Welcome to the world of the Estonian Vikings!

MTÜ Eesti Viikingid (NGO Estonian Vikings) is a group of wooden boat building and prehistory enthusiasts in Estonia who manufacture wooden boats and ships, study the culture and customs of the ancient Vikings, and expose them to larger audiences. MTÜ Eesti Viikingid has been granted approval for small wooden craft building, repair and testing by the Estonian Maritime Administration’s approval decision number 336. The main goal of the Estonian Vikings is to help create a foundation for activities inspired by early history and the Viking Age in Estonia, and then to use this foundation to support organizing events, activities and projects in Estonia and abroad, that promote all kinds of healthy and natural ways of living.

                                                     Everyone is encouraged to join in and take part!

We currently offer rides at several locations in Estonia in various Viking Age boats and ships (see here for details as to where and what kinds), the opportunity to conduct team building exercises on a Viking ship in ancient times, and the organizing of prehistoric and Viking themed business events. We conduct workshops and outings for learning sailing with Viking boats and ships as well as with modern sailboats. We also offer all sorts of Viking Age equipment such as tents, weapons, shields, tools, clothes, footwear, and other items associated with the lives and activities of the Vikings and primeval people. We have various workshops and camps for developing skills in assorted handicrafts and in sailing with Viking ships, we also hold Viking expeditions on land and on sea, on Viking ships and boats as well as on foot.

We seek for and look forward to all manners of collaboration with both Estonian and foreign organizations, interest groups and reenactment clubs focused on Viking and primordial times. Strength lies in numbers and perhaps this way we will be able to achieve what many interest groups, for lack of sufficient capacity and might on their own, have had to postpone for years. Besides, it’s more fun doing it together.

All donations, cooperation and assistance in helping to achieve our goals, from either organizations or individuals who wish to support our cause, are very welcomed and greatly appreciated.

A part of our vision is for Estonia to have a collection of Viking boats and ships, and real life historic Viking villages that would give visitors a complete overview of the the culture, architecture, tools, musical instruments, pastime activities, and everything relating to the lives of the Vikings and ancient Estonians. Naturally this would include the prospect of assorted workshops and projects pertaining to building wooden boats, developing and honing blacksmithing and woodcraft skills, producing period tools, tableware, jewelry, musical instruments, and everything else relating to the daily life of a primal settlement, including games and recreation, food and drink. Aiding in any means possible to accomplish this goal is one of our main objectives. This is our purpose and our contribution to the cultural heritage of Estonia, to the preserving and upholding of olden traditions and lore, while offering means of creative expression to everyone who want to take part in setting all this in motion, through making it their daily life and service.

Another goal is to launch and merge collective projects, seminars and workshops with everyone interested in wooden boat building, and to establish a nationwide Viking and primeval fleet of wooden ships and boats for extended voyages and undertakings in the waters and on the beaches of Estonia and to primordial and Viking Age events in other countries encompassing the Baltic Sea. The traditions of wooden boat and ship building are being forgotten. Our mission is to help lay the groundwork and form conditions for the preservation and restoration of the traditions of building and sailing on wooden ships and boats in Estonia. So that Estonians and the sea would be friends again and the sea would be a place of recreation and joy for everyone with the love for sailing.

I’s a magnificent scene that’s painted by a multitude of triangular and rectangular sails of varying sizes approaching on the horizon, with sturdy and elegant wooden boats and ships breaking through the waves beneath, boarded by fearless merchants and warriors clad in exquisite ancient apparel. Wouldn’t that be a grand and beautiful sight to see?

And one more ambition in the making is to build a Viking ship that’s capable of sailing the seven seas and circumnavigating the world. And then, for instance, why not use it to undertake an expedition in the footsteps of the courageous Vikings, such as to the Pacific Ocean en route to New Zealand, and on from there to neighboring lands. Some may say that’s a completely insane idea… But who knows, maybe it isn’t that crazy after all, and maybe it will evolve into more than just an idea if we unite our forces and make it a collective effort?

We’ve operated in Estonia and elsewhere

On July 7th, 2012, a new 11.6 meter long and 2.8 meter wide Viking ship was launched near the Paunküla reservoir in Kiruvere, about 50 km from Tallinn. The ship was named “Äge”
This Viking ship was discovered in Foteviken, Sweden and its blueprints originate from the region’s Viking museum. It was built as a joint effort with the non-profit organization MTÜ Austrvegr Selts. The saga of the construction is conveyed on the Kiruvere Viking ship web page

 

 

 

 

Dual 6.7 meter Viking boats were launched at Nõva, Läänemaa on the 4th of June, 2011.
These twin Viking boats – “Neyve” and “Thule”, were built in cooperation with Nõva’s local non-profit organization MTÜ NordEstNõva, and based on a 6.5 meter Viking boat found in Gokstad, Norway.
The original plans were augmented with a mast, sail and a bit more freeboard (the distance between the waterline and deck), and also a slight amount of width at the middle, so as to make it more stable on water.
The story and photos of building the Nõva Viking boats are right here on this website, on the Nõva Viking boats page. It also has information on boat rides and other Viking activities, so keep your eyes and ears open!

 

A 9 meter Viking ship was launched at Käsmu, near the Maritime Museum on June 6th, 2010.
Käsmu’s Viking ship, named Aimar, was built by MTÜ Eesti Viikingid and based on a 9 meter and about 1100 year old fjord boat for six rowers i.e. a seksring found in Gokstad. (see here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41hRfqdav2E&feature=player_embedded).

The blueprints were acquired from the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo. The boat’s design was slightly altered to improve stability while retaining the shape, by raising the deck and strengthening the framework.
For more details and pictures, see the Käsmu Viking ship blog , Käsmu Maritime Museum homepage, and naturally there’s also a media production on Youtube, and this too, Youtube again

 

 

 

The image here is of the Viking ship named Vésteinn that was built at the Thingeyri village in the Westfjords of Iceland by MTÜ Eesti Viikingid in conjunction with local Icelandic Vikings.
This ship was completed by the summer of 2008 in cooperation with the West Vikings, a non-profit Viking organization in Thingeyri. The design was inspired by the 1100 year old and 24 meter long Gokstad Viking ship, but was built half as long, and had to be redesigned to comply with the strict ship building and maritime safety regulations of Iceland.
Now this ship is sailing the seas of Iceland and undertaking expeditions to the surrounding fjords. There’s also a plan to use it for a Viking expedition to Greenland in the footsteps of Erik the Red. A few more links about the Viking ship project in Iceland.
News coverage on Youtube of the Viking ship launch in Iceland: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvEcaAZG2AE
Pictures of the building of the ship: http://nagi.ee/photos/antikreem/sets/106541/
Here you can see Vésteinn’s page in Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/V%C3%ADkingaskipi%C3%B0-V%C3%A9steinn/129530457069904