Plate VII.
Building the Ships.
The ships which are being built in this plate are the famous “Snekkjur” or serpent vessels of the Vikings, so praised by the Skalds. On the whole the Normans had altered their marine equipment comparatively little since their Norwegian days. A 9th century Viking boat was in 1880 discovered at Gokstad on the west coast of the Gulf of Christiania. It was about 75 ft. long, 16 ft. broad, 5·7 ft. deep, with a displacement of 30 tons and able to carry 40 men. Such a ship would have been a fine one in the days of the Conqueror.
William’s fleet consisted of 3,000 boats of different shapes and sizes, of which 696 were of the “Snekkjur” type. The serpent decoration on the prow and stern of this type of boat was often omitted, but is shown in the Tapestry. William’s own ship was called the “Mora,” and was a present to him from Queen Matilda. On the prow was the statue of a boy in copper gilt, who held a bow in his hand in which there was an arrow pointing ever towards England. His ship also flew the “Consecrated Banner” of Pope Alexander II., whose support of the expedition William had secured.