Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Our Top Norwegian Museums
The Gokstad, which could be rowed as well as sailed by 32 men.
One of the most intriguing Viking ships, the Oseberg, which was a burial ship for two prominent women. Photo: MårtenTeigen
The ever-lasting appeal of the Vikings The history of the Vikings is one of the most universal interests in the world. The Viking era spanned from the beginning of the 700s to approximately 1050 AD. The bestpreserved Viking ships in the world are located at the Viking Ship Museum in Bygdøy, Oslo, which is open to the public every day.
fast and built for travels on the high seas, built around 890 AD, at the peak of the Viking period. It was found by two teenage boys digging around in 1879 in Sandefjord, and excavated in 1880.
By Pernille Johnsen | Photos: Viking Ship Museum
The first known and documented Viking attack happened in Lindisfarne in northern England in 793. The allure of the Vikings is likely a combination of a fascination with their plunderous activity and the intellectual views about the world they lived in. The mythological, cosmological ideas the Vikings shared about life after death as well as their sense of adventure and fervour for storytelling are ubiquitous aspects of cultures worldwide and thus appeal to tourists and locals alike.
The mystery of Oseberg One of the monoliths at the museum is the Oseberg ship, which was built in around 820 and excavated in Tønsberg in 1904. The Oseberg ship was used as a burial ship for two women, one aged between 70 and 80 and the other woman approximately 50 years of age. No 68 | Issue 98 | March 2017
one knows exactly who they were, but it is certain that they had substantial power and agency. No ordinary person was given such a grave, so the women must have held high religious or political positions in their communities. The burial of the women provokes many questions. Were they related, or was one sacrificed to join the other in the afterlife? The women’s lives remain a mystery that makes seeing the Oseberg an exercise of the imagination, suitable for all age groups.
This spring, the museum offers a new way to experience the Viking era through an animated film screening. The project is called The Vikings Alive and includes a feature film as well as two documentaries, which will be available at the Viking Ship Museum at Bygdøy from April 2017 onwards. The Oseberg cart, which was found in the burial chamber along with the women.
The high seas The second of the three ships on display at the Viking Ship Museum is the Gokstad ship. With a different build than that of the Oseberg, the Gokstad could be rowed and sailed by a crew of 32 men. It was
For more information, please visit: www.khm.uio.no