History · 5th Year · The Vikings in Ireland · Summer Term

Viking Longships and Warriors

What made the Viking longship such a fearsome and effective vessel? Investigate the design of their ships and the weapons and tactics of the Viking warrior.

TL;DR:Get ready to explore the fierce world of the Vikings, whose incredible longships brought them right to Ireland's shores. We'll discover the secrets behind their powerful ships and the warriors who sailed them.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA History: Early People and Ancient Societies - The Vikings

About This Topic

This topic delves into the world of the Vikings, focusing on the technological marvel of their longships and the formidable nature of their warriors, all within the context of their arrival and impact on Ireland. Aligned with the SESE History curriculum for Fifth Class, specifically the strand 'Early Peoples and Ancient Societies', this exploration moves beyond the stereotypical image of Vikings as mere raiders. It encourages pupils to act as historians, examining the design features that made longships perfect for navigating both open seas and shallow Irish rivers, facilitating raids on monasteries like Clonmacnoise and the establishment of settlements that would become cities like Dublin, Waterford, and Wexford.

The lessons will investigate the materials, tools, and tactics that defined the Viking Age in Ireland. By comparing Viking technology and military strategy with that of the Gaelic Irish, pupils will develop a nuanced understanding of this pivotal period in Irish history. This topic provides an excellent opportunity to develop skills in historical inquiry, examining evidence from archaeological finds (like those at Wood Quay), and understanding the long-term consequences of cultural interaction, conflict, and settlement.

Key Questions

1. Identify three key features of a Viking longship that made it effective for both raiding and exploration.
2. Explain the types of weapons and armour used by a typical Viking warrior.
3. Compare the technology of a Viking longship to the boats used by the Irish at the time.

Learning Objectives

• Describe three key design features of a Viking longship and explain their purpose.
• Identify the primary weapons and armour used by a Viking warrior.
• Explain the dual impact of Vikings in Ireland as both raiders and settlers.
• Compare the technology of a Viking longship to a traditional Irish boat like a currach.
• Analyse visual evidence from artefacts to draw conclusions about Viking life.

Key Vocabulary

Longship	A long, narrow, and light wooden boat with a shallow bottom, used by the Vikings for raiding and exploration.
Clinker-built	A method of boat building where the edges of the hull planks overlap each other, making the ship strong but flexible.
Draft	The depth of a boat's hull below the waterline. A shallow draft allowed longships to travel far up rivers.
Prow	The front part of a ship. Viking longship prows were often carved into the shape of a dragon or serpent head to look fearsome.
Currach	A traditional Irish boat made with a wooden frame, over which animal hides or canvas are stretched. They were much smaller and lighter than longships.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

All Vikings wore helmets with horns on them.

What to Teach Instead

There is no archaeological or historical evidence that Vikings wore horned helmets in battle. This popular image comes from 19th-century paintings and operas. Real Viking helmets were typically simple, dome-shaped caps made of iron and leather.

Common Misconception

The Vikings were only savage barbarians who came to steal.

What to Teach Instead

While raiding was a major part of their activity, the Vikings were also skilled craftspeople, explorers, farmers, and traders. They founded Ireland's first towns, including Dublin and Waterford, and introduced new technologies, words, and trade routes to the island.

Common Misconception

All people from Scandinavia at the time were Vikings.

What to Teach Instead

The word 'Viking' really describes an occupation, like a raider or sea-farer. Most people living in Scandinavia during this period were farmers, hunters, or merchants who never went on raids and lived their entire lives at home.

Active Learning Ideas

Maker Learning

Build a Viking Longship

In small groups, pupils use recycled materials like cardboard, lolly sticks, and fabric scraps to construct a model of a longship. They must include key features like a shallow hull, a square sail, and a carved prow, and can test its buoyancy in a basin of water.

60 min·Small Groups

Maker Learning

A Viking Warrior's Kit

Pupils work in pairs to research and create a labelled drawing of a Viking warrior. They must include and describe the purpose of their helmet, shield, axe or sword, and leather or mail armour.

45 min·Pairs

Maker Learning

Raid or Trade? Class Debate

Divide the class into two sides to debate whether the Vikings' primary impact on Ireland was as violent raiders or as influential traders and town-builders. Pupils should use evidence learned during the topic to support their arguments.

30 min·Whole Class

Real-World Connections

• The Viking city of 'Dubh Linn' is now Dublin, Ireland's capital city, showing their lasting impact on our geography.
• Modern boat and ship design still uses principles of hydrodynamics that the Vikings mastered in their longships.
• Archaeology, like the digs at Wood Quay in Dublin, is a real-world job that helps us uncover physical evidence about how people lived in the past.
• The story of Viking navigation using sunstones and star patterns shows early forms of science and technology for exploration.
• Viking trade routes connected Ireland to a global network stretching to Iceland, Russia, and even the Middle East, similar to modern international trade.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

During group work, circulate and listen to pupils' discussions about longship design, posing questions to check their understanding of key vocabulary like 'draft' and 'clinker-built'.

Quick Check

Pupils complete a 'Viking Fact File' project, where they draw and label a longship and a warrior, and write a short paragraph explaining why the Vikings were successful invaders and settlers in Ireland.

Quick Check

Pupils use a 'two stars and a wish' method to review their longship models, identifying two features they included correctly and one aspect they could improve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did the Vikings first come to Ireland?

Initially, the Vikings came to Ireland for wealth. They raided rich, poorly defended monasteries for gold, silver, and other valuables. Over time, they also sought new land to settle and farm, and they established coastal towns as strategic bases for their extensive trade networks.

What was so special about their longships?

Viking longships were masterpieces of design. They were long, light, and fast, with a shallow 'draft', meaning they could sail in deep seas and also navigate far up shallow rivers. Their symmetrical design, with a prow at each end, meant they could reverse direction quickly without having to turn around.

Did the Irish fight back against the Vikings?

Yes, Irish kings and chieftains frequently fought against Viking armies. A famous example is the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, where the High King of Ireland, Brian Boru, led an army that defeated a large Viking force. However, Irish kings also sometimes made alliances with Vikings against other Irish rivals.