Viking Longship: Construction, Navigation, and Legendary Expeditions

The drakkar, the iconic Viking ship that conquered the North Atlantic

Are you looking for a drakkar to display or build? Our Viking models and drakkars department brings together 1/50 and 1/72 wooden models, 3D puzzles, building brick sets, and decorative pieces ready for display.

What is a Drakkar?

The term drakkar comes from the Old Norse dreki (dragon) and specifically refers to the Viking warship adorned with a dragon head at the prow. But beware: the word "drakkar" is actually a 19th-century French invention. The Vikings used several terms to refer to their warships, the most accurate being langskip (long ship).

What distinguished the drakkar from other ships of the era was its remarkable versatility: sturdy enough to cross the North Atlantic, light enough to navigate European rivers, and fast enough to launch lightning raids before enemy defenses could organize.

The different types of Viking ships

The Vikings actually built several categories of ships, each adapted to a specific purpose:

• Langskip (drakkar): long and narrow warship, 17 to 37 meters, 25 to 60 oarsmen, dedicated to raids and naval battles
• Snekkja: small, agile drakkar (17-20 meters), perfect for navigating rivers and quick raids
• Karvi: hybrid commerce/war ship, versatile, 13-16 meters
• Knarr: stocky and wide merchant ship, slower but capable of transporting livestock and goods over long distances. It was the knarr that colonized Iceland and Greenland
• Byrding: small coastal cargo ship for local trade

To grasp the essence of these nautical masterpieces, discover our 1/72 scale Viking Drakkar Model, a faithful reproduction of the authentic langskips exhibited in Scandinavian museums.

Viking shipbuilding: the art of clinker

The art of clinker: assembling oak planks by overlapping

The drakkar construction technique is one of the greatest technological innovations of the Middle Ages. Viking carpenters (skipasmiðr) mastered a craft passed down from generation to generation that produced ships of unmatched quality.

The clinker method (lapstrake)

Unlike most ships of the time, built with flush planks (a method known as "carvel"), the Vikings used the clinker technique. The hull planks were:

• Split with an axe along the grain of the wood (never sawn), which gave them maximum strength
• Overlapped on top of each other with an overlap of about 3 cm
• Fastened with forged iron rivets (sometimes up to 5,000 rivets for a large drakkar)
• Caulked with sheep's wool soaked in pine tar

This method made the ship simultaneously light, flexible, and resistant. Drakkars could "dance" with the waves rather than resist them rigidly, absorbing impacts without breaking.

Oak: the sacred wood of the drakkar

The Vikings mainly used oak for the hull, due to its solidity and resistance to saltwater. A single drakkar required felling more than 1,000 mature oak trees. The keel was carved from a single giant trunk, sometimes 25 meters long, selected with extreme care.

Pine and ash were used for masts and oars, and linden for the shields attached to the sides.

The square sail and the mast

The drakkar was equipped with a unique square sail made of woven wool, generally dyed in red and white stripes, sometimes linen for the most prestigious ships. A single sail could require 200 kg of wool and a year of work for 30 women.

The mast was removable: it could be lowered in minutes to pass under bridges or to move silently under oars during surprise raids.

Viking navigation: the sólarsteinn and the stars

The sólarsteinn and the sun compass: the secret tools of Viking navigators

How were the Vikings able to cross the North Atlantic without a magnetic compass (only introduced in Europe in the 13th century)? Thanks to a set of remarkable instruments and empirical knowledge that researchers continue to rediscover today.

The sólarsteinn: the sunstone

The sólarsteinn ("sunstone") is an Icelandic spar crystal (calcite), a mineral with unique optical properties mentioned in the Icelandic sagas. When looked through, it reveals the exact position of the sun even in cloudy weather or fog, thanks to a phenomenon of double refraction.

In 2011, Danish physicists proved that a sólarsteinn allowed the sun to be located within 1° of accuracy, even when it was below the horizon. A discovery that confirmed what the sagas had been telling for 800 years.

The sun compass (sólarstafr)

The Vikings also used a wooden sun compass: an engraved disc with a gnomon (vertical rod) in the center. At noon, the shadow cast indicated the exact orientation. Several archaeological fragments of these instruments have been found in Greenland.

Orientation by stars and nature

At night, Viking navigators oriented themselves using the North Star and major constellations. But above all, they mastered an empirical science of the sea:

• Flight of birds: Floki Vilgerdarson is said to have discovered Iceland by following ravens he released from the deck
• Color of the water: distinguishing deep waters (dark blue) from coastal waters (light blue-green)
• Whale and seal migrations: indicators of land proximity
• Stationary clouds: a sign of land beyond the horizon (air updrafts above islands)
• Swells and currents: recognizable by experienced sailors

Viking navigation symbols like the Vegvisir (runic compass) testify to the importance placed on orientation. Today, these symbols still adorn our Vegvisir necklaces and Nordic compass watches.

Legendary drakkars: Oseberg, Gokstad, Roskilde

Drakkars unearthed from burial mounds are exhibited in Scandinavian museums

Several exceptionally well-preserved Viking drakkars have been unearthed from Scandinavian graves and fjords. These archaeological finds are invaluable treasures that allow us to concretely understand Viking naval mastery.

The Oseberg drakkar (820 AD)

Discovered in 1904 in a burial mound in Norway, the Oseberg drakkar is one of the best-preserved Viking ships in the world. Measuring 21.58 meters long and 5.10 meters wide, it could accommodate 30 rowers. Its prow and stern are adorned with remarkably delicate carved spirals representing intertwined serpents.

It served as a tomb for two noble women, one of whom was likely a völva (priestess). The ship and its contents (ornate cart, sleds, textiles, animal sacrifices) are now exhibited at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo.

The Gokstad drakkar (890 AD)

Discovered in 1880, also in Norway, the Gokstad drakkar is a truly operational warship. Measuring 23.80 meters long and 5.20 meters wide, it could carry 32 rowers and reach 15 knots (28 km/h) with a favorable wind.

In 1893, an exact replica of the Gokstad (the Viking) crossed the Atlantic in 28 days, proving the ability of these ships to perform oceanic crossings.

Roskilde 6: the longest drakkar ever discovered

In 1996, during the expansion of the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Denmark, archaeologists discovered five drakkars intentionally sunk around 1070 to block a fjord. Among them, Roskilde 6 measures 37 meters long — it is the longest drakkar ever discovered. Likely a royal ship, it could carry 80 men.

The drakkar model: a modern tribute

For those who want to own their own representation of these masterpieces, our 1/50 scale wooden drakkar model replicates the spirit of the Oseberg and Gokstad ships for authentic Viking decor.

Great Viking expeditions: from Lindisfarne to Vinland

🗺️ Discover the complete drakkar routes on our interactive map of Viking raids and expeditions — 42 raids, colonies, and trade routes over 273 years of history.

The arrival of a drakkar: a moment of terror for European coasts from the 9th to the 11th century

Drakkars allowed the Vikings to achieve unparalleled maritime feats during the "Viking Age" (793-1066). Here are the expeditions that changed the map of the medieval world.

793: The attack on Lindisfarne monastery

On June 8, 793, Viking drakkars appeared on the sacred island of Lindisfarne, off the coast of Northumbria (England). The plundering of the monastery of Saint Cuthbert marks the official beginning of the Viking Age. The chronicler Alcuin wrote with horror: "Never before has such terror appeared in Britain."

845: The Siege of Paris

A fleet of 120 drakkars commanded by Reginheri (likely Ragnar Lothbrok) sailed up the Seine and besieged Paris. King Charles the Bald had to pay 7,000 pounds of silver to make the Vikings leave — the first great Viking ransom in history. Discover the details in our article on the 845 Siege of Paris.

874: The settlement of Iceland

Led by Ingólfr Arnarson, Viking settlers established the first permanent villages in Iceland. Within a few decades, the island had 30,000 Viking inhabitants, organized around the Althing — the oldest parliament in the world still in operation.

982: Erik the Red discovers Greenland

Banished from Iceland for murder, Erik the Red set off to the west and discovered a land he strategically named "Greenland" to attract settlers. His colony would survive for over 400 years.

1000: Leif Erikson reaches Vinland (North America)

Erik the Red's son, Leif Erikson, sailed west from Greenland and reached Newfoundland (modern-day Canada). He established a temporary settlement there at L'Anse aux Meadows. Thus, the Vikings discovered America 500 years before Christopher Columbus — a fact confirmed by the archaeological excavations of 1960.

From the Mediterranean to Constantinople

Other drakkars went down the Russian rivers (Volga, Dnieper) as far as Constantinople, where the Vikings (the "Varangians") served as the personal guard to the Byzantine emperors. They even reached Baghdad to trade with the Abbasid caliphs.

The dragon prow: symbolism and protection

The carved dragon head at the drakkar's prow was not just a decorative ornament. It fulfilled several sacred and practical functions.

Intimidating enemies

During raids, seeing a fleet of drakkars with prow carvings of monstrous dragons emerging from the mists caused immense psychological terror. Anglo-Saxon chronicles describe these apparitions as "demons from the sea."

Protecting the crew from evil spirits

According to Norse mythology, malicious spirits (hostile landvættir) inhabited the seas and foreign coasts. The dragon prow served to intimidate them and protect the crew. It was the ship's supernatural protector and spiritual guide.

The Landnámabók law: removing the head when approaching one's land

The Landnámabók (Book of Icelandic Settlements) required Vikings to dismantle the dragon heads when approaching their own coasts. Why? To avoid scaring the benevolent guardian spirits (friendly landvættir) of their own territory, who could otherwise turn against them.

This belief illustrates how the drakkar was more than just a ship: it was a living and spiritual entity, a mystical companion to the Viking warrior.

Drakkars in modern decor

Today, the drakkar aesthetic continues to inspire Nordic decor. Discover our Viking dragon ship ornaments which replicate historical carved prows, and our drakkar-shaped incense burner for an authentic Viking ambiance.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Viking Drakkar