Drekkar

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Drekkar, translated as 'dragon ship', was a longship used by Scandinavian Vikings for raids during the 11th century AD. The Drekkar was designed to carry more troops that the standard Gokstad longships, as many as 80 fully armed Vikings, while still being able to travel in shallow bodies of water, due to the ships being flat bottomed. Also, unlike the Gokstad, the Drekkar had high, planked decks that allowed the warriors on board to rain arrows and spears onto their enemies during naval battles. However, due to its size, over 90 feet long, the Drekkar was apparently less manoeuvrable in battle than its smaller counter, which was 76 feet long. To counter this weakness Drekkars were frequently lashed together in battle, creating a massive floating platform from which the king or commander of a Viking raider force commanded men. The tethered Drekkar platform tactic was best illustrated in the battle of Niså (1062) between Kings Harald III Hardrada of Norway and King Sveinn Estridson of Denmark. During the battle the Drekkar command platforms of the two Viking Kings became lashed together and fierce fighting, that lasted for several hours, erupted from the boarding action performed by the Viking forces.

[edit] Bibliography

• Warfare in the Medieval World by Brian Todd Carey, Joshua B. Allfree, and John Cairns