Building a vikingship....

 The Gokstad ship was found in 1880 during the excavation of a wood burial mound 

the farm Gokstad outside Sandefjord.

The ship is currently on display in the Viking Ship Museum on Bygdøy.

In 1892, a copy of the ship was built and sailed over to

USA in connection with the World Exhibition in Chicago in 1893.

The Americans were shocked that the Viking ship, which was a 

open boat, was sailed and rowed across the Atlantic Ocean from Norway.

They then understood that the Viking Age was not over, when a herd 

with "crazy"  Vikings came ashore from the boat.

In my hometown Tønsberg there is now a collection of Viking boats

of different sizes, from large, what are called Viking ships

 and some smaller boats.

Tønsberg is an old Viking town and was founded in 881,

so in 1881 a thousandth anniversary was celebrated.

Several of the Norwegian kings have been connected in various ways

to Tønsberg in particular, i.a. Harald the Fair, King Sverre,

King Håkon Håkonsen or Håkon Gamle, as he liked 

was called so as not to be mixed up with his son, who was also named Håkon.

Håkon the younger shared the kingship with his father, but died

young, so his younger brother M agnus took over his role and shared 

also  the kingship  with his father.

.

Håkon Håkonsen the Old was the one who started the construction of 

Tønsberghus fortress,  which was completed by his son Magnus 

who became king after his father. 

Magnus modernized the Norwegian  laws,  which were not in step with the times

and later went by the name Magnus Lagabøte.

Håkon the Old ruled mainly from Bergen, but also had it built

a royal farm (Håkonshall) in Tønsberg.

When the Scots king Alexander III decided to take back 

The Suder Islands,  today's Hebrides which were in Norwegian possession, 

King Håkon went over with  a fleet to prevent that 

The Scottish king got the Suder Islands back.

Due to a terrible storm, there was no decision, however 

both thought  they had won, but really they did 

no decision.

King Håkon went to the Orkney Islands and was supposed to be there over the winter, 

while  the rest of the fleet went back to Bergen, but fell ill 

and died there on 17 Dec. 1263.

He was buried in Magnus Cathedral, but when spring came he stayed

transported to Bergen and was buried in Kristkirken in Bergen.

Magnus had a son, Håkon, who had the name during his reign

Håkon V Magnusson and was the one who had Akershus Fortress built

and Båhus fortress in what became known as Båhusleen. and was a part

of Norway.

Magnus Lagabøte was born in Tønsberg, but died in Bergen, while

the son, Håkon V Magnusson, was both born and died in Tønsberg.

 

The pictures below show the construction of a new complete copy of

The Gokstad ship.

Here there is full activity with boat building.

It's certainly starting to look like a Viking ship.

Craftsmanship at a high level, with simple tools.

Boat building is often thought of as something that is built around a form 

"rammeverk", men ved klinkbygging blir spantene og forsterkninger 

satt på plass etterpå.

"Bare fotografer" var svaret, da jeg spurte om det var greit at jeg tok noen bilder.

Et spennennde prosjekt som det er interessant å følge med på.

Det begynner ihvertfall å ligne på båt.

Det er ikke noen oppvarmet "båthall" de jobber i, men utendørs nærmest i friluft, 

med bare en pressenning over som beskyttelse mot snø og regn.