Viking Ships and Warfare

Because the Vikings lived near the sea, they travelled a lot by boat. They were the best shipbuilders of their time. Viking ships could sail better than others because they laid a long piece of wood at the bottom of the ship, which became known as the keel. It made the ship stable in stormy weather and it also increased the speed.

Viking navigators used the sun and the stars to find out where they were. They also relied on landmarks , like islands. On cloudy days they found directions with the help of birds or whales.

Vikings liked fighting. They were very brave and liked adventures, but they could also be very brutal. Many Europeans feared them. 

When Vikings invaded a new territory they usually came with a few hundred ships and thousands of warriors. Sometimes they landed with only a few ships, raided villages and quickly disappeared . 

Vikings were famous for their surprise attacks. They could row their light boats into shallow rivers and overran their victims so fast that they had no chance of defending themselves.

Vikings fought with axes , bows and arrows. They used both hands to swing their broad axe at an enemy, chopping off their hands or their heads. Most warriors carried round wooden shields to protect themselves. They also wore helmets made of leather. 

Reconstruction of a Viking ship
Image:Viking own archive, Jarmeryk (archiwum własne wikingów, Jarmeryk),
Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons 

Viking axes found in western Norway
Image: Chaosdruid, Public domain,
via Wikimedia Commons