In the past, navigation was not as comfortable as it is today, it could even be a little dangerous. Although apparently the methods they used as a guide were quite accurate. A proof of this is a particular artifact that the Vikings used to direct your journey without shipwreck.
Ancient Viking culture
The history of the culture of these people may seem like a legend, but it is completely real. They were devoted to their godsgoing into battle and dying with honor was one of his main distinguishing characteristics.
It is also known that they were dedicated to plundering other people’s lands, as well as exploring other parts of the world in search of more power. They were known to be highly skilled sailorsThey even developed a technique for guiding themselves that still surprises us today.
For many years, researchers from various countries have tried to decipher how the Vikings were able to orient themselves, crossing the stormy northern seas without getting lost in the open sea, without a compass and with completely cloudy skies.
What was your navigation technique?
The Vikings undertook long journeys across the Atlantic Ocean to reach America. Much older Viking legends, such as the “Saga of King Olaf”, refer to their successful navigation using the sólarsteinn, a solar stone.
For advice during shipping with this Solar stone, called Iceland spar, they were guided by the position of the sun. For a long time, it was believed that this story was not real, but recently it has been verified thanks to precise computer simulation.
The “sunstone” that the Vikings used during their navigation was essential to ensure the success of the trip. At least that’s what a team of Hungarian researchers responsible for carrying out the simulation told us.
The sagas or songs about the Viking Ragnar Lodbrok attributed his success as a sailor to a mysterious rock, the sunstone or sólarsteinn. Credit history.
If a sailor steered his boat toward one of these crystals every three hours, “he would have between a 92 and 100 percent chance of getting where he wanted to go,” according to the study.
Dénes Szás, Ph.D., and Gábor Horváth, Ph.D.., both from Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary, authors of the study, explain that by rotating a cordierite crystal against the sky, rings of polarized light around the sun are captured created by atmospheric particles.
Just as spiders, crickets and bees use the polarization of light to determine where the sun is, the Vikings may have done so too. By constantly checking where the sun was, they got an idea of where the ship was in the sea.
What material was the artifact made of?
It is true that it was concluded that this object was of vital importance and allowed individuals to go wherever they wanted. However, the exact material is not known which made up this ancient object.
The Norse sagas refer to sólarstein, or sunstone, which had special properties when backlit toward the sky. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
The research was carried out with three possible types of stone: Cordierite, calcite or tourmaline. All of them have a very particular characteristic, since their optical property ensures double refraction of light.
An ideal resource for shipping
According to legend, the Vikings conquered the entire North Atlantic, around the years 900 and 1200. For their adventures, they used this archaic artifact, They didn’t need anything else, not even a compassthey could perfectly guide themselves with this surprising object.
Thanks to this technique, they were able to leave the Atlantic and reach their destinations. Even though the sun was hidden under a cloudy sky They could orient themselves perfectlyThey were expert navigators.
How did they use sunstone?
From the simulations, it was discovered that when looking at the sky through the rock, you could clearly see a light splitting into two. Usually one of the rays was stronger than the other.
However, when the glass was correctly oriented towards the sun, the two rays of light looked exactly the same. This way they could know where they were and direct their course based on the star.
Is there any evidence that the Vikings used this crystal?
In reality, there is no documentation which supports this story that the Vikings used this guidance system for their travels. But it is certainly a well-known chronicle that has spread over time.
Some researchers believed they found this mythical instrument on an English warship that was shipwrecked in the 16th century.
However, to verify this theory, many studies have been carried out, The results were successful and very consistent. Thus confirming the reliability of the fact that they actually used one of the three crystal-like stones for their travels.
Oil painting depicting Viking ships on the River Thames, painted in the mid-19th century by Everhardus Koster (1817-1892). Credit: Art Images.
Minerals are studied in depth
To be more sure of the use that was previously made of the rocks, some researchers decided to test the effectiveness of the minerals. The tests were carried out by simulating cloudy, rainy and sunny days, the result showed that The ideal crystals were tourmaline and cordierite..
It is possible that both objects were used as sunstones. But after further study of the two minerals, it was concluded that cordierite is more suitable know the position of the sun.
You may be interested: The strange phenomenon of “Dead Waters” which terrifies ships and sailors.
Eventually the calcite was thrown away as a guide for the Vikings, because its components are less efficient. On the other hand, this particular stone contains a greater amount of impurities, a disadvantageous factor for travel.
Although for many the use of such an archaic artifact for navigation, without knowing exactly the science behind the properties that characterize them, may seem crazy, it is a fact that the Vikings managed to successfully navigate stormy seas for a long time, demonstrating their courage and ingenuity.
References: ABC / Science Alert / La Vanguardia.
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