It is a funny and interesting idea to explain the devellopement of the Viking Longship from the dugout canoe. There is at least a chronological logic in this theorie... Concerning the Viking Longships, I wouldn't dare to call the oared warship the finishing top of this type's career. There was a rich spectrum of Viking ships for transport, trading, fishing etc., wich will have been more seaworthy than this special "war-dragon". And some of the true descendendts of the Viking Hastings transporters survived until today: the British barge type "Humber Keel", which is a real grand-grand-child of the Hastings transporter in unbroken line, still did her duty in the 1960s with square sails, and a few number is still alive - out of duty now - on Thames and Humber (see www.barges.org). You will still find the Viking fishingboat (6 oars: sexamannafar; 8 oars: ottamannafar) alive in the Faroe islands. This is the only country where original Viking boats are still produced and used. The Highlight is the national sport festival on Olavsoka's day with the traditional rowing boat sea race. There is a number of other scandinavian Viking small boats still to be seen in traditional suroundings on the Shetland Islands and along the Scandinavian coast; you may try and test examples of all these types in the small boats' museum harbour of Roskilde in Denmark. The Faroe Islands are a tremendeous sea kayaking as well, and you may enjoy both worlds: the descendendants of the Eskimo and of the Viking boats. But be aware: Even the small four oars' faroese Viking boats are much faster than the fastest seakayaks. I missed one of the most important books about Viking ships on the mentioned website: "Raseijlet - Dragens Vinge" of Bent and Erik Anderson; published by Vikingeskibshallen in Roskilde, 1989 ISBN 87-85180-14-9 It is written in Danish, but rich illustrated and rather easy to understand by English and German-speaking people. Best regards George *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Sun Mar 04 2001 - 10:37:56 PST
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