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Vol. II , Issue I |
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The Viking Saga of Åland
King TryggvasonOlaf Tryggvason successfully raided England in 991 and 994. By the year 1000, when The Long Serpent was completed, he had made peace with England's Aethelred "the Unready," then converted to Christianity and became King of Norway. The dragon boat called The Long Serpent was reportedly 110 feet long, not counting the soaring curved prow and stern. Sturlasson's description claims that eight men sat at each oar. With 34 pairs of oars and an additional 30 men standing in the prow, the boat would have carried 574 men. Perhaps this is an exaggeration. Tryggvason had pried 38,000 pounds of gold and silver from the unlucky English before he retired from his looting in 994. Unfortunately, no sooner did he assemble his new fleet, than the Kings of Denmark and Sweden ganged up on him and attacked his armada. Rather than surrender, Tryggvason jumped into the water, holding his shield over his head so the enemy could not pull him out. Hlödver no doubt died in the same battle, only months after leaving Saltvik for his big adventure. Proud of their Viking heritage, Hlödver's hometown honors him with an annual Viking Market. The village of Kvarnbo in Saltvik bustled with trade centuries ago, and has not forgotten its Viking heritage.
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