The Viking's Haul

06/08/2025

The Return of the Cartoon Character Cups!

05/08/2025

Shipbuilding in the Viking Age relied on not only woodworking & metalworking skills. Spinning & weaving were also extremely important. Without spinning, there would have been no caulking of the vessels’ planks to prevent leakage and without the addition of weaving, there would have been no sails.
Building a ship was a communal effort, with women’s work being vital to its success.

05/08/2025

Today, 5th of August 2025, is 20 years to the day, since The Viking's Haul first opened!🥳🍻

This year is also the 150th birthday of Woodville, our home base and to celebrate both, here is a collection of 50 year old Woodville Centenary souvenirs, now all available for sale.

A link to the RARE, hard covered book “Woodville 1875-1975” is in the comments, below⬇️
Only 1,000 numbered copies of this book were ever published and with 50 years having passed, since it was published, there are probably quite a few less copies, nowadays. For all the other items, see Seller’s other listings.

03/08/2025

This morning, we’ll combine land and sea…
…and have a look at ship burials! Power & prestige - definitely not something for the poor.

Some of the most famous Viking ships known today, iconic and striking symbols of their age, were part of burials. We look at how these burials reflected the wealth, power, and beliefs of people in Viking societies.

03/08/2025

A chilly day, but a good one, with lots of people about.
Lots of bargains to be had, both across the road at the market and in-store at The Viking's Haul👍
So busy, in fact, that I never got to finish cataloguing these piles of Crown Lynn side plates…
…and still more “new” Crown Lynn to come!

02/08/2025

And back to the water again…

The Viking raiders' secret weapon wasn't a sword or an axe, but the ship that carried them across the sea. 🛶

These vessels, known as longships, were masterpieces of naval engineering for their time.

They were long, narrow, and light, built for speed and agility. Under the right winds, they could reach speeds of over 15 knots, allowing them to outrun most other ships.

Their most strategic feature was a shallow draft. This meant they could float in just a few feet of water, letting them sail up rivers and deep into enemy lands where no one expected a warship to appear.

This ability to conduct surprise raids far from the coast struck fear into communities across Europe. A fleet could appear from the mist without warning.

The ships were built using a clinker technique, overlapping wooden planks to create a hull that was both strong and flexible, able to withstand the harsh waves of the North Atlantic. 🌊

Powered by both a large square sail and rows of oars, the longship was versatile. It could harness the wind for long journeys or rely on manpower for stealthy approaches and rapid attacks in calm weather.

The legacy of the longship is not just one of raids, but of remarkable innovation that allowed the Norse people to explore, trade, and settle across a vast part of the world.

Sources: Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Royal Museums Greenwich, Regia Anglorum

02/08/2025

How many varieties of Crown Lynn’s “Autumn Splendour” are there? Here’s three for a start!🤷‍♂️

Don’t forget, tomorrow is The Wonderful Woodville Market from 10am to 2pm and it’s also the start of The Viking's Haul’s 20th Birthday Week, with 600 “new” records being released into the shop!

01/08/2025

Let’s leave the ships for a little bit and go back to land, with tales of legendary female Viking warriors. They may or not have been real people, but they certainly inspired long-lasting stories!

The line between truth & myth isn’t always clear, but the clues are there. Ready to meet these female Viking warriors?

01/08/2025

The uprising has begun. We aim to take the Tararua for the benefit of all its people. Bring the power back to meetings of the people, the early democracy for which Vikings were justly famous. The Things, our boards and committees need input from we, the people, in order to work and not the apathy that keeps us away. I need YOU!🫵

31/07/2025

This article takes a look at some of the best known replica longships that today ply their way across the world’s oceans.

Thanks for pointing it out to me, Rob Bowden👍😊

Reconstructed using authentic materials and methods, these ships help keep Viking maritime heritage afloat in the modern world.

31/07/2025

A rather chilly & damp day. A good chance to get things done and my visitors all seemed to appreciate having a roof over their heads!☔️😂

30/07/2025

The Viking Festival Norsewood NZ will be returning to Norsewood for Waitangi Weekend, in February 2026 and to whet your appetite, here’s a great, little documentary highlighting people’s motivations and showing what you’ve got to look forward to👍😊

A Viking festival in the north island of New Zealand held annually in early February. A directors cut doc of the Norsewood Viking festival.The Ride in Midgar...