File:Social Scandinavia in the Viking age (1920) (14784047495).jpg

Identifier: socialscandinavi00will (find matches)
Title: Social Scandinavia in the Viking age
Year: 1920 (1920s)
Authors: Williams, Mary Wilhelmine, 1878-1944
Subjects: Scandinavia -- Civilization Scandinavia -- Social life and customs
Publisher: New York : The Macmillan company
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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ious styles, according to theuse to which they were to be put. The row-boats usedupon the internal water-ways have been consideredbriefly in connection with the subject of fishing; and theirnature will be made clearer in connection with the fol-lowing description of ocean-going vessels. The latter,as being more complex, require more detailed treatment.Scandinavian ships differed from those of other con-temporary lands chiefly in that they were narrower and were pointed at both ends; also, bow and General stern rose much higher above the water than t r\ did the vessel amidships. Though varving of Ocean- ^ ^ o » o going considerably with reference to size, all sea- Vessels going craft, whether intended primarily for 20 Montelius, Civilization of Sweden in Heathen Times, 194; Gud-mundsson and KSlund, Skandinavische Verhiiltnisse, in Paul, Grundriss,III, 450. 21 Montelius, Civilization of Sweden in Heathen Times, 182; Bugge,Vesterlandenes Indflydelse, 199. ^2 Saga Library, III, 322, 343.
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TRANSPORTATION 201 commerce or for war, were of much the same shape, evenin the eleventh century.-^ In fact, it was not until afterthe opening of the Viking Age that the war vessel, asa special type, was developed at all;^* and even afterit appeared, vessels of commerce and of war were fre-quently used interchangeably, as merchants took to piracyand warriors temporarily forsook martial enterprise forpeaceful trade. Trading craft were higher than those built chiefly forfighting; and they were likewise heavier and broader, inorder to give greater capacity for cargoes,for which reason they were also without Character-decks amidships. Built as they were for ^^^^^^ °^strictly practical use, less attention was ^^^ y^^^_given to their decoration. They differed Vesselsfrom the war ships also in that they werelargely propelled by sails, while the war vessels, thoughsupplied with sails, were generally driven through thewater by the use of oars. This last-mentioned distinc-tion appears to have

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