Viking is mostly used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates, who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century. These Norsemen used their ships to travel as far east as Constantinople and the Volga River in Russia, and as far west as Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland. This period of Viking expansion known as the Viking Age forms a major part of the medieval history of Scandinavia, Great Britain, Ireland and the rest of Europe in general. Popular conceptions of the Vikings often differ from the complex picture that emerges from archaeology and written sources. A picture of Vikings savages began to take root in the 18th century, and this developed and became widely propagated during the 19th century Viking revival. The received views of the Vikings as violent brutes or intrepid adventurers owe much to the modern Viking myth which had taken shape by the early 20th century. Current popular representations highly excited are typically, presenting the Vikings as familiar people.
There were two distinct classes of Viking ships. The longship, intended for warfare and exploration, was designed for speed and agility, and was equipped with oars to complement the sail as well as making it able to navigate independently of the wind. The longship had a long and narrow hull, as well as a shallow draft, in order to facilitate landings and troop deployments in shallow water. The knarr was a dedicated merchant vessel designed to carry cargo. It was designed with a broader hull, deeper draft and limited number of oars. One Viking innovation was the 'beitass', a spar mounted to the sail that allowed their ships to sail effectively against the wind.
In Roskilde are the well-preserved remains of five ships, excavated from nearby Roskilde Fjord in the late 1960s. The ships were scuttled there in the 11th century to block a navigation channel, thus protecting the city, which was then the Danish capital, from seaborne assault. These five ships represent the two distinct classes of Viking ships, the longship and the knarr. The remains of these ships can be found on display at the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde.
