the world fame of sea travelers. In addition, the drakkars were excellent for moving along rivers, as they had a shallow draft. It also allowed the Vikings to land directly ashore during surprise attacks on enemy territories. The low sides of the drakkars made them invisible among the high waves, which made it possible to mask ships until they were completely close to the coast.
At the end of the 19th century, a well-preserved drakkar was found by archaeologists on the southern coast of Norway. Researchers made an exact copy of it, after which they conducted tests in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. As a result of the experiment, it was proved that the Viking ships, with a good headwind, were capable of speeds up to 10 knots, which was considered one and a half times higher than the speed of the Spanish caravels, on which Christopher Columbus conquered America after more than five centuries.
Drakkar design
The Drakkar had a banana-like design. It was long and narrow. The length of some Old Scandinavian ships reached 65 meters. The sides were extremely low. This form made the control of the ship extremely difficult in a headwind, but it made it possible to move on them with great speed with a tailwind along rivers and seas.
A distinctive feature of the drakkars, thanks to which they got their name, was the carved dragon head, which was placed on the bow of the ship. She was the Old Norse symbols of war. During attacks on foreign territories, she frightened enemies. But when the ships sailed to friendly lands, the dragon's head was removed from the bow of the ship.
To protect against enemy arrows, Viking shields were attached to the sides of the ship, which, moreover, they used in close combat during landings. If the ancient warriors wanted peace, they waved these shields from the ships.
Drakkars could accommodate from 100 to 200 people on board. The ships were propelled by rectangular sails, but also carried on board up to 35 pairs of oars.