Helge Ask

1990 - 1991

The oak was hard and strong, and so well-preserved that in many places one could see the axe marks from the fine carving of the timber. Each piece was a small adventure in shipbuilding skill and quality craftsmanship.
Olaf Olsen og Ole Crumlin-Pedersen, 1969

The small warship, Skuldelev 5, is ideal for sailing in Danish coastal waters. Unlike the other Skuldelev ships, this ship from the start is built using new wood and recycled timber. A few years before the ship is sunk in the barrage, it is repaired with both new and recycled wood. We do not know why the ship is built this way, but the construction and repairs are carried out by skilled boatbuilders.

The keel for the museum's reconstruction of Skuldelev 5, Helge Ask is laid in 1990. But one question keeps being asked: Which ship shall we build? The original version or the repaired version? Once the keel is laid and the bottom planks are riveted to it, the decision is taken. Helge Ask will be reconstructed as Skuldelev 5 originally appeared. Some of the boatbuilders from the Roar Ege project are hired again, in order to build on the valuable experience.

Before building Helge Ask, the museum dreamed about showing the extremes of Viking maritime culture: peacefull trade and bloody battles. After this building process, the dream of reconstructing all five Skuldelev ships began to grow.