Editing Longship (section)

{{Short description|Specialised Scandinavian warship}}
{{about|Nordic sea-going ships of the Viking Age|other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{More citations needed|date=July 2024}}

[[File:Viking longship.png|thumb|upright=1.3|Schematic drawing of the longship type]]
'''Longships''', a type of specialised [[Viking ship|Scandinavian warships]], have a long history in [[Scandinavia]], with their existence being archaeologically proven<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jan |first=Bill |date=2003 |title=Scandinavian Warships and Naval Power in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries |journal=War at Sea in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance |volume=14 |pages=35–52 |jstor=10.7722/j.ctt81rtx.9|isbn=9780851159034 }}</ref> and documented from at least the fourth century BC. Originally invented and used by the [[Norsemen]] (commonly known as the [[Vikings]]) for commerce, exploration, and warfare during the [[Viking Age]], many of the longship's characteristics were adopted by other cultures, like [[Anglo-Saxons]], and continued to influence shipbuilding for centuries.

The longship's design evolved over many centuries, and continued up until the sixth century with [[Clinker (boat building)|clinker]]-built ships like [[Nydam Mose#Nydam boat|Nydam]]. The character and appearance of these ships have been reflected in Scandinavian boatbuilding 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 (watercraft)|hull]].