Wesmans’ Post

Did you know that this week marks the annual International Viking Day, celebrated on the 8th of May? Established in 2013, this day shines a light on Viking culture, renowned for its rich shipbuilding and seafaring legacy. The Vikings played a pivotal role in shaping trade networks during the early Middle Ages, opening many new commercial routes and enhancing the exchange of goods, people, and ideas across the globe, admittedly, some voluntary, some less so.   True sailors, the Vikings voyaged all over Europe, settled Iceland, Greenland, and even reached the shores of North America. Navigating challenging weather conditions at sea requires exceptional skills and unwavering determination even today and imagine doing so back then. They key to the Vikings’ successful global navigation lies in the design and construction of their vessels, carefully crafted to endure the rigors of the open sea.   Their narrow longships, known for shallow drafts, were ideal for both ocean and inland navigation, and wide heavy knarrs, designed for long voyages and transportation of cargo, were built following the clinker technique, a technological revolution for the day, whereby wooden planks were overlapped and riveted, creating a strong yet flexible hulls capable of braving the roughest seas. Another technique in the Viking shipbuilding was a skeletal construction, whereby first a vessel’s frame was built as a guide, with planks then attached to this framework.   Some well-preserved Viking shipbuilding examples include the famous Oseberg Ship in Norway and the trade vessel Ladbyskibet in Denmark. If you haven’t visited them yet, we highly recommend! Who knows, maybe you will uncover some hidden treasure along the way?   For us at WESMANS, deeply rooted in the Nordic culture, yet global in our daily business, the International Viking Day is an opportunity to honour remarkable shipbuilding and seafaring skills of the Viking ancestors, who shaped maritime history and trade.   While luckily some practices of those days are left behind, we are proud to carry on the spirit of adventure, innovation, and exploration!   #internationalvikingday #maritimelegacy #shipbuildingtradition #wesmans 

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