"The Viking Prow 2: Drakkar" is the second in a series of free-standing sculptures that seek to capture the majesty and mystery of the Norse Longships and the vikings who sailed them.

The original sculpture is the result of over 100 hours of research, planning, sculpting and building (the wood base was constructed using the same technique as the actual ships - the lapstrake or "clinker built" method with great care taken in the position of every overlapping board, rivet and sculptural detail.) Each finished piece is then crafted from four separate castings of the original sculpture using art grade resin that I detail, paint and weather by hand to give it an aged wood appearance. Then the whole thing is covered with a clear coat satin finish to ensure a long life. As you turn the piece, you will see the intricate Norse designs on every surface from top to bottom and from sides to rear.

The solid weight (about 4 pounds), lavish cinnamon finish and impressive height (over 17 inches tall) combine to give it a commanding presence on shelf, pedestal or desk. Once so perched, it evokes thoughts of the bold vikings who risked all to explore, expand and conquer any land within reach of their mighty longships. 

Strictly limited to 95 signed and numbered pieces along with ten artist proofs, each piece is accompanied by a by a signed story card that tells the story behind this prow.

This piece is also available with the first piece in the series, Viking Prow: Coiled Serpent. This matched pair option is extremely limited to only 10 sets with matching edition numbers.


 

2016 marked the 950th anniversary of what many consider to be the end of the Viking Age. In September 1066 at the battle of Stamford Bridge, an English army under King Harold Godwinson defeated the invading Norwegian force led by King Harald Hardrada and the English king's brother Tostig Godwinson. After a bloody battle, both Hardrada and Tostig along with most of the Norwegians lay dead on the field. Although Harold Godwinson repelled the Norwegian invaders, his army was defeated in turn by the Normans at the Battle of Hastings less than three weeks later (October 14). Ironically, the Normans (or "North Men") who emerged victorious at Hastings were themselves the descendants of Vikings, so it can fairly be argued that, while Hardrada lost at Stamford Bridge, the Norse ultimately did succeed in conquering all of England.

It was in honor of this historic event that I was moved to create my Viking Prow series of sculptures.
 
 


Digging a little deeper into the viking prow...

Like everyone living in the dark ages, Vikings were a superstitious lot. They feared monsters and angry spirits in the seas they roamed and thought to ward them off by carving equally terrifying creatures onto the prows of their ships. In addition to scaring away any malicious spirits, they struck fear into the hearts of anyone unfortunate enough to be living in a town targeted by the raiders.

It is interesting to note that the carved beasts on the prows were removable - so they would not send the wrong message to a town they were looking to trade with. Presumably, this also avoided upsetting any friendly land spirits as they pulled into port. Alternatively, if they were raiding, they could leave the beasts on to frighten off the locals, thereby making it far easier to relieve them of their valuables without the need to fight.

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©2017-2020 Aric Jorn & Jivotica LLC. All Rights Reserved. This is an original design by Aric Jorn and as its creator, I retain all rights. I am always open to working with other makers and artists and my designs have been licensed for that purpose. So. if you are interested in incorporating (whole or in part) this or any of my designs into a product, art work or for any other purpose, please contact me first to make arrangements and come to an agreement. Failure to take this step will result in immediate legal action.