l' SHU'S. 



1.77 



also called the langskip (long ship), was their most powerful 

 ship of war. The Dragon was the finest and largest vessel of 

 the North, and derived its name from the prow and stem 

 being ornamented respectively with the head and tail of one 

 or more dragons. 



The most celebrated for its beautiful proportions was the 

 Ormrinn Lanyi (the long serpent), which, long afterwards, 

 even during the time of Harald Hardradi and Sigurd Jorsalafari, 

 served as a model (llth and 12th centuries). 



The skeid (swift sailer) was another kind of long ship, which 

 held from twenty to thirty or more rowers' benches, and was 

 occasionally as large as a dragon-ship. The largest skeid 

 mentioned is that of Erling Skjalgsson, which had thirty-two 

 rowers' benches, and carried two hundred and forty or more 

 men. He used it on viking expeditions, or when he was sum- 

 moned to participate in war. 



"Erling Skjalgsson, the king's brother-in-law, had his 

 large skeid ; it had thirty rooms, and was well manned ' 

 (Olaf Tryggvason, c. 105). 



"It was then told to the king that Erling Skjalgsson had 

 many men gathered in Jadar. His skeid lay fully equipped 

 near the shore, and many other ships owned by the brendr, such 

 as skutas, lafjnarskip (fishing ships) and large rodrar-ferjas 

 (rowing ferries) " (St. Olaf, c. 184). 



The snekbja was a somewhat smaller long-ship, of which 

 frequent mention is made ; but sometimes it must have been 

 as large as a dragon-ship. 



" Erling had prepared a twenty-seated snekkja, a fifteen- 

 seated skuta, and a vistdbyrding (store-ship) " (Magnus Erlings- 

 son's Saga, c. 25.) l 



The Skuta - was a small vessel, much used and often men- 

 tioned, containing probably fifteen seats. In it the upper 

 part of the gunwale was so built that the crew could easily 

 step on it, and more easily board the enemy. 



1 Cf. also Olaf Tryggvason, c. 102 ; 

 St. Olaf, c. 60, 150. 



The Nvdam and Gokstad boats seem 



to have been a fifteen-seated skuta or 

 Some skutas seem to have carried a rrr\\ 

 of about thirty men. 



