The passage from Norway to England was a few days, from Sweden to England a little longer. Cramped into a longboat with 60-70 other men as the waves wash over the boat and the ship constantly rises and falls with the rumbling ocean for so many long hours must have been a bit tedious. No doubt they gamed some with dice or ears or whatever the Vikings found amusing, but no doubt they were very, very bored.
We have trace evidence, literally trace evidence, of one such soul. It would seem that markings on the floor of the Gokstad Ship are in the shape of a man's foot. Some fellow sat on the bench and traced his naked foot with a dagger.
Sad, bored Viking . . . .
Read on.
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