The Viking Ship "Valkyrie"
A Viking Age replica gets set for its maiden voyage in Washington State
If you’re into Viking ships (and who isn’t, really?) then here’s a treat for you. Boat builders in Washington State have recreated a 60-foot long Viking ship and they’ve named her “Valkyrie.” She’s an authentic replica of a Skuldelev ship from the Viking Age in Denmark with 16 oars, 24 shields, a big beautiful sail, and a dragon-head prow. She is hand-crafted in the traditional way from local woods such as Alaskan cedar, Douglas fir, and Pacific yew.
To prepare for their upcoming maiden launch later this month, a preliminary launch took place back in March 2024 that you can check out in this 5-minute video clip. We are very grateful to one of the builders, David Knudsen, who shared this with us. Tusind tak David!
“Valkyrie” was built because of a promise David made to his Danish father before he passed away. David has now turned the project over to his son Erik, who is the captain of the ship. Stay tuned in coming weeks when we’ll be chatting with Erik on the podcast about how the ship was built and what’s in store for her future. We are so excited to learn about the experimental archaeology behind replicating one of the world’s most famous ships! It’s truly a work of art.
If you live in Washington State, and particularly near the Seattle area and parts north, stay tuned to this story as you will be able to check out “Valkyrie” in all her badass Viking glory in person. Read more about her here where you can also sign up to receive updates.
Good luck Erik and crew!
Skál!
Oh wow! This is stunning. I wish we'd had a ship lift when we launched One & All back in 1985... she lid down the slip on her cradle and the cradle stuck in the sand with the ship still on it! (She eventually floated free thanks to the determined efforts of a volunteer tractor driver who drove his vehicle into the shallows and pushed the cradle further into the cove...until the ship floated free... finally!) The footage of Valkyrie is simply stunning, and she looks magnificent being rowed out into the sound. What a sight! (I noticed her little clinker built attendant on the water near her in the final shots, too. Lovely.) xxx Kerry
Oh I wish I could be there to watch her sail! Im stuck out in Yelm!