The Hugin is a reconstructed longship located at Pegwell Bay in Kent, England. It was a gift from the Danish government commemorating the 1500th anniversary of the arrival of Hengist and Horsa, leaders of the Anglo-Saxon invasion, at nearby Ebbsfleet. The ship is a replica of the much later ca. 890 Gokstad ship.
The boat was built in Denmark whence it was sailed by 53 Danes to England in 1949. The ship landed at Viking Bay in Broadstairs, Kent. The ship was presented to the people of Thanet by the King of Denmark, its costs having been paid by the Daily Mail, and placed in its current location. In 2005 the ship underwent major repairs coordinated by marine restoration specialist Fred Walker and funded by Thanet District Council assisted by EU funding.
Hugin’s arrival was presented in a newsreel short entitled "Kent Welcomes Viking Invaders", which British Pathé has uploaded to the internet. Footage from the newsreel was used in the 1965 Doctor Who serial The Time Meddler to represent an 11th-century Viking raiding party.
In 1979 the ship was featured on the rear cover of The Stranglers album The Raven, showing the band inside the ship.
Further reading
- J Røjel (1949) The 1949 Cruise of the Viking Ship "Hugin". Samlerens forlag
References
- "Viking longship back home in Kent". BBC News. 9 June 2005. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
- "Restoration" documentary video included as bonus material on The Time Meddler DVD.
External links
- Article on Hugin Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- Video of Hugin being presented by Prince Georg of Denmark, 1950
- Hugin featuring on the cover of the album 'The Raven' by The Stranglers
51°19′43.6″N 1°22′22.7″E / 51.328778°N 1.372972°E / 51.328778; 1.372972
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