Viking Navigation (ca. 800-1100 AD)
Before the heyday of the compass, the Vikings of Scandinavia traversed the seas in their Norse ships, relying on sundials to help navigate the open waters… but what did they do on cloudy days?
Researchers in the past have suggested that Vikings may have used rock crystals known as ‘sunstones’ to assist in navigation during overcast conditions. Although there is no official archaeological evidence to support this theory, in early 2007 a team sailing the Arctic Ocean aboard the Swedish icebreaker Oden found that sunstones could indeed “light the way” in foggy or cloudy conditions.
Although the concept of a ‘sunstone’ is known only from an ancient Viking legend, the theory on its usefulness for navigation was first put forth by Danish archaeologist Thorkild Ramskou in 1966.
These rock crystals work as natural polarizing filters, changing brightness and color as they detect the angle of sunlight. Using these changes, Vikings could have determined which angle the light was coming from, and thus determined the sun’s orientation.
Since there is no concrete evidence of these sunstones, the matter is still under dispute. However, with recent studies confirming the reliability of sunstones for navigation in overcast conditions, it does not seem implausible that the Vikings could have made use of such technology for nautical purposes.
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