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At the start of the Viking Age, fleets were limited to the number of ships privately owned by an individual. Larger fleets could be mustered or constructed during great invasions or expeditions, but the logistics and organization of these fleets are not known exactly. We do know that Viking Kings and aristocrats maintained private retinues known as the Lith, consisting of ships and professional soldiers.

It was in the 10th and 11th centuries that the Scandinavian Kingdoms introduced a naval levy system called the Ledung. Whilst the lith concerned professional soldiers, the ledung concerned levying the peasantry. During times of conflict, the purpose of the Ledung was to swiftly transport a large group of fighting men directly to the warzone.

Music by Max Crikey:
   / pirateworldmusic  

Sources
Ship and Society: Maritime Ideology in Late Iron Age Sweden Gunilla Larsson
The Vikings Osprey Publishing
The Viking Longship Osprey Publishing
Den Långa Medeltiden Fredrik Charpentier Ljungqvist

0:00 Introduction
1:52 Hierarchy of the Leidang
5:14 Ships of the Leidang
6:42 Law and Order
9:17 Use of the Leidang
11:17 Conclusion

#history #ships #vikings #vikingage #ledung