OSLO'S SHIP MUSEUMS

THE KON TIKI  MUSEUM

RA II

            In Oslo, Norway, the Kon Tiki Museum is just down the road from the Viking Museum.  Thor Heyerdahl, 1914-2002, sailed the balsa Kon Tiki, with six men, 4000 miles from Peru to Polynesia in 1947 to prove South Americans could sail to Polynesia. The Kon Tiki used a small oar as Heyerdahl wanted to sail the currents, not steer the craft. Unfortunately after 101 days Kon Tiki hung up on a coral reef in Tahiti.

             In 1970 he sailed the Ra II, made of papyrus reed with seven men across the Atlantic. In 1969 Ra I’s reeds became saturated after six or seven weeks during that voyage. Both original crafts are on display in the museum.  The reed boat, although as sturdy as, looked nothing like the attractive reed boat of Peru’s Eros people. This raft was strictly utilitarian.

            The museum is small but well done. It was exciting to see the actual craft I’d heard about in my youth as well as the Ra. All I can say is that it took a lot of courage to set out to sea in either craft, as they didn’t look all that sturdy to me.  

 THE VIKING MUSEUM

 Viking Museum is located on the Bygdey (sounds like big day) Peninsula. In 1913, a Swedish professor suggested a special building be constructed to house the Viking ships which were in storage at a University of Oslo facility. The Oseberg, excavated in 1904, was moved in 1926 and the two other ships, discovered in   in 1932. Three 9^th century ships are surrounded by artifacts from days of plunder. The ships were excavated from Oslofjorden. Made of oak, the ships were buried in blue clay which preserved them well. The boats were used as tombs for the nobility. Things needed for their journey including jewelry, furniture, and food were buried with the bodies.1867 and 1880, were moved

            The Oseberg, buried in 834 and found by accident in 1904, sports an elaborate dragon and serpent carvings. It took 30 people, 15 on each side, to row the 71-foot long, 15-foot wide boat. Considering their age, the boats were in incredible condition. The main boat had 90% of its original lumber! The mast was 49-foot high and carried a 120-square-meter sail. With its shallow draft it skimmed the water.

NORWAY’S VIKING MUSEUM

                   VIKING MUSEUM

In Oslo, we visited the Viking Museum which is located on the Bygdey (sounds like big day) Peninsula. It is part of the Museum of Cultural History of the University of Oslo. Three 9^th century ships  are surrounded by artifacts from days of plunder. The Tune Ship was found and excavated in 1867, Gokstad Ship was excavated in the summer of 1880, and the Oseberg Ship was found and excavated in1904.

Made of oak, the ships were buried in blue clay which preserved them well. The boats were used as tombs for the nobility. Things needed for their journey to the ‘other world’ including jewelry, furniture, and food were buried with the bodies, as well as unique treasures such as wagons, horses and especially textiles which are seldom preserved from the Viking era. The three ships, found in the Oslo fjord, are the best preserved Viking ships known.

The ships were stored in various locations, and in 1913 Professor Gabriel Gustafson, who had led the excavation of the Oseberg Ship, proposed the building of a Viking Ship Museum at Bygdøy. The artifacts and archeological finds are also displayed in the museum. The museum is not large, but is well done and the contents are awesome.