Eivind Luthen has spent his life following his dreams—first as a pilgrim, then as a Viking. As of this writing (May 2025), he is aboard Saga Farmann, sailing the Mediterranean.
By Einar Chr. Erlingsen
Only a true Renaissance man would think to build a career as a pilgrim! You’re unlikely to grow rich in earthly goods that way—but rich in experiences, absolutely. And Eivind has gathered those in abundance, trekking the roads and trails of Europe as the founder of the Pilgrim Fellowship of St. Jacob.
But this time, it’s the Viking Eivind we’ll focus on. The interest began early, when he was a student at Tønsberg High School. In the school’s woodworking hall, the parts of the Klåstad ship were being conserved—parts that would later be replicated in Saga Farmann. “Later, when I lived in Oslo, I was a bit involved in corporate events,” Eivind recalls. “Sometimes we’d rent two small Viking ships. Rowing in sync is excellent for team building. And I was the captain!”
For years, he had followed the adventurer Ragnar Thorseth. So when he heard that Thorseth’s Oseberg replica Dronningen was to be launched, Eivind was quick to head for Bjørkedalen. The year was 1987. In traditional fashion, the ship was hauled by hand from the construction site at Jakobsgården down to the sea. It felt like May 17th—Norway’s national day—the sun was shining and flags fluttered throughout the village.
“Time to go home”
But it is through his involvement with the pilgrim movement that most people know him. In the support vehicle during long pilgrimages, he brought along a beautiful replica of the Oseberg cauldron for cooking. One evening, sitting with friends, a thought began to take shape: What if this cauldron could be part of something bigger—what if it could become a full replica of the Oseberg ship?
“Years later, when I heard rumors about building a ship in Tønsberg, I thought: Time to go home—I want to be part of this. I donated the cauldron to the foundation.”
“When the first oak logs were split at Vikingodden, I met Knut Børge Knutsen. We agreed the project needed a couple of salesmen. We started producing and selling pins. It was a time of great excitement. The pin sales exceeded all expectations—the money poured in. Our first sales counter was a timber log. In bad weather, we stood under a tarp. Things changed when the kiosk was put up.”
Right now (May 2025), Eivind is aboard Saga Farmann somewhere along the Italian Riviera.
Another dream has come true:
“I’ve always been fascinated by the connection between Norway and Byzantium, and I’ve visited Istanbul several times. During the building of Saga Farmann, I had the idea to sail the ship to Miklagard. My Armenian friend Karen Balyan had the right contacts—he knew Professor Ufuk Koçabaş at the University of Istanbul and helped us connect.”
“‘If you sail the ship here, I’ll make sure you receive a warm welcome, with harbor access and everything you need,’ the professor promised. And he kept his word—we had a fantastic reception in the summer of 2023. Since then, the adventure has only continued. Now I’m mulling over an idea for what we should do after Saga Gokstad. Time will show!”
Eivind is living the dream, here at the helm of Saga Farmann “somewhere in theMediterranean”. (Photo: Erik Holmelin).
Translated from Norwegian by ChatGPT.