News Update August 23, 2021 - The Vikings (1 Viewer)

Julie

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 2, 2011
Messages
2,141
JJDESIGNS NEWS UPDATE 23rd AUGUST 2021
THE AGE OF ARTHUR
THE VIKINGS
THE VIKING DRAGON (DREKI) LONGSHIP – PREORDER

This SEPTEMBER the Viking Longship will be available for Pre-order.

The PRE-ORDERED Viking Ship will be available with an approximate 10% discount.

PRE-ORDER PERIOD ENDS 30[SUP]th[/SUP] SEPTEMBER 2021

NO PRE-ORDERS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE 30[SUP]th[/SUP] SEPTEMBER 2021

When Magnus the Good (1047) put his ships to sea, it was as if a swarm of angels from the King of heaven – soared over the waves. (The skald Arnorr)

longship_1_.jpg


Without the Viking ships, there would be no Viking Age. Norse sagas, skaldic poems and contemporary foreign sources describe the Viking ships as marvelous at sea:
The Vikings sailed over vast distances with these ships, from America in the west to Asia Minor in the east, and perhaps even farther.
It was the seaworthiness of the Viking ships, together with the Norsemen’s knowledge of navigation and seamanship, which made it possible for them to conquer the ocean. The Vikings’ understanding of the sea is also reflected in the Old Norse language that has about 150 words for waves.

During the Viking Age (900-1200 AD) Vikings were the dominant seafarers of the North Atlantic. One of the keys to their success was the ability to navigate skillfully across the open waters. The Vikings were experts in judging speed and wind direction, and in knowing the current and when to expect high and low tides.
Viking navigational techniques are not well understood, but historians postulate that the Vikings probably had some sort of primitive astrolabe and used the stars to plot their course.

longship_2_.jpg


Longships were a type of specialized Scandinavian warship, documented from at least the fourth Century BC. Originally developed and designed by the Norsemen (Vikings) for commerce, exploration, and warfare. Many of the Longship’s characteristics were adopted by other cultures, such as the Anglo-Saxons, and continued to influence shipbuilding for centuries.

longship_3_.jpg


longship_4_.jpg


The Longship’s designs evolved over many centuries, and continuing up until the 6[SUP]th[/SUP] century with clinker built ships like Nydam and Kvalsund. The longship appeared in its complete form between the 9[SUP]th[/SUP] and 13[SUP]th[/SUP] Centuries. The character and appearance of these ships have been reflected in Scandinavian boat-building traditions to the present day.
The particular skills and methods employed in making longships are still used worldwide, often with modern adaptations.
They were all made out of wood, with cloth sails (woven wool) and had several details and carvings on the hull.

longship_5_.jpg


The Longships were characterized as graceful, long, narrow and light, with a shallow draft hull designed for speed. The ships’s shallow draft allowed navigation in waters only one meter deep and permitted arbitrary beach landings, whilst its light weight enabled it to be carried over portages or used bottom up for shelter in camps

Longships were also double ended, the symmetrical bow and stern allowing the ship to reverse direction quickly without a turn around. This trait proved particularly useful at northern latitudes, where icebergs and sea ice posed hazards to navigation.

Longships were fitted with oars along almost the entire length of the boat itself. Later versions had a rectangular sail on a single mast, which was used to replace or augment the effort of the rowers, particularly during long journeys.
The average speed of Viking ships varied from ship to ship, but lay in the range of 5-10 knots (9-18 km/h) and the maximum speed of a longship under favourable conditions was around 15 knots (28km/h)

longship_6_.jpg


The leidang (leiðangr) was a system that organized a coastal fleet with the aim of defense, coerced trade, or aggressive wars. All free men were obliged to take part in or contribute to the leidang. The entire leidang was called to arms when invading forces threatened the land. The leidang could also be called out to participate abroad.

longship_7_.jpg


The leidang divided the coastal districts into different regions called skipreiða. In times of strife, those living in these regions had to provide a certain number of ships and also equip themselves with men and weapons.The law required every man to arm himself, at a minimum, with an axe or a sword in addition to spear and shield, and for every rowing bench to have a bow and 24 arrows. Ancient Norse sources reveal that this Norwegian defence fleet could mobilise at least 310 ships when danger threatened. We do not know whether the full quota of ships was ever mobilised.


longship_8_.jpg


In addition, a warning system consisting of hilltop cairns was created and when enemies approached, these cairns were lit one after the other to warn the people so that they could prepare themselves. In this way the levy fleet along the Norwegian coast could gather in a few days.

longship_9_.jpg


Haakon the Good gets the honor of having formed the leidang system around 950, but similar arrangements may have existed long before this time as a defense of petty kingdoms.

longship_10_.jpg



LONGSHIP
THE AGE OF ARTHUR,
VIKING DRAGON (DREKI) LONGSHIP,
(75pcs)

LONGSHIP Dimensions 59cm length x 35cm wide (includes oars) x 48cm height
LONGSHIP Dimensions 23 ¼” length x 13 ¾” wide (includes oars) x 19” height


PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER TO PRE-ORDER

PRE-ORDER PERIOD ENDS 30[SUP]th[/SUP] SEPTEMBER 2021

THE LONGSHIP SET CONTAINS
20 CREW ROWING,
6 VIKING WARRIORS.
20 Shields
23 Oars


PRODUCTION PERIOD OCTOBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022


ESTIMATED SHIPMENT AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 2022


PRE-ORDER PERIOD FOR THE VIKING LONGSHIP ENDS 30[SUP]th[/SUP] SEPTEMBER 2021

Best wishes and many thanks


john jenkins
 
It's finally here! I knew it was coming, just didn't know when. I definitely want this one and will be pre-ordering it. I'll see your King Tiger and Keel Boat and raise you one Viking Longship!
 
Not my area of collecting but quite impressive to say the least.
 
I really wish John would also do a version for the collector on a budget. Like possibly just the ship's prow with the three warriors, or the king tiger without the interior details.
 
well...

the barge QBOAT-01...was sold separately...
the rowing crew...the tillerman and the grenadiers were sold separately...
then there was an all inclusive price at a discount for the entire set up...
which was the best option for me...

coupled with a 10% pre-order discount on this...
hopefully it might not be too expensive...
we'll see...
 
I use to collect Vikings big time.Glad I'm not now.^&grin
Mark
 
Shipping would likely be free.
26 individual painted poses and a ship of John’s quality and accuracy.
My Roman ship has 16 figures with the boat that’s a grand right there.
That seems like a good price at 1600.

I doubt I will get it as I have a Conte ship but I would love for John to make a extra run of the 6 standing figures for those of us who have Conte ships. I think you could blend two or three of them even with the scale being off.
 
Last edited:
This longship looks amazing! While I haven’t collected John’s Vikings or Saxon warriors yet, this set is almost too tempting to pass up. $1,600 seems expensive at the outset, but the fact the set has the fully-rigged ship, oars, shields, 20 rowers, and 6 warriors makes it a great deal in my view…
Again, this is very cool 😎
 
It is beautiful and one of the most intricate Viking ships I've seen. But that hull bottom is going to be a problem for those making dioramas. Chris
 
It is beautiful and one of the most intricate Viking ships I've seen. But that hull bottom is going to be a problem for those making dioramas. Chris

I hope some of the hull is removable like the QBOAT-01 to give it a flat bottom stable base on a flat water surface in a diorama...
 
I just sent JJ an email asking about the hull...
will post answer when he replies...
 
Well, the wife turns 50 in February, I cannot think of a better gift than this bad boy!!! {sm3}

This is clearly the best release of 2021.....congratulations John and thank you for bringing such an impressive piece of art to life. Hopefully, through your effort and the efforts of your artisans, people will see the Viking civilization as something far deeper and spiritual than the Great Heathen Army so often conjured up immediately in peoples minds when they hear the term "Viking".
 
Last edited:
I am blown away by John’s vision and workmanship. It is a lot of money but I will definitely get it and it will be the centre of my collection. It is an absolute piece of beauty.
Thank you John
Jason
 
It is beautiful and one of the most intricate Viking ships I've seen. But that hull bottom is going to be a problem for those making dioramas. Chris

Anyone who buys one from me, I'll also include a saw and some sandpaper for free.

Problem solved.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top