The Sea Stallion from Glendalough

2000 - 2004

 
In its heyday, Skuldelev 2 represented the absolute pinnacle of Viking Age technology.... Its form, function and aesthetics formed a perfect whole.
Tinna Damgård-Sørensen, Director, 2006

The Sea Stallion from Glendalough is a reconstruction of the 30 metre-long Irish warship, Skuldelev 2. The ship is a war machine, built to carry many warriors at high speed. It is a bold design, both heavy and strong enough to carry its 112 m2 sail, but also sufficiently light and long to be rowed by a crew of 60 men. A compromise between strength and lightness. 

The boatbuilder examine how many resources, such as wood, iron, tar, wool and hemp are used when building a longship. This gives us a picture of Viking Age society and of the power structures that were required to provide the necessary organisation and such extensive resources.

For a longship of 30 metres, the following is required:
4 oak trees for the keel, forestem and afterstem
14 oak trees for planks
2 oak trees for keelson and mastsupport
250 pieces of crooked oak for the frames
3 ash trees for the top strake with oarholes
2 pine trees for the mast and yard
35 pine trees for oars
10 willow trees for 1,000 treenails
10 lime/spruce/ pine trees for shields
8,000 iron rivets
600 litres of tar
112 m2 canvas of flax
2,000 metres of hemp rope

The Sea Stallion from Glendalough was launched in 2004. The dream of recreating all five Skuldelev ships had been fulfilled. The next step in the experiment was a voyage in the wake of the Vikings to test the reconstruction. The voyage from Roskilde to Dublin and back in 2007-2008 was the culmination of many years of work.

Sea Stallion is the most ambitous archaeological experiment the museum has ever carried out. The project revived the spirit that had characterised the building of Roar Ege 18 years previously. And now, like then, the project united the entire museum.