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From series for all ages as’Vivky the Vikingo‘o The raw’Vikings‘, movies like’THE WARRIOR Nº13‘ either ‘How to train your dragon‘And video games like’Assassin’s Creed Valhalla‘ either ‘The Banner Saga‘, the Vikings have resisted fashions and the passage of time. And one of its most recognizable elements are its ships. They continue to cause astonishment And, among all, there is one that we discover by chance and turned out to be the king of the sea viking.
The Myklebust.
The finding. That mysticism and that it seems that they do not go out of style, contrasts with the barely 300 years that the Viking era lasted. Speak well of his legend, and ships like the Myklebust They are an essential part of it. Centuries after his era, in 1874, archaeologist Anders Lorenge gave some strange remains on a farm west of Norway.
They were inside Randehagjen funeral moundon the Myklebust farm, and among many other things, he found a lot of rivets of a ship. Unfortunately, everything in quite a bad condition because the ship was buried after being cremated, which caused him to live in the shadow of other ships such as the Gokstad or the Oseberg that were found in perfect condition. But, over the years, we have been able to train more than an idea of how this king of the seas was.
Ship? Cruise. As the excavations were carried out, the researchers found more rivets until they add about 7,000. Taking into account both the amount and their size, it is estimated that the Myklebust came to measure about 30 meters. And the estimate is not only based on the rivets, but on a very specific piece of the shields of the Vikings: the Umbo. This is the central circumference of the shield, which was probably placed along the ship next to the corresponding soldier/rowing.
44 umbos were found, indicating that, at least, there would be 22 shields per side. The Vikings had several ships, but those who entered combat were mainly three. On the one hand, the Karvia small ship of about 20 meters for the expeditions near the coast. On the other, the SNEKKEa great transport of about 30 meters designed for oceanic navigation and the transport of troops.
Finally, the Drakkar. The size of these varies, but the Myklebust would fit into its description as a little draft ship, numerous oars and the bow with the dragon’s head. They were the most versatile ships because they were maneuverable, but with a large load capacity of warriors.
Sagastad Museum with the replica of Myklebust and its sea access ramp
Cremation. Due to its dimensions, the Myklebust was a symbol of power and had to terrify to see it on the horizon if it was not of yours, and in addition to its size, it had to belong to someone high. The reason why the pieces were very damaged is because the ship was buried after being cremated.
In Vikingas tombs, the complete cremation of the ship was a strange and reserved practice only to the most powerful, like a king (it is speculated with Audbjørn de los Fjordos). In addition to the trousseau, jewelry, various objects and some hunting, the deceased needed a ship for his last trip to Valhallaand the Myklebust was that last means of transport.
Returning to the seas. We do not know if its owner arrived at Valhalla, but what we do know is that the Myklebust has been furrowing the Norwegian waters for a few years. In Nordfjordeid is the Sagastad Viking Centera museum and attraction focused on the dissemination of Viking culture. It has several exhibitions, but the one that attracts more looks is the Myklebust room. In it, there is one Real scale recreation And with everything of detail of the war ship that can also navigate.
The work began in 2016 and ended in 2019, and each spring opens the gate of that part of the museum so that the spectacular ship is dragged a few meters until it comes into contact with the sea. It is then that he undertakes a journey through the fjords, in an event that highlights the magnificent figure of this type of ships.
But that replica can fall short if objects are still discovered on the site. A 2024 analysis showed more objects in the mound, such as a bronze ring and what can be more umbos, so perhaps we would have to rethink the expanding the drakkar for future tributes.
Imnágen | Sagastad, IslandmenFjord Norway
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