← Explore on the interactive map

Norse Knarr Merchant Ship

Type Object Region Northern Europe Time 801–1501

The knarr was a broad-bodied merchant ship widely used in Northern Europe since the Viking Age, with a deep hold, single square-rigged mast, and clin…

Timeline

  1. 801–1101Norway–Iceland route · IcelandVikings sailed knarrs to carry livestock, timber, and iron to Iceland and Greenland; the broad, deep-hulled design kept them stable in North Atlantic seas, making them a key vessel of Norse colonial expansion.
  2. 1201–1410Baltic Sea · Baltic SeaIn the High Middle Ages, knarrs carried salted fish, furs, and grain between Norway, Iceland, and Hanseatic ports; the ships grew larger than in the Viking Age, but basic structure and rigging traditions continued.
  3. 1411–1420Bergen, Norway · BergenIn this period knarrs still carried part of the cargo along the Norwegian coast and Iceland routes, operating alongside the emerging cog. Although cogs dominated bulk trade in the Baltic–North Sea, knarrs retained practical value on remote routes thanks to their seaworthiness and traditional shipbuilding craft.

Sources