At the age of eight, he asked for nails as a birthday gift. And he has always been passionate about history. Meet Norway’s most experienced Viking shipbuilder, Jan Vogt Knutsen!
By Einar Chr. Erlingsen
“I feel like I’ve landed in the right place,” says Jan (58) about his job as a construction manager at the Oseberg Viking Heritage Foundation (OVA). He has worked there since 2011, when he joined the team building the Oseberg replica Saga Oseberg (launched in 2012). Since then, he has worked on the Klåstad replica Saga Farmann, and now Saga Gokstad is taking shape on the slipway. In addition, Jan is the construction manager for the Hardraade Viking Ship Association, which is building a Viking ship at Sundvollen by Tyrifjorden.
Always Craftsmanship
That Jan would end up building Viking ships was never a given. But it was clear that his career would involve craftsmanship. Throughout his childhood, he was always making things—fixing bikes, building soapbox cars (including one with an engine), treehouses, and even his own boat.
“But what profession should I choose?” Jan recalls wondering. “It had to be something hands-on. As I saw it, the choices were limited: mason or carpenter? The idea of making a living as a Viking shipbuilder wasn’t even on the radar back then.”
Jan attended the local Waldorf School, where students work on a year-long project. He had three ideas for his topic:
- Build a steam engine and write about its inventor, James Watt.
- Write about (and participate in) the excavations of the ancient city of Ephesus.
- Write about the Hanseatic League, the medieval merchant network in Northern Europe.
After realizing that Tønsberg Library had only two paragraphs about James Watt (this was before the internet) and that excavation work in Ephesus was reserved for university students, he settled on the Hanseatic League.
“The more I read, the more engaged I became. The topic led me to Scandinavian politics, trade routes, the German Hanseatic network, and so much more. So, when I was offered a job at the Oseberg Viking Heritage Foundation, which combines craftsmanship and history, everything fell into place. In that sense, I feel incredibly lucky to have the job I do.”
Knowledge and Documentation
Jan has learned an enormous amount on the job—about different types of wood, how best to work with them, their strengths and weaknesses. “In my first five years as a Viking shipbuilder, I learned as much about wood and craftsmanship as I had in the previous 25,” he says.
At OVA, they try to document their experiences as best as they can, but unfortunately, it’s not always sufficient, according to Jan. “It comes down to capacity and finances. Ideally, we should document much more.”
Those of us who have had the pleasure of working with Jan over the past 14 years know that he rarely uses big words. He has a hands-on approach to challenges and a remarkable ability to stay focused and calm. That ability proved invaluable during an incident that could have ended in disaster.
The Leg Held!
The date was June 20, 2012, and Saga Oseberg was to be launched in the presence of the King, Queen, and 20,000 spectators. The days leading up to the event were filled with frantic preparations. The ship was ready on the slipway, which had been greased with soap the night before to ensure a smooth launch.
The entire town held its breath as the locking beams were removed from Saga Oseberg. But the ship wouldn’t budge! (It was a hot summer day, and the soap had dried, acting like glue.)
Chaos erupted on the slipway as people hammered and jacked in an attempt to get the ship moving. Then, suddenly, it happened! Unfortunately, Jan’s foot was caught in a loop of the mooring rope, and he was pulled down the slipway with the ship.
It could have ended in disaster—for both Jan and the event. Fortunately, the ship stopped just before the rope fully tightened around his foot.
King Harald noticed what had happened. That evening, at a dinner in the Seamen’s Association hall, the first thing he asked was: “How is the foot?”
I was able to reassure him that everything was fine. But the incident had clearly made an impression on His Majesty, as he brought it up again two years later when speaking with then-County Governor Per-Eivind Johansen.
And what about the eight-year-old boy’s wish for nails? It was fulfilled—so much so that Jan still has some left at home, 50 years later!
