Mycenaean War Galley by Woodrat - 1:48 - Shell first Plank on Frame

[woodrat]

Shown is the reconstructed (imagined) steering mechanism. At this stage of evolution only one steering oar would be present.

It was later in the Iron Age that steering oars would appear on both quarters. As it was a requirement that the steering oar have the capacity to be rapidly rotated into a horizontal position during beaching, there must have been a mechanism whereby the steering can be released rapidly from its upright and pulled into a horizontal position by an up haul. I have shown a possible mechanism whereby this could be done.

Dick

 

Edited July 23, 2023 by woodrat

[woodrat]

I have never been happy with the figurehead which appeared cartoonish. So I have gone back the original potterry images and found this excellent image of the tragana ship

The figurehead I couldnt recognise until I suddenly realised that it was in fact a stylised crocodile head with projecting teeth.. I also have done some nose art using an image of a minoan octopus which was much copied by the mycenaeans

The octopus would be an appropriate animal for a ship of Poseidon

So the latest figurhead is much more threatening. The crocodile would be familiar to mycenaeans who regularly traded with Egypt.

Cheeers

Dick

[Louie da fly]

That looks much better, Dick. Very threatening. But I do wonder whether the occy shouldn't be facing the other way, as that's the direction the ship is travelling. Or are the tentacles facing forward, all the better to deal with the enemy?

 

Steven

[Thukydides]

I really like the new figurehead

[woodrat]

Thanks, Steven and Thukydides. The occy is tentacles forward in attack mode so as to intimidate the villagers as the ship roars in. The croc adds to the menace. The mycenaeans were generally not all that nice. They were,after all, pirates.

Dick

[woodrat]

I am really not happy with the octopus. There is no iconographic evidence for its use on galleys or any other ship, so it is gone. I have gone instead for a more austere look. I am happy with the figurehead. Prof Wachsmann has published his thesis that these figureheads reprsent birds' heads and that may be so in most cases but in the case of the Tragana ship the backward curved protuberances on the "beak" resemble no bird I know but would be consistent with a crocodile.

Dick

[Boccherini]

The octopus gave it the look of a sea going food truck. Not very piratical.

 

Regards,

Grant

[Louie da fly]

I think you're right in removing the occy, Dick. It did seem out of place.

 

Steven

[woodrat]

5 hours ago, Boccherini said:

The octopus gave it the look of a sea going food truck. Not very piratical.

 

Too cruel! But true🐙

Dick

[Boccherini]

Dick,

I should've put a "😀" after "van". My apologies if you interpreted my light hearted comment as criticism. It was not intended as such.

 

Regards,

Grant.

[woodrat]

Not at all Grant. I took it in a humorous vein and replied in a jocular fashion. I thought your comment was most apt.

Cheers

Dick 😁