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(1908) [MARC] [MARC] Author: William Gershom Collingwood With: Frederick York Powell
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Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Introductory Chapters By the late Professor York Powell - III. The Wicking Fleets

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III. THE WICKING FLEETS

Thou Sea that pickest and cullest the race in time, and unitest nations,
Suckled by thee, old husky nurse, embodying thee
Indomitable, untamed as thee.


The development of national life in Norway,
consequent on the increase of trade and population, by
the end of the eighth century is shown by the growth
of tribal leagues, and by the increased appreciation
of common laws and common peace over large areas
that rendered possible the career of the lawyer king,
Halfdan the Black, who succeeded in establishing a
kind of imperial sway over a broad territory, hitherto
parcelled out under small tribal kings. But for
our present purpose the points to dwell on are the
improvement of the ship and war organisation.

The earlier Swedish graven stones, and earlier boat-shaped,
stone-marked graves, show that, as Tacitus
tells from the report of some Teuton traveller or
captive of his day, the Suiones [Swedes] had fleets of
boats, with prows at either end, but without sails
or regular row of oars. These were long canoes
probably shaped of wood and skin-covered wattle,
and moved by paddles. But the Ueneti of Brittany,
at least as early as 60 b.c., had already, helped no
doubt by seeing some foreign models (possibly
Carthaginian galleys), got to building vessels that
would stand the rough weather of the Atlantic, and


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