The Orm’s Name
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As time passed, Henri increasingly respected and admired the Vikings.
In his estimation, they were way ahead of their time. Over a thousand years ago they built such beautiful ships that had the least resistance in water, and they did it without all our modern tools. Their ships were almost living creatures, walking over the water rather than sailing through it. Well, if Viking ships "walked", this ship of Henri, with its sleek and beautiful lines, would surely run. As Henri thought about what he would name his ship, he considered its flexibility and speed, the Norwegian word for snake. |
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ORM
The Launching
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On September 19, 1983, the Orm was ready to be launched, and this caused a great deal of interest in Zuid-Scharwoude, the Orm ’s future homeport.
Of course, the naming ritual had to be observed, but Henri decided that the baptism couldn’t be done with champagne because that didn’t exist in Viking times. Beer did, though, and so the Orm was baptized, perhaps in the same way as the original Oseberg ship, with beer out of an old cowhorn. The honour of the naming went to the builder’s wife, Yvonne Houben-van Keppel, and after the ceremony the Orm slid into the water. |
[ last updated : 9-5-2021 ]
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