Knarr

When a broad, low, fine-lined square-sailed vessel is spotted near a northern coastal village, an experienced mariner is usually summoned to look out from a cliff and make a critical determination: is it a snekkja or drakkar packed with Nord warriors? In that case, the people must gather their herds and valuables and rush to the nearest hiding spot in the woods. Or is it a knarr? In that case, the villagers pack up their trade goods and hurry to the nearest town, ready to bargain for walrus ivory, whale oil and other treasures of the north, hauled by this sturdy commercial vessel used by various peoples across the northern seas.