The rhythmic sound of the boatbuilders axes against the tree is again echoing rhythmically across the museum.
The origin of the sound derives from the middle of the Museum Island. Here you will once again find the boatbuilders, archaeologists and ship experts immersed in their work reconstructing the Viking Age warship ‘Skuldelev 5’ in full scale.
This summer will see significant strides being taken in the construction of the hull, as the head boatbuilder, Martin Rodevad Dael, explains.
“The aim this year is to continue working with the frames and other internal components, such as the keelson, and to have the fourth and fifth strakes – or rows of planks – in place by the end of the season. All of this will add significant height and width to hull, so from here on in, the ship will become more and more impressive to look at,” says Martin.
A warship in turbulent times and uncertain waters
The original ship-find, Skuldelev 5, which you can see on display in the Viking Ship Hall, was built in Denmark as a warship around year 1030.
The warship sailed during a particularly turbulent period in Scandinavian history until it became part of the sailing barrier off Skuldelev, which we believe was established around the year 1060 to protect Roskilde, one of Denmark's largest royal and ecclesiastical cities.
‘Skuldelev 5’s estimated lifespan began during the last years of Canute the Great’s North Sea Empire and continued on after the Empire’s eventual collapse following Canute’s death in 1035,’ tells researcher and project leader, Tríona Sørensen.
There is no concrete evidence of the specific actions and voyages that the ship 'Skuldelev 5' was directly involved in. However, the dramatic events and sea battles of this peiod were still the backdrop against which Skuldelev 5 was built and used.
“During the ship’s lifetime, four different kings would ascend to the Danish throne – some peaceably, others less so. Historical references also record several significant major battles during the same period. This was also a timeframe which encompassed some of the most significant events of the time in north-western Europe, such as the Battles of Stamford Bridge and Hastings. In other words, Skuldelev 5 sailed in a time when warships and war fleets played a dominant role in shaping the political landscape of the North,” Tríona continues.
This cultural historical context informs our approach to investigating the ship at the museum today.
Decades of experience give rise to a different kind of ship
Building full-scale reconstructions of archaeological boat and ship finds has been the cornerstone of the Viking Ship Museum’s research endeavours for over four decades. All five of the Skuldelev Ships have been reconstructed in full-scale and some – like Skuldelev 5 – are being reconstructed for the second time.
The first reconstruction of Skuldelev 5, Helge Ask, was launched in 1991 and both the ship and its volunteer crew have made an enormous contribution to our understanding of ship-building and seafaring in the late Viking Age. There are still aspects of the ship that remain to be explore, however.
“Our approach to experimental archaeological reconstruction has developed greatly since Helge Ask was launched in 1991 and the many years of combined experience with reconstructing and building other archaeological ship and boat finds gives us a more nuanced understanding of the materials, methods and techniques involved in building late Viking Age ships like Skuldelev 5”, tells Tríona Sørensen.
This new reconstruction is being built on the basis of a revised interpretation of the original ship-find, and will therefore have a slightly different hull shape when compared to Helge Ask.
An unusual ship with new questions to explore
When compared with other contemporary ship-finds, Skuldelev 5 stands out as being quite unusual in terms of the manner and materials from which it was built.
The planking material for Skuldelev 5’s hull is made up of oak, pine and a single ash plank.
“The original ship is a very unusual because the hull, roughly 50% of which survived the many centuries at the bottom of Roskilde Fjord, consists of a much wider range of wood types than you generally see on other ship-finds from the period”, explains boatbuilder Martin Rodevad Dael.
Even more unusual is the fact that the pine and ash planks had been stripped from several other vessels and re-used to build Skuldelev 5.
When experts at the Viking Ship Museum analyze and work on how the ship was built, they also investigate why shipbuilders in the Viking Age chose to use these recycled planks and what impact it might have had on the ship.
“This project gives us a great opportunity to gain new insights into maritime military organisation and boatbuilding in the late Viking Age. Did they do it because of time pressure due to an impending conflict or does it suggest a lack of access to resources? It’s a complex ship-find that has a wealth of information locked inside its hull and reconstructing the ship in full-scale is a great way to get a practical understanding of many of these issues,” continues researcher Tríona Sørensen.
Activities at the Viking Ship Museum from May 1st to June 27th, 2025:
Board the longship
The Viking ship is open to visitors from 10:00 to 17:00.
Guided tours from May 1st to August 31st
11:00: Guided tour in the Viking Ship Hall/museum island (English, 50 min.)
12:00: Guided tour at the Boat Yard (English, 50 min.)
13:00: Guided tour in the Viking Ship Hall/museum island (English, 50 min.)
14:00: Guided tour at the Boat Yard (English, 50 min.)
» Click here to read more about the different guided tours…
Boat-building workshop at the Boat Yard:
Build and small boat and test - is your boat seaworthy?
The workshop is open every day from 10:30 to 17:00.
You can build as many boats as you want when an entrance ticket is purchased.
» Click here to read more about the workshop…
Sailing trips
We offer sailing trips in traditional Nordic wooden boats on Roskilde Fjord.
The sailing trips require a special ticket.
» Click here to read more about the sailing trips and how to buy tickets…
Meet the craftspeople
Every summer, we focus on the crafts surrounding the Viking ships, which were indispensable to the seafarers of the Viking Age.
» Click here to see when you can meet the different maritime crafts…
