They are also called dragon ships because they typically have a dragon or serpent as a figurehead. Long ships gave the Vikings dominant sea power in Europe from around A.D. 800 to 1100; a period called the Viking Age. The Vikings used the Drakkar to transport soldiers to pillage Europe.

The Drakkar is long and narrow with a shallow hull allowing navigation in waters as shallow as 1 meter deep. It was typically made with oak with hull as narrow as one inch thick. The lightweight allowed the ship to be carried on land or used as a shelter on land.