Vikings

I have to confess that I knew very little about Norway before coming here. What I knew could be summed up thus:

1. Vikings- famously depicted in the cartoon strip "Hagar the Horrible" Can't post any pictures for fear of copyright violation but do check out http:www.kingfeatures.com/features/comics/hagar/about.htm
2. Fjords
3. Salmon
   

Not a very heartening list, I know.


Well, today, Jose K and I finally got to encounter Item 1 on that limited list. (Well, sort of.) This was all due to the University of Oslo who had kindly organized a free/ "gratis" (as they say in Norwegian) busabout for the International Students. Very nice, those folks at the University of Oslo unlike the Troll Lady and her Minions.

Part of the busabout was a stop at the Viking Ship Museum at Bygdøy. There are 3 Vikings ships on display there and the pictures here are of The Oseberg Ship which was excavated in 1904. This ship was built around 815-820 A.D. and was used as a burial ship for a woman who could have been a princess or a priestess. It was quite an experience to see those ships up close. Check out the scale!


After today's experience, I feel obliged to put the record straight once and for all: There is absolutely no historical evidence that Vikings wore horned helmets. Sorry about that, Hagar.