Chieftains and shipbuilding Viking 88 2024 219 36 (original) (raw)
Viking ships were fundamental to the activities of trade, raiding, exploration, and transportation, and their construction and maintenance required considerable resources and specialized knowledge. Chieftains played a central role in overseeing the production of ships, ensuring that these critical vessels were available to support Viking society's needs. By around the year 1000, estimates suggest that Scandinavia's fleet included approximately 1,000 warships, with a total of around 1,500 ships when including cargo vessels. Given that around 10% of the fleet was lost annually, it is estimated that about 150 new ships had to be constructed each year to sustain the fleet. The Viking economy and society were closely interconnected through complex trade routes, which were protected and managed by chieftains. These leaders, through their kinship and friendship ties, were pivotal in establishing and maintaining extensive trade networks that stretched across Scandinavia and into far-flung regions. Farms, particularly those controlled by chieftains, were key to the economic system, with large workforces, including slaves (thralls), engaged in shipbuilding, ironworking, and other essential industries to support these ventures.