I would love to tell you some interesting facts about the Viking compass. Do you know what a Viking compass is?
What is a Viking compass:
It is a tool that helps us know in which direction we are going.
The Viking compass is a type of compass that the Vikings used a long time ago, when there were no maps or GPS.
Of course, the Vikings achieved a brutal technological advance, even taking into account that at first the invention was quite rudimentary.
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And as a summary we can know that the Vikings were expert navigators and used the compass to navigate in unknown oceans. Awesome! TRUE?
The Viking compass was a magnetic iron sphere that pointed towards magnetic north. It is believed that the Vikings learned about the compass from the Chinese during their trading voyages.
With the compass, the Vikings were able to make longer journeys and reach new lands. This is why the Viking compass is considered one of the first inventions of modern navigation.
Do you want to know how it worked?
️ How the Viking compass works:
Well, first you should know that the Viking compass works thanks to something called “magnets”.
Magnets are things that attract other metal things, like scissors or a knife.
The Vikings used a small piece of iron and a very fine needle to make their compass.
The needle was placed on the piece of iron and, thanks to the magnets, it was always oriented towards the north.
This way they could know where they had to go on their boat!
And the Vikings used the compass to navigate in unknown oceans and reach new lands. They achieved this, largely because the Viking compass allowed them to maintain a constant course, even in adverse weather conditions. Crazy, huh!
It is clear to us that the Vikings were experts in stargazing and they used this technique together with compass to navigate. But in addition, with the compass, the Vikings were able to make longer trips and reach places as far away as North America.
Viking navigation played an important role in the territorial and commercial expansion of Viking culture. It has already become clear to me that the compass played a fundamental role in this.
Now, there are some practical tips that you should keep in mind if you want to use a Viking compass.
How to use the Viking compass: Tips
- First, you should make sure that the compass needle is clean and free of anything that could interfere with its movement.
- You should also be careful not to move the compass while you are using it, because that can cause you to misorient yourself.
And the most important thing is not to lose it! If you lose your Viking compass, you won’t know where to go and you could end up in Antarctica!
This is the article about the Viking compass:
That’s all I know about the Viking compass!
I hope you have enjoyed learning something new and that you have understood how this incredible tool works.
If you liked to imagine how these tough Vikings oriented themselves with the compass, you also have the option of practicing with your cell phone and this fun online compass!