Early Middle Ages - a period spanning centuriesfrom V to XI. This is the time when the appearance of the world has largely changed due to the invasion of the barbarians and the Great Migration of Nations. In place of the ancient culture in Europe came a new, partially absorbed light knowledge of Greece and Rome. However, even in these dark days, by definition, progress has not stopped. The processes that compelled the tribes to seek a new place made it necessary to improve the military power and skills that contribute both to victory in the battle and to rapid displacement. Therefore, navigation and shipbuilding developed actively. The best navigators of the early Middle Ages became such mainly because of the need to settle in new territories rich in game, fish, fur-bearing animals, minerals. For some of the peoples, the constant threat of attack by the enemies has become a stimulus for taming the sea elements.
Byzantium was the last stronghold of ancient culture. Here, for several centuries after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the knowledge of the Greeks and Romans was preserved. Byzantium can rightly be called a country where the best sailors of the early Middle Ages lived. Here the tradition of Roman shipbuilding continued, but there were also significant differences. The Roman fleet played in defense is not the first role. However, because of the peculiarities of its geographical position, Byzantium was forced to build up naval power. Its medieval ships were built initially on Roman models, but very quickly improved.
Modernization was promoted militantlyminded Muslims, actively advancing to the borders of the state. There was a need for a strong fleet capable of repelling conquerors. One-tiered dromons, inherited from Rome, began to reincarnate in larger ships with two tiers, 25 oars each and oblique Latin sails. Depending on the modification, the dromonia could contain from 100 to 200 people, some of whom had to row all the way through the sail, and some during the battle fought. Initially, the dromons were equipped with rams, but with a change in the concept of combat, they were replaced by arrows, and then - by Greek fire, the most powerful weapon of the Byzantine fleet.
On the drones, the Byzantines repelled Arab attacks, defended their territory in the Mediterranean basin, repelled a large number of attacks on Constantinople.
Byzantine dromons, as well as Italian galleyswere valued not only by their masters, but also by their enemies. Another sailors of the early Middle Ages, vandals, often used captured ships to attack European powers. Under King Heiserich, they, using such ships, took Sicily, ravaged Rome and a few years later defeated the Byzantine fleet.
The barbarians could not boast of the centuries-oldtraditions of shipbuilding, they had to quickly master the technologies developed in the ancient world, to find the optimal parameters of the ship by an experienced way. It is not surprising, therefore, that they actively sought to obtain enemy dromons and galleys. Byzantines tried to slow down the development of the navigators by the barbarians as much as possible. One of the consequences of this was the law, according to which anyone who trained a barbarian shipbuilding, was sentenced to death.
The great migration of peoples led to acquaintanceEuropean countries with different tribes of barbarians. Among them were vandals, perhaps not the best sailors of the early Middle Ages, but very quickly trained. In the V century, they ravaged Gaul, occupied Spain and in 429 went to Africa, where, ten years later, together with the Alans, they founded a kingdom that covered the territory of modern Tunisia, northwestern Libya and northeastern Algeria.
Since the beginning of the 5th century, vandals have actively developed marineexpanses. By the time of the formation of the kingdom in northern Africa, they had a fairly efficient fleet. Commands on ships for the most part consisted of foreign warriors and sailors. The vandals themselves were in the leadership of the team. Their ships, adapted for looting and raids, accommodated up to 40-50 people.
Moretes of the early Middle Ages francs, oftenfought with vandals, are also not quite worthy of the title of the best. Approximately to the XI century, they used random vessels. And only a little later the Franks began to build naves, ships with high sides, deck superstructures and two stern rudders. In the vicinity of the Franks are located friezes, according to many researchers, the best sailors of the early Middle Ages. The Franks repeatedly tried to conquer them. Friezes were subordinated to the empire only at the end of the VIII century.
Since the times of antiquity they have been known as beautifultraders. Friezes monopolized all transport on the Rhine and in the North Sea, were famous for the best intermediaries in trade matters. They were trusted, because they did not engage in robbery, unlike the Vikings. This allowed the friezes to significantly enrich themselves and in fact become the founders of the North Sea culture.
Friezes used koggi and hylki.The first type of ships had a flat bottom, giving it an advantage in coastal navigation. The masters of the ship's business provided for the possibility to land without loss in aground during low tide and to float when the tide begins.
The Hulks had a round bottom, low sides, longtank and stern needed to manage the vessel. Hulks were not equipped with a rudder, they were controlled by two oars, located just on the stern and nose. Well adapted to the conditions of the North Sea, the ships made it possible to elevate friezes not only financially but also culturally.
However, the first place in the list of "Best seafarersearly medieval "still occupy the Vikings. Those of them who inhabited Scandinavia received the name "Normans" among Europeans. The sea from the very childhood was the most important part of life for every viking. Their achievements in navigation led not only to numerous and quite successful raids on England, France and the Mediterranean coast, but also the development of the territory of Iceland and Greenland, as well as the discovery of America.
The best navigators of the early Middle Ages, the Normansknew how to navigate the sun and the stars. In addition, in the sagas there is a mention of a "solar stone" that allowed the Vikings to find the right direction. According to scientists, it was a tablet with a piece of magnetic iron reinforced on it. The study of the finds discovered in Greenland in 1951 suggests that the Vikings knew a device very similar to a compass. Probably, it was a wooden disk with 32 divisions, rotating on the handle fixed in the center. He was oriented to the ends of the world, using the stars and the sun for this purpose, and determined the direction along it.
The naval power of the Vikings would not be soimpressive, if they did not have the necessary knowledge in the field of shipbuilding. Drakkary, warships, represented an example of superior skill. They had high raised stern and nose, sides shielded with shields. The stern was decorated with a dragon's head, which gave the name to the ship. The Drakkars moved with the sail and the oars, they could speed up to 10-12 knots. On them, the Vikings made their ruinous raids and travel to unknown shores.
Development of shipbuilding and navigation in the periodthe early Middle Ages gradually increased pace. The accumulated knowledge of orientation in the open spaces and the creation of ships suitable for ocean transitions, laid the foundation for the Great geographical discoveries that followed in a few hundred years.
