Place: St. Ansgar’s Lutheran Church, 4020 Grand Blvd, N.D.G
Date and Time: Monday, July 20th, 2009. 10am to 19 pm
OTTAWA:
PLACE: Britannia Yacht Club, 2777 Cassels Street
Date and Time: Wednesday, July 22nd 10am- 8pm and Thursday 23rd, 2009. 10am to 3pm
TORONTO: Harbourfront Centre, The Natrel Pond
Date: Saturday, July 25th and Sunday 26th, 2009
FREYDIS JOANNA
is the name of an authentic replica of a Viking ship from about 850 AD; she is on her way (by sea and by land!) to the Danish Canadian National Museum and Gardens in Dickson, Alberta www.dancanmuseum.ca She was built over the eight months July, 2008 through February, 2009, at the Boat Yard of the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Denmark (www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk).
Freydis Joanna is 6.5 m in length and 1.4 m in width, built of Danish oak and fir, and complete with mast and sail, rigging and oars.
Freydis Joanna was built by Danish craftsmen using replica tools and handcraft methods from the Viking period. They are a valued part of the Viking Ship Museum, located not far from Copenhagen, Denmark; it is a part of the Danish National Museum.
The original of this ship was found near Oslo, Norway, a part of a larger collection of ships. It is thought that sometime around 900 AD a Viking of significant wealth and importance died, and was buried with rich grave goods. The goods included the large Gokstad “dragonship” and three smaller ships. Two of those smaller ships were “færings”, or four- oared ships, hence “Gokstadfæring”. One of the færings, after which this replica is patterned, has been well-documented. A Gokstadfæring does not conform to the usual image of a Viking ship – longer and with dragonheads at the prow and stern.
However, this smaller craft shows all the construction details found in the larger ships. Research also indicates that it was a common Viking ship, likely often used for activity in coastal waters, and also likely carried, as the original was found, in larger boats and ships. “We never get tired of building the Gokstad Færing. It is a wonderful challenge every time and a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate Viking ship building for a wider audience”, explains the head of the Viking Ship Museum’s Ship Yard. It is quite possible that some of these ships were brought with Vikings to Newfoundland.
The ship was christened and launched in Roskilde, Denmark, on April 1, 2009. It was christened “Freydis Joanna”.
Freydis was the sister of Leif the Lucky, the legendary leader of the Vikings who came to L’Anse aux Meadows more than 1,000 years ago. Freydis is recognized in the Norse Sagas as being a strong and fearless Viking leader in her own right, including in the viking settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows in New Foundland. Joanna is the name of a member of the Sommer family who donated the funds for the building of this Viking Ship.
For more information, please, see http://www.dancanmuseum.ca/id3...
