Viking Navigation - A Beginners Guide for Kids

Imagining History
Jun 27, 2020
2 min read

Updated: Mar 26

Without access to modern day maps or navigational technology, Vikings had to rely on lots of unusual and inventive methods to navigate their ships across the world’s oceans.

Viking warrior on a wooden ship with a spear and shield, surrounded by seagulls and sharks. Dramatic sunset sky and rocky islands in the distance.

Wildlife & Nature:

A silhouetted Viking ship floats on calm water at sunset, with an orange and purple cloudy sky creating a serene and majestic mood.

During a voyage, Viking sailors would keep an eye on animals and the environment to help guide them. Hearing the calls of birds would indicate a coastline was nearby. Spotting whales swimming close to ocean currents could keep them on track. Even the colour of the water or the temperature of different currents could help an experienced Viking sailor in the right direction.

The Sun & Stars:

A wooden boat floats on a calm fjord, surrounded by steep, lush green cliffs under a partly cloudy sky. Tranquil and serene scene.

Vikings would rely on the movement in the skies above them to keep them on course. For a less knowledgeable Viking, this might just mean following the direction of the sunrise or the sunset (the sun always rises in the East and sets in the West).

But more well-versed Viking sailors would also check the skies at night to map the movement of the stars as a way of determining which direction they were headed.

Landmarks:

A Viking ship rests on a snowy shore with mountains in the background under a blue sky. A distant lighthouse stands near the horizon.

Much like a modern trail might include sign posts to guide you in the right direction, Vikings would make note of certain sights and landmarks to keep them on track. For example, a certain rocky outcrop or a ragged looking cliff top along the coastline on the journey.

But what if visibility is low and they couldn’t see these landmarks? A well-versed Viking sailor could read changes in the wind through just his sense of touch alone. Nearby land masses would reflect the wind back, allowing the Vikings to know which direction to travel.

Chants & Rhymes:

Many of the Viking methods of navigation relied on a familiarity of the sea and nature around them. Much of this expertise came from experience – either their own or that of the Vikings who came before them.

Knowledgeable Viking sailors would put their wisdom into chants and rhymes to pass on to other sailors. These chants might include directions to a particular land mass, warnings about dangerous routes or simple facts on how to map your location using the stars or nature.