Ready to go Viking! They built such amazing ships — strength for high seas as well as a shallow draft for navigating rivers.Roskilde was the center of sailing routes. The Vikings founded thriving, wealthy and cultured trade towns. This map also shows what they traded at the different ports. Their journeys extended from Constantinople to North America!Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde was created after 5 ships — purposely sunk blocking the approach to the town — were found in the Roskilde Fjord in the 1960’s. The ships dating from 1030, have been preserved, studied, recreated, tested and continue to be analyzed.This workshop is recreating a small cargo ship using 11th century tools and techniques. Different wood species are used for different parts of the ship and different parts of trees have specific uses. Bark is soaked, then peeled, then soaked, then split to start the process of making rope — very strong sea worthy rope.These are the 5 ships on display. The films showing the difficult excavation process are amazing. In the foreground is the wide Ocean-going Cargo ship, Skuldelev 1. Here is a link to more info about the ships and their excavation.All ships have a 1:10 scale model so you can easily appreciate their variety and size. This one — The Great Long Ship, Skuldelev 2 — carried 70 warriors and was the longest recovered at almost 100 feet:.The preservation techniques were so important to be able to fit the pieces together — without any shrinkage and warping — as they dried. Each piece was numbered and stored wet in plastic bags until they could be preserved and fitted together. Detail of Coastal Trader, Skuldelev 3.Roskilde was founded by Harold Bluetooth, Viking King in around 980. It was the capital and seat of power through 1443. It is one of Denmark’s oldest cities — this being the former medieval Town Hall on the main square.The UNESCO recognized Cathedral has tombs of over 39 Danish monarchs — allegedly also Harold Bluetooth rests here.We learn more about Harold Bluetooth, the King between Two Worlds in the new 2025 museum at Borgring Fortress. The displays explain the Nordic Gods in great detail — depicted in amazing larger than life smoke images — as well as key Christian figures. It also explains the evolution of how a Viking circle divided into four quadrants evolved into a cross.Borgring fortress is the most recent discovered of 5 Danish Ring Fortress and have been recognized by UNESCO. They were all built during Harold Bluetooth’s rein and the building precision of the circle and cross axis were unusual for the Viking era.In West Zealand the Trelleborg Ring Fortress is larger and was excavated in 1934. These fortresses are thought to have been built to strengthen royal power in the transition from pagan to Christianity in 980 CE. At that time, Harold’s monarchy stretched far — to all of Norway, into Sweden and Northern Germany.Trelleborg had room for 16 long houses in 4 groups of 4. We stood near the edge giving a sense of the enormity of this fortress.A replicate long house — built in 1946 at Trelleborg — gives visitors a Viking sense of the world.Imagine what sort of conversations went on here! Where to build the ships, who to trade with next, what areas to expand the empire into, how to connect your bluetooth device! Yes, bluetooth technology is named after Harold.There are Danish windmills — plus many new electrical generating wind turbines as well. This is near where we stayed in Holbæk. Nr Jernlose Windmill
