Sails: Women’s contribution to the war effort

The levy ships were primarily sailing ships. The Laws of the Land obliged those responsible to take good care of the sails, with large fines for negligence. The Land Defence section provides a good deal of information about the construction of the ships, but besides financing, it says nothing about the production and procurement of the sails. Traditions and specialist knowledge were important for producing good and durable sails. Therefore, there is reason to believe that from the Viking Age onward, most sails were produced locally. Textile production was typically women’s work, and women of the coast made sails until the 19th century.

It is only in recent decades that we have begun to understand the value of sails. The production of sails for reconstructed Viking ships has offered us valuable insights into the use of resources and the scope of the work involved. A typical levy ship probably had a sail of at least 100 square metres, and most of these sails were certainly made of wool. Thus, each sail must have required the wool of 150 to 200 sheep, carefully selected according to quality and characteristics. The thread was spun on spindles, and the fabric was woven into strips, which were then sewn together. Finally, the sail was impregnated with grease to become wind- and waterproof. The entire process must have required approximately four years of full-time employment.