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som oven (s. 25) antydet, af kortere bænke ved hver af
skibets sider, lader sig i almindelighed ikke afgjøre. Var
der tofter, kunne disse under ingen omstændighed have
været faste, da de i saa fald maatte hindre den frie gjen-
nemgang i skibet, som overalt sees under en kamp.
Og hvis der var kortere rorbænke, maa man ved den
sedvanlige betegnelse (jfr. s. 25) af skibets størrelse efter
bænkenes tal følgelig kun have tænkt paa skibets ene side.
Men hvad enten der var tofter eller kortere bænke, bli-
ver betegnelsen af rummenes og aarernes tal den samme.
Saaledes vilde f. ex. en prettånsessa i hvert tilfælde have
13 rum, 26 halvrum og 26 aarer, men under forudsæt-
ning af, at den første mening antages, 13 tofter, i mod-
sat fald derimod 13 rorbænke paa hver side eller i det
hele 26. Desværre gav heller ikke Gokstadskibet noget
bidrag til løsningen af det omhandlede spørsmaal, da
der ved udgravningen hverken fandtes tofter, som kunde
passe for skibet, eller noget slags kortere rorbænke, og
der heller ikke paa knæer eller biter sees nogetsomhelst
spor af, hvor saadanne bænke kunde have været fæstede.
Derimod faa vi her for første gang en aldeles ud-
tømmende oplysning om roret med tilbehør, og ikke
mindst derved, at roret, da det fandtes, netop havde den
stilling, som det indtog under brugen (pl. I. fig. I, 4, 7,
pl. IL fig. 4). Det ansees overflødigt her at gjentage de
ovenfor (s. 18) omtalte navne paa rorets forskjellige dele
eller at paapege den bestyrkelse, som her viser sig, af
hvad derom er sagt paa det anførte sted. Derimod maa
det nye fremhæves, som i denne henseende er kommet
for dagen ved dette fund. For det første er der ind-
vendig i skibet til forstærkning paalagt et tømmerstykke
(pl. I. fig. 4) med et rundt hul i midten for rortauget,
dernæst sees længer oppe to firkantede aabninger for
snoren (styrihamla) omkring rorets hals; endnu længer
oppe er der i denne hals en firkantet aabning for ror-
pinden (jfr. s. 18) og øverst en jernring. Dels i denne
ring og dels i krampen ved rorets hæl maa enderne af
et taug have været fæstede, saaledes at dette taug følgelig
haledes stramt oppe og slakkedes nede, for at roret
kunde faa sin rette stilling, medens tauget i modsat
whether, as in the boats, it consisted of a thwart across
the entire ship’s-breadth, or as before intimated (p. 25),
of short benches on each of its sides, is a question
be settled.
these not could have been fix-
which can not, in general, conclusively
Were there thwarts,
tures; since, in that event, free passage along the ves-
sel —, seen to have been in every instance provided
during battle, — must have been impeded. And were
the short oarsmen’s benches used, the usual mode of
computing a vessel’s side (cfr. p. 25) by its number of
seats would have been applicable only to one side of
the ship Still whether thwarts or short benches were
used, the numerical designation of the oars and of the
divisions remains the same. Thus e. g. a prettånsessa
(thirteen benched vessel) must, in each instance, have
had 13 divisions, 26 halves of such and 26 oars; but
under this premise, that the first opinion is assumed,
13 thwarts, and contrariwise, on each side 13, or in the
Unhappily the Gokstad
ship contributed naught towards solution of the question
whole 26 oarmen”’s benches.
here discussed. For, during the excavation, neither
thwarts which might have been fitted to the vessel, nor
any kinds of shorter oarsmen’s benches were discovered,
and neither on the knees nor on the beams is there
found a trace of aught by whose means such benches
might have been fixed.
On the other hand we have here, and that too, for
the first time, exhaustive information concerning the
rudder and its appurtenants, information acquired with
so much the greater facility, besause this Gokstad rud-
der, when unearthed, was in exactly that position which
it would have held, while in use (pl. I. fig. 4. 7. pl. IL.
fig. 4).
already been stated (pag. 18); such as the names of the
It were superfluous to repeat here what has
different parts, or to point out the corroboration here
presented, of what has been set forth in the passage re-
ferred to. Prominence must however be given to things
unknown before, but now brought to light by this dis-
covery. And firstly there was found fixed within the
ship, to strengthen its sides, a timber stock (pl. I. fig. 4)
with a round hole in its middle to pass the rudder line,
— next further up two foursided apertures for the grom-
met (styrihamla) around the neck of the rudder, still
further up in the neck, another foursided aperture to
receive the tiller (cfr. pag. 18); and at its top an iron
ring. Partly in the ring, partly in the cramp at the
rudder’s heel, the ends of a rope must have been fastened,
so that the rope, consequently was hauled taut up, and
slackened downwards to bring the rudder into its true
working position, but conversely, when it should be
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