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Posted on 08/02/2026 7:57:24 AM PDT by Red Badger
The Draken Harald Hårfagre is not modeled after a single historic ship, but an amalgamation of many Viking vessels described in stories. Viking Nilsson / Draken Harald Hårgfagre In Christopher Nolan’s new film adaptation of the Odyssey, Calypso is played by Charlize Theron, Odysseus by Matt Damon, and his ancient Greek sea vessel by Draken Harald Hårfagre—a completely functional Viking longship.
The wooden ship, commissioned by Norwegian entrepreneur Sigurd Aase, is about 115 feet long and 25 feet wide and equipped with square sails and 50 long oars. Most importantly, it can actually traverse the sea—a necessity for Nolan’s loyalty to practical effects.
“There is something on board that cannot easily be faked: the weight of the oak, the sound of the rigging, the movement of the sail, the crew working together in real wind and water,” Emanuel Persson, Draken’s CEO and expedition director, tells Artnet’s Min Chen. “When you put a real ship in real conditions, it brings a different kind of truth to the image.”
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The ship is composed of overlapping oak planks, sealed with tar. Peder Jacobsson / Draken Harald Hårfagre
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Boats play a hefty role in the Odyssey, the epic poem written by Homer and dated to the eighth century B.C.E. It tells the story of Odysseus, Greek king of Ithaca, who fights in the Trojan War. After the Greeks destroy Troy—with the legendary Trojan Horse trick—Odysseus and some 600 of his countrymen load onto 12 ships, aiming for home. But Odysseus’ route to Ithaca is interrupted and blown off-course many times, sending him on a 10-year tour of islands and seas.
According to legend, the Trojan War was fought in the 12th or 13th century B.C.E. Art depicting Odysseus’ journey often shows the king and his men aboard long, wooden boats equipped with oars, one tall mast and a square sail.
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The ship is about 115 feet long. Peder Jacobsson / Draken Harald Hårfagre
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In need of a setting for the Odyssey’s seafaring scenes, Nolan recruited the Draken. Though it is built in the style of the medieval Vikings, the longship proved visually similar enough to ancient Greek boats to be cast in the film.
“We needed something wooden-hulled, built with ancient technology that could be out there in open ocean water, in giant swells,” Nolan tells the Los Angeles Times’ Kenneth Turan. “And the Draken has crossed the Atlantic.”
VIDEO AT LINK..............
Scenes were actually shot on board, with the longship rocking in the water. “I don’t have to pretend I’m on a boat,” recalled Zendaya, who plays the goddess Athena in Nolan’s film, in a behind-the-scenes interview. “I’m on the boat, you know? Like, we are at sea.”
The Draken is composed of overlapping oak planks, tar, iron, hemp and silk. In 2016, the ship sailed from Norway to North America, crewed by 32 sailors.
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Thirty-two people crewed the ship during its voyage to North America in 2016. David Nelson / Draken Harald Hårfagre
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Persson tells Artnet that Draken’s long voyages allowed him to grasp its “technology as a living system”—a machine of many moving parts that the crew must work together to steer. Persson and his fellow ship operators educated Nolan’s production team about the ship’s movement, sail, rig and oars.
VIDEO AT LINK.............
Fun fact:
Outfitting an epic
For the new film adaptation of the Odyssey, more than 5,000 costumes were designed and produced, reports the Associated Press’ Lindsey Bahr. Indeed, during the filming of the Odyssey, the ship’s crew handed the oars to Hollywood stars. As Damon tells the Associated Press’ Lindsey Bahr, “We went to a rowing camp. We had to really move this hundred-ton ship. That’s not a standard acting job, right? You’re playing a role, but you’re also really serving a real purpose on the ship and moving it around.” “From our perspective, the most important thing was that the Draken was treated as a real vessel,” Persson tells Artnet. “She has her own character, limitations and strengths, and when you respect that, you get something much more powerful than decoration.”
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Greek Viking ship...................
It’s hard to imagine being at sea in an open boat.
That is very cool.
I might have to change my mind and watch this movie after all (when its free)..
As long as it’s not made of Carbon Fiber, I’m okay with it...............
I’m not familiar with carbon fiber boats.
I’ll do some research.
You got THAT RIGHT!
It’s just lazy.
I read that back when I was in high school and don’t remember a thing.
I’ll see if I can find an electronic version.
matt damon being in it will be enough to keep me from seeing it....even when it IS free.
Here’s to hoping Mel Gibson takes Elon up on his offer.
“Though it is built in the style of the medieval Vikings, the longship proved visually similar enough to ancient Greek boats to be cast in the film.”
People praise this movie for period accuracy? Nolan is such a BSer. His fanbase is even dumber.
Had they cast Mark Wahlberg instead I might have......
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinker_(boat_building)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenician_joint
It also would have had some fashion of overhead cover to prevent roasting in the Mediterranean sun, even a warship.
The Odyssey made a whopping $14,500,000 this Friday... $42,398,942 last Friday and it opened the Friday before at $70,855,415... Spiderman opened this Friday at $189,010,608... Spiderman made more money on one Friday than the Odyssey made over 3 Friday’s.
The Odyssey will likely make money... But the overall production and promotion cost are estimated to be between $625 million and $750 million globally. They will need that much just to break even.
Damon is a pos.
He’s got this whiney voice and such a punchable face - even if he wasn’t such an a-hole in real life, he’d be a poor choice for this part.
Riven oak follows the strongest line of the wood grain. Sawn does not.
If Interested. Videos starts within a minute or so of the section where a massive log is finally split.)
(L.P. earlier in the video I think they show an unworked/unshaped Y shaped log that would later be used as bracing at the front of the bow.)
Viking Ship Building Spliting an oak log
Shipwrights placing the first planks alongside the keel and riveting (klinkering) them. (Again, Video begins "In Media Res")
Viking Ship Building Techniques
I have some (so far Unused) woodworking tools, for dry land timber framing, but no "Bearded Axe".
(OK Slide over)
Greek galleys didn’t look anything like that.
Old MN joke.
Ja Du! We built a strong ship, sailed across the Atlantic, thru the Great Lakes and ended up in a place with weather just as crappy as they left.
They should have left the Lutefisk in Norway.
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