The Vikings of Europe were considered lord of the seas because of their big ships. These ships were used in their expeditions and explorations across Europe back in the 8th up to the 11th centuries. These ships are so large that they are referred to as longboats or longships and they are used as warships by the Vikings. These are facts related to the Vikings longships:

Fact 1: Vikings longships are built for war. The Norsemen of Europe needed a ship for raiding territories and they used their large ships for doing so. These ships were quick to be hauled at sea and getting away is also easy and fast.

Fact 2: The longships used by the Vikings were made of wood. Wood from the oak tree were made into planks that are joined and overlapped together to form a strong and large ship.

Fact 3: Up to 60 people can be loaded onto a Vikings longship. During their reign over Europe, the Vikings were feared because of their ships that seemed so large at about 30 meters long.

Fact 4: The Vikings longships were also referred to as dragon boats or dragon ships. This is mainly due to the fact that these large ships were adorned with elaborate carvings and designs. Some ships are also carved with a dragon’s head in the front making some people refer to them as dragon ships.

Fact 5: The Vikings also used their longships for other practical purposes like fishing. Being in the sea for long periods of time, the longships were also used to catch fish. The same ships were also used to transport cargo from one coast to another.

Fact 6: Vikings longships were not only successful in raiding territories but also in providing trade routes. The explorations of the Vikings using their ships also paved the way for the establishment of various routes for trading across different parts of Europe. Many of these routes were unknown to people and the ships paved the way for their creation.

Fact 7: Coastal maps in Europe were created with the help of the Vikings longships. If not for these ships that travelled to different coasts across Europe, many details of the continent’s coastlines would not be supplied and complete by the 11th century.

Fact 8: A true Vikings longship was unearthed near Copenhagen back in 1997. In Roskilde, Denmark, Danish archaeologists were able to find a centuries-old Vikings longship that is considered to be the largest at the time with a total length of 35 meters. Other longships previously found were recorded to be smaller.

Fact 9: Navigation of the longships used by the Vikings were aided by the Sun and stars. Back in those times, navigation at sea relied on the position of heavenly bodies like the Sun, moon, and the stars.

Fact 10: Vikings longships were first to reach America. Long before Christopher Columbus discovered American shores, the Vikings from Scandinavia led by Leif Ericson were recorded to have reached America some 400 years prior to the time of Columbus using the famous Vikings longships.