Apparently it was the traditional Viking practice to wait until launching day of each Operation Rape & Pillage before affixing the dragon heads to the bows of their long ships. Modern Norway’s largest replica Viking ship, the DRAKEN HARALD, began its transatlantic voyage yesterday but press photos circulated to promote the event featured a headless ship instead of a fearsome surface raider. The Vikings were pioneers of exported extortion and exploitation, though apparently they lagged behind on fearmongering propaganda. Just kidding. The dragehode was the original Shock and Awe. The berserker reputation preceeded the Vikings, literally, as the prow of their ship hit shore.

Norwegian reenactors will be rowing the Draken Harald to the New World anew. This time to visit with the Vikings of this age. Gluttons, slavers, and despoilers of an exponentially vast scale. The replica ship is heralded as the world’s largest, but it’s tiny next ships of today, including those belonging to many of today’s celebrated chieftans which they call yachts.

Here’s the itinerary of the Draken Harald vikings, crossing the Atlantic as friendship ambassadors.

Med Vikingskip over Atlanterhavet til USA

Reiserute:
24. april: Avreise frå Haugesund
3. mai: Reykjavik på Island
16. mai: Quqortoq, Greenland
1. june: St Antony, Newfoundland, Canada
15. june: Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
1. – 3. juli: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
8. juli: Fairport Harbor, Ohio, USA
14. juli: Bay City, Michigan, USA
27. juli: Chicago, Illinois, USA
5. august: Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
18. august: Duluth, Minnesota, USA
September: Oswego, NY Canals, New York, USA
15. september: New York City, New York, USA
Oktober: Mystic Seaport, Connecticut, USA