Today was an exciting day in Dublin because the Viking "Sea Stallion" finally arrived. I have tracked the progress of the Sea Stallion since it set sail from Roskilde (Denmark) on the 30th. June until it arrived in Dublin but all the time I failed to realise that there was a much more interesting and somewhat unknown story behind the enterprising voyage.
The story which supports the belief that the Irish People have a long memory when it comes to history is included below.
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Viking Ship Museum: We are forced to give Sea Stallion away
In relation to a new EU-directive about the inviolability of the national cultural heritage Ireland has claimed the handing over of the Skuldelev 2-wreck, the remains of a 30m-long Viking ship, which today is on display in the Viking Ship Museum Roskilde. The background for this claim is the fact that Skuldelev 2 originally was built in the year 1042... in Ireland. About 30 years later the ship sailed to Denmark and ended her days on the bottom of the Roskilde Fjord as part of a fortification against enemies traveling on the water."We are still shocked. The claim from Ireland came by a huge surprise for us. This looks like a revenge with a delay of 1,000 years," says the director of the Viking Ship Museum, Tinna Damgård-Sørensen.
"Since the Skuldelev-ships were excavated in the 1960ies we have regarded them as precious stones of the Danish cultural heritage. But for Skuldelev 2 it is scientifically documented that she was built in the vicinity of Dublin. The new EU-directive, which comes into force on April 1st this year, gives the Irish the lawful authority to claim the wreck be handed over to its legitimate owner, this being the Irish Ministry for Culture".
"We asked the European court of justice whether the fact that the ship was built by Vikings resident in Ireland would not turn the matter around. So to speak: the ship was built in Ireland but by people who had Nordic blood in their veins. But the EU-court turned down our complaint on the grounds that the oak timber the ship was built of came from the woods around Dublin and therefore is regarded as Irish timber. And the timber's origin definitely plays a more important role than the nationality of the craftsmen," continues Tinna amgård-Sørensen, who has kept the Irish claim a secret until now.
"We have also raised an objection against EU laws being valid for a ship that was built in 1042 - circa 900 years before the Rome declaration was written. This argument made no better impression on the judges of the EU-court than the others. In the end we raised the issue that the ship was excavated in the 1960ies when Denmark was not even a member of the EU (or EC, how it was called then). But the European court of justice holds to the directive being made retrospective... back to the Viking Age if need be".
There are good reasons though, that the Viking Ship Museum may keep the wreck Skuldelev 2. The pieces of the wreck are so delicate that they would not survive a transport from Roskilde to Ireland. After long and secret negotiations between the National Museum in Dublin and the Viking Ship Museum both partners have now reached an agreement.
When Sea Stallion from Glendalough, which is a true copy of Skuldelev2, sails on her historic voyage from Roskilde to Dublin this summer, the crew will hand over the ship to the Irish authorities at arrival in Dublin in mid August. "One has to admit, that the project suddenly took a different direction than what was planned. During 10 years we have dreamed about and made plans for Sea Stallion to sail to Dublin... and back again. Now the result is that we only need to sail to Dublin. There we will give her to the Irish and in return the original wreck can stay in Roskilde.
According to the National Museum in Dublin, Sea Stallion will be taken out of the water by Irelands biggest crane in the middle of August and from then on be on show at Collins barracks, former military barracks and today part of the National Museum.
"The very day that was supposed to be a day of celebration - Sunday 1st July - has become a day of sorrow for we have to say good bye to Sea Stallion forever. It is a hard stroke for the Viking Ship Museum, but also a great loss for Roskilde, and for the whole of Denmark. Roskilde looses a symbol - it is like Roskilde Cathedral would burn down. Also Denmark has to depart from the world's biggest reconstruction of a Viking ship, only one year after it became part of our ultimate cultural heritage in the so-called Cultural Canon".
As Tinna Damgård-Sørensen says, the Viking Ship Museum is not going to admit to the will of the Irish for nothing. The National Museum in Dublin displays a number of axes and jewellery from the Viking Age, which the Viking Ship Museum now will claim to come back to Denmark. A recent ship find has also aroused the Viking Ship Museum's attention.
"This wreck is probably not from the Viking period but from the Middle Ages. But it is clinker-built, a building method that originates from the Vikings. In our opinion this fact alone is sufficient to claim the ship back to Denmark as part of our cultural heritage, according to the EU directive," finishes Tinna Damgård-Sørensen.
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Irish Culture Department to support Viking Longship Voyage
Department for Arts, Sports and Tourism, (DAST), Dublin, Ireland.
The Viking Ship Museum, Roskilde, Denmark
Sunday May 6th 2007.
The Irish Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism Mr. John O'Donoghue has announced financial support to the Sea Stallion experiment, making the historic Viking ship expedition this summer a truly Danish-Irish project.
On Sunday July 1st 2007 the World’s largest reconstruction of a Viking ship – a 30 metre long war ship replica - will leave the Viking Ship Museum harbour in Roskilde, Denmark and set its course for Dublin. Crewed by 65 international volunteers, the ship will ply the North Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea. The arrival in Dublin is scheduled for Tuesday the 14th of August. During a six-week period the ship will be thoroughly tested in the waters the original ship was built to conquer.
The ship – The Sea Stallion of Glendalough – was built at the Viking Ship Museum between 2000 and 2004 being a precise reconstruction of a Viking ship originally built in Dublin in the year 1042. 30 years later the original ship was scuttled in Danish waters at the mouth of Roskilde Fjord as part of the city's defence.
“This is one of the largest marine archaeological experiments ever carried out. We are honoured and deeply grateful that Ireland welcomes the ship, the crew and the project in such a warm atmosphere. We understand that the Vikings were not always so welcome. This time the crew on board The Sea Stallion promise to behave.” says director of the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Tinna Damgaard-Soerensen.
(Irish) Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism spokesperson Mr. Chris Flynn says: “This is the culmination of a project of many years gestation, and of cooperation between the National Museum of Ireland and the Roskilde Viking Ship Museum. The exhibition will be a fantastic use of the Collins Barracks exhibition space and I hope that everyone will take this unique opportunity of welcoming the Sea Stallion to Dublin Docklands on 14th August.”
Apart from being a historic event not carried out for a thousand years the scientific purpose of the expedition is to collect data for the scientists, historians and archaeologists. How did Vikings manage to navigate in such circumstances, what was the operational range for a war ship like this and what logistics was needed to build, crew and operate a war ship fleet are some of the questions raised prior to the expedition launch.
The Sea Stallion from Glendalough:
Length: 30,0 metre Width: 3,8 metre
Sail: 112 square metres
Weight (fully manned): 25 ton
Maximum speed: 15-20 knots
Crew: 65 (from 11 nations including 3 continents)
Distance from Roskilde to Dublin (via Orkney): Approximately 900 nautical miles. (1,666 kms)
More information on the ship: www.seastallion.dk
Preben Rather Sørensen
Head of Secretariat
The Seastallion from Glendalough
Vindeboder 12
DK-4000 Roskilde
Tel: +45 46 300 208 / +45 2175 2070 Fax: +45 46 300 201
More information on the Viking Ship Museum: www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk
More information on DAST: www.dast.ie
Press & Information Office
Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism
Kildare Street, Dublin, 2
Ireland (Tel +353 1) 631 3806 / 3807 / 3838
Fax: (+353 1) 661 1201
Email: pressoffice(at)dast.gov.ie
More information on the Collins Barracks Exhibit. Aoife Demel , Marketing Department, National Museum of Ireland Tel. 00 353 1 6486429 . ademel(at)museum.ie
More information on the arrival event: Loretta Lambkin, Director of Marketing, Docklands Authority, Tel 00 353 1 818 3300 llambkin(at)dublindocklands.ie
Important Dates
28th June - Exhibition on the “ Havhingsten fra Glendalough” - Sea Stallion from Glendalough opens at National Museum of Ireland Collins Barracks
1st July - The Sea Stallion departs from Roskilde , Denmark.
14th/ 15th August - Welcoming ceremony for the Sea Stallion and two days celebration at Custom House Quay.
17th - 19th August – Sea Stallion arrives (17th) in National Museum of Ireland Collins Barracks with a weekend of Viking related activities
August – June 2008 – Sea Stallion and accompanying exhibition will be displayed at the National Museum of Ireland Collins Barracks.
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