Learnings: The Longship, or Langskip

A reconstructed longship ashore in Lofoten Islands, Norway / Contemporary

To build a longship, one first added the keel, the backbone of the ship, to the hull. The hull was clinker-built; its planks overlapped each other like fish scales. The boards were fastened together by metal rivets, then caulked by hemp and horsehair soaked in tar. This ensured that the water would not soak thorugh the hull in the middle of a voyage.

Next, the mast was attached to the hull by a fish-shaped piece of wood. This ensured that the sail along the mast did not resist the wind, but moved with it. This adaptability, when coupled with the flexibility of the ship's hull, made the langskip "elastic"; rather than splitting the waves, it slithered through them.