1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,600 Speaker 1: Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of iHeartRadio and Grim 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:12,000 Speaker 1: and Mild from Aaron Mankie listener discretion advised. Crowds of nobles, workers, 3 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 1: families all poured in from the royal Palace and the 4 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:19,760 Speaker 1: streets of Stockholm, eager to finally see their King's pride 5 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:23,319 Speaker 1: and joy in all her splendor. She was supposed to 6 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: be beautiful. King Gustavus Adolphus himself was off fighting in Poland, 7 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:33,440 Speaker 1: but his presence was readily felt in that day's festivities, speeches, 8 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: and down at the waterfront, in the beautiful visage of 9 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:43,640 Speaker 1: his beloved Vasa. August tenth, sixteen twenty eight was a 10 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:48,199 Speaker 1: bright day, and the sun's rays illuminated her every feature, 11 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: from her meticulously carved beakhead to her gaudily painted stern castle. Yes, 12 00:00:56,120 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 1: the Vasa was in fact a ship, but not just 13 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: any ship. The Vasa was a hulking worship, the pinnacle 14 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 1: of Swedish naval ambitions, a floating tribute to the country's 15 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:15,680 Speaker 1: bold ruler. This was the vessel that would make the 16 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:20,399 Speaker 1: Swedish Empire the masters of the Baltic Sea. But the 17 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:26,400 Speaker 1: Vasa's departure from harbor was far from majestic. With little 18 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 1: wind to help the ship move through Stockholm Harbor, Captain 19 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: Sofring Hanson ordered his crew to use ropes posts along 20 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: the shore and their vertical man powered winch known as 21 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:47,120 Speaker 1: a capstan, to pull themselves along at a sea snail's pace. Nevertheless, 22 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: the crowd cheered on the Vasa. After all, the warship 23 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 1: was still a grand site with its double decks of 24 00:01:55,000 --> 00:02:00,120 Speaker 1: bronze cannons and all of its carved sculptures and gilded adornments. 25 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: The slow progression through the harbor actually allowed many onlookers 26 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 1: to keep pace along the key while calling out to 27 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: their friends and relatives on board. At long last, the 28 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 1: Vasa glided out away from shore. It fired a salute 29 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:21,919 Speaker 1: and the crew set four of its ten available sails. 30 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:26,919 Speaker 1: A gust of wind blew, and immediately the ship began 31 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 1: healing over to its port side. Screams came from the 32 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:37,120 Speaker 1: watching crowd, as well as from some on board, especially 33 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 1: the more inexperienced crew members and honorary guests. Captain Hansen 34 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: was worried too, knowing how bad this maiden voyage was 35 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 1: going and how much worse it could get if his 36 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: nagging fears about the ship's seaworthiness were true, but he 37 00:02:56,720 --> 00:03:00,959 Speaker 1: barked orders and managed to even the Vasa's key. If 38 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 1: they could just complete their first leg to the alvs 39 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: Nebsen naval base further south in the Swedish Archipelago, and 40 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 1: thereby appease the impatient orders of the King, they could 41 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:17,519 Speaker 1: hopefully make further adjustments to the ship. Then came the 42 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: second gust of wind. Spoiler alert. The ship sank on 43 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:27,240 Speaker 1: its maiden voyage. We wouldn't be talking about it now 44 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:31,359 Speaker 1: if it hadn't. However, the Vasa story did not end 45 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: with its dramatic and deadly foundering. Far from it. The 46 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 1: ship may have only sailed about thirteen hundred meters in total, 47 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 1: but its overarching journey from its rushed construction to its 48 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: epic failure to its unprecedented and incredible resurrection would effectively 49 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: canonize it as one of the most legendary ships to 50 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: even if so very briefly set sail. I'm Danish Schwartz 51 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: and this is noble blood. For nearly four hundred years now, 52 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 1: the most common question asked about the Vasa by everyone 53 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 1: from historians to marine archaeologists to casual observers has been 54 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: why did it sick? The answer is complicated since it 55 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: involves physical issues such as buoyancy, building materials, and weight distribution, 56 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 1: as well as classic human flaws like hubris, fear, and miscommunication. 57 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:46,719 Speaker 1: Since the human side gives us the more psychologically compelling 58 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 1: entry point, let's start there with the Vasa's creation. There 59 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 1: were many fathers and several mothers, but no one figures 60 00:04:55,720 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: as prominently as King Gustavus Adolphus. The ship was his 61 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: true brainchild. Gustavus became king of Sweden in sixteen eleven 62 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:12,359 Speaker 1: at age sixteen, and had limited margin for error since 63 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:15,920 Speaker 1: his country was so frequently at war with three of 64 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:22,039 Speaker 1: its neighbors, Denmark, Russia, and Poland. Despite some early losses, 65 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 1: Gustavus gained a reputation as a bold warrior and commander 66 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 1: who helped usher in an era that Swedish historians would 67 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:35,080 Speaker 1: later call the Age of Greatness or quote great Power period. 68 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 1: Beyond out muscling his close rivals, Gustavus strove to push 69 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:45,280 Speaker 1: Sweden into the top tier of European powerhouses. As a 70 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 1: devout Lutheran, he even hoped to staunch the influence of 71 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:54,280 Speaker 1: the robust Catholic empires to the south. Such lofty ambitions 72 00:05:54,640 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 1: required enhanced military might. So, eager to boost his name 73 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 1: these firepower and to assert his control over profitable Baltic 74 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:08,720 Speaker 1: trade routes, Gustavus sent an order to his Stockholm navy 75 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:13,440 Speaker 1: yard in sixteen twenty five to build him four new warships. 76 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:17,520 Speaker 1: Of these, the flagship was slated to be the most 77 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:21,279 Speaker 1: powerful the world has ever seen. When finished, it would 78 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:26,600 Speaker 1: have a stunning capacity or seventy two bronze twenty four 79 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:32,919 Speaker 1: pounders aka cannons that shot twenty four pound balls. But 80 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 1: what to call this awe inspiring vessel? What name would 81 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 1: elicit pride from its patriots and strike fear into its foes? 82 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 1: How about bundle of sticks? That is essentially what Vasa 83 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:52,360 Speaker 1: originally meant to be. More exact, the name comes from 84 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 1: the word vase, which was the heraldic symbol embraced by 85 00:06:56,440 --> 00:07:00,480 Speaker 1: the Swedish royal family heading into the seventeenth Sei entry. 86 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:05,000 Speaker 1: It was increasingly depicted as a sheath of wheat in 87 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:08,720 Speaker 1: their coat of arms, and the dynasty itself became known 88 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 1: as the House of Vasa. Starting with Gustavus's grandfather, Gustav 89 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 1: Eriksson Vasa. Thus, by dubbing his ship Vasa, Gustavus Adolphus 90 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:23,200 Speaker 1: was in a sense both honoring his family and putting 91 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 1: their reputation on the line. This looming pressure only increased 92 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: during the Vasa's choppy formative years. Due to the time 93 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 1: it took for the shipyard to communicate with the king, 94 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:42,480 Speaker 1: who was frequently off leading his army, multiple versions of 95 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: the contract were circulated. This made mastershipbuilder Henrik Hibertson's job hard. 96 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: To put it mildly, Quickly sourcing enough properly cut oak 97 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:59,240 Speaker 1: beams would be tricky under normal circumstances, let alone when 98 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: stuck in a contract dispute with a temperamental monarch over 99 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: basic ship dimensions and costs. It's worth noting that although 100 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:13,480 Speaker 1: a myth lingered for years that Gustavus's continued meddling was 101 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:18,520 Speaker 1: a crucial factor in Vasa's ultimate failure, documents show that 102 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:22,000 Speaker 1: that wasn't actually the case, at least not with the 103 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:27,440 Speaker 1: main design. Once construction began, Gustavus did not keep trying 104 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 1: to change the specifications of the ship. His impatience simply 105 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:36,480 Speaker 1: affected the build in other ways. One crucial issue was 106 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 1: the dissimilarities between the main shipbuilding techniques used throughout Europe 107 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 1: during this era. Shipbuilder Henrik was trained in the Dutch style, 108 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:50,160 Speaker 1: in which workers did not rely on detailed designs or 109 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 1: models like they did in the English style. Instead, they 110 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:58,760 Speaker 1: derived proportional measurements from basic parts of the ship, like 111 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:03,080 Speaker 1: the kiel. The Dutch way saved money and time, but 112 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:07,080 Speaker 1: turned out to be far riskier when utilized in Stockholm. 113 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: Under the King's urgent schedule. For example, carpenters were recruited 114 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:17,640 Speaker 1: at home and abroad and brought differently sized tools with them. 115 00:09:18,040 --> 00:09:23,160 Speaker 1: Six wood rulers, all supposedly a foot long, were later located, 116 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:27,760 Speaker 1: and none of them were the same length. The Swedish 117 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 1: ones were closer to a modern twelve inches, whereas the 118 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:36,479 Speaker 1: Dutch ones were closer to eleven not exactly a recipe 119 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:41,840 Speaker 1: for precision. Additionally, separate construction groups worked on the port 120 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:45,560 Speaker 1: and starboard sides, which may have given the Vasa a 121 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:50,959 Speaker 1: slightly asymmetric structure. As if all that were not enough, 122 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:55,080 Speaker 1: it was tricky to judge how the immense weight of 123 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:59,320 Speaker 1: seventy two cannons would affect the ship, because seventy two 124 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 1: cannons were not readily available, particularly not in the size 125 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:08,840 Speaker 1: that King Gustavus wanted. These guns had to be cast 126 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:13,360 Speaker 1: in bronze at a separate foundry in Stockholm, a task 127 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 1: so herculean that it was not completed. According to researchers, 128 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:23,640 Speaker 1: only sixty four cannons ever actually made it onto the Vasa. Then, 129 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:29,679 Speaker 1: in sixteen twenty seven, Henrik fell ill And died, his wife, Margareta, 130 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:34,080 Speaker 1: Nil's daughter, took over the stressful job of running the shipyard. 131 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:38,280 Speaker 1: With departments going far over budget and a king demanding 132 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:43,000 Speaker 1: to see progress, other shipbuilders stepped in to help oversee things, 133 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 1: along with the Vasa's future captain, so Friing Hansen. In 134 00:10:47,559 --> 00:10:51,679 Speaker 1: sixteen twenty seven, they launched the Vasa a process where 135 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 1: they moved the incomplete vessel to the water to finish 136 00:10:55,760 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 1: its upper decks, rigging, and other features. During this phase, 137 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 1: workers noticed the ship's tendency to roll over, but hopefully 138 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:10,120 Speaker 1: a seasoned captain like Hanson could manage that while sailing. 139 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:17,480 Speaker 1: As we now know, Hanson could not, and on that 140 00:11:17,679 --> 00:11:21,959 Speaker 1: lightly breezy summer day in sixteen twenty eight, the Vasa 141 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 1: healed too far to port water rushed in and the 142 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:32,439 Speaker 1: Vasa sank frighteningly quickly. Most crew members and passengers managed 143 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:36,800 Speaker 1: to escape, but at least fifteen were trapped and drowned. 144 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 1: The ship may not have taken on water so quickly 145 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 1: if the gun ports, especially those on the lower deck, 146 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:48,679 Speaker 1: had been closed, but they were open because a the 147 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:51,360 Speaker 1: King wanted the might of his new warship to be 148 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:55,640 Speaker 1: on full display, and B most of the cannons that 149 00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:58,560 Speaker 1: were ready in time were placed on the lower gun 150 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:02,400 Speaker 1: deck or stabilities, and they would be difficult to reposition 151 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:07,599 Speaker 1: on short notice. Gustavus Adolphus, furious upon hearing of the 152 00:12:07,679 --> 00:12:12,440 Speaker 1: Vasa's demise, called for an inquest. Captain Hunson and other 153 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:16,760 Speaker 1: key figures were interrogated at the palace on September fifth, 154 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:21,280 Speaker 1: sixteen twenty eight. Almost a month's worth of lead time 155 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:26,960 Speaker 1: allowed these officers to carefully craft their defenses. According to 156 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:32,120 Speaker 1: documents from the hearings, the defendants largely scapegoaded the dead 157 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 1: shipwright Henrik Heibertsen and or implied that they were simply 158 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:40,360 Speaker 1: following the King's orders, so to punish them would be 159 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:46,079 Speaker 1: to question the wisdom of fearsome King. Gustavus Adolphus Still, 160 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 1: it came out that Captain Hanson had been aware of 161 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:52,320 Speaker 1: the Vasa's flaws to the point that he had had 162 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:55,840 Speaker 1: his crew do a demonstration for one of the crown's 163 00:12:55,960 --> 00:13:01,319 Speaker 1: vice admirals. But clearly everyone was so fearful of delivering 164 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 1: bad news to the king that the maiden voyage went 165 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:10,080 Speaker 1: forward anyway. Ultimately, no one was found guilty of negligence, 166 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:15,400 Speaker 1: and the involved officers, nobles and craftspeople all tried to 167 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:20,160 Speaker 1: move on with their careers and lives. King Gustavus Adolphus 168 00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:24,319 Speaker 1: got involved in the Bloody Thirty Years' War and died 169 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:28,439 Speaker 1: at the Battle of Lutzen in sixteen thirty two. Meanwhile, 170 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:33,199 Speaker 1: the Vasa rested at the bottom of Stockholm Harbor, seemingly 171 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 1: doomed to a disastrous legacy and a turbid decomposition. That 172 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:44,559 Speaker 1: is until the steady evolution of nautical technology and some 173 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:49,520 Speaker 1: long awaited luck gave the ship a chance to rise again. 174 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:56,880 Speaker 1: Only three days after the Vasa sank, Sweden's Council of 175 00:13:56,960 --> 00:14:01,600 Speaker 1: the Realm granted an Englishman permission to try to salvage it. 176 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:07,040 Speaker 1: His method involved using two floating ships as pontoons and 177 00:14:07,280 --> 00:14:11,480 Speaker 1: gradually tightening ropes attached to the wreck to pull it 178 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:15,400 Speaker 1: up a little, drag it to shallow waters, and then repeat. 179 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:20,840 Speaker 1: His plan was sound, but unfortunately he lacked enough mechanical force. 180 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:25,880 Speaker 1: A Dutch expert tried next, as did others. At one point, 181 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 1: Captain Hansen was even tapped to lead a recovery effort, 182 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 1: but like his stewardship of the Vasa's first voyage, his 183 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:38,360 Speaker 1: second go with the ship in its much sagier state, 184 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:44,200 Speaker 1: also failed. Then, in sixteen sixty three, a diver named 185 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:50,000 Speaker 1: Albert von Trelbin pitched an exciting new approach. Fortunately, the 186 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:53,960 Speaker 1: king at this time, Carl the tenth Gustave, was very 187 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:58,440 Speaker 1: interested in ships, just as Gustavus had been, so he 188 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:03,200 Speaker 1: recognized the potential when Trailbin showed him an invention called 189 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:07,440 Speaker 1: the diving bell. It could not enable the lifting of 190 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:12,000 Speaker 1: the ship, but by trapping air underwater, the metallic chamber 191 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:17,880 Speaker 1: allowed Trailbin's divers to recover valuable items, Namely thanks to 192 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:22,960 Speaker 1: Trailbin's German partner's technique of using giant tongs to remove 193 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 1: large pieces from the gunports, the team was reportedly able 194 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:33,640 Speaker 1: to recover most of the Vasa's prized bronze cannons. After that, 195 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:38,280 Speaker 1: the vasa was mostly ignored for centuries, with the general 196 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:43,800 Speaker 1: consensus being that the ship's materials were likely deteriorating beyond 197 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:49,640 Speaker 1: sufficient value or usefulness. Fascinatingly, though, that wasn't the case. 198 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:54,000 Speaker 1: As it turns out, in many ways, the conditions in 199 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:59,760 Speaker 1: Stockholm Harbor were ideal for preserving a sunken ship. According 200 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 1: to scientists, the cold, brickish, low oxygen waters of the 201 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:09,840 Speaker 1: Baltic kept certain organisms that wreak havoc on wood, like 202 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:14,200 Speaker 1: the mollusk referred to as quote the shipworm, from destroying 203 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 1: the vasa more off puddingly, we also have the poor 204 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 1: waste removal practices of the seventeenth century to thank for 205 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:28,160 Speaker 1: protecting the ship. Raw sewage jumped directly into the harbor 206 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 1: from the city's privies may have grievously poisoned the marine environment, 207 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 1: but in doing so it evidently also stymied wood loving bacteria. Additionally, 208 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:45,560 Speaker 1: the ample sediment and clay of the harbor's seafloor encased 209 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:50,160 Speaker 1: many structures and portions of the hull. This shielded the 210 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:55,440 Speaker 1: vasa from erosion, but also made it extremely difficult to lift. 211 00:16:55,920 --> 00:17:00,960 Speaker 1: Because these ships settling into the muddy cushion created massive 212 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:07,800 Speaker 1: amounts of suction. Fast forward to the nineteen fifties, yes, 213 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:11,440 Speaker 1: over three hundred years after the sinking of the Vasa, 214 00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:16,880 Speaker 1: and a Swedish man named Anders Franzen becomes fascinated by 215 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:21,320 Speaker 1: the ship. He had served during World War II studying 216 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:26,000 Speaker 1: shipwrecks in his spare time, and got the Bronstrom's Shipping 217 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:30,399 Speaker 1: Company and the Swedish Navy to back a new salvage 218 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:35,840 Speaker 1: endeavor by winning over King Gustave the sixth Adolf. As 219 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:40,280 Speaker 1: you may have already guessed, Sweden's recently crowned monarch, was 220 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:44,119 Speaker 1: a fan of ships. If anything, we're making a strong 221 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:47,479 Speaker 1: case here that within the last four centuries you couldn't 222 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:51,760 Speaker 1: descend the Swedish throne and not like ships. Plus this 223 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:57,399 Speaker 1: Gustave was exceptionally passionate about archaeology in general. For his 224 00:17:57,720 --> 00:18:01,880 Speaker 1: recovery plan, Anders Franz and his team opted to combine 225 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:07,240 Speaker 1: new and old methods. They first used modern technology to 226 00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:12,400 Speaker 1: shoot jets of pressurized water below the Vasa. This created 227 00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 1: tunnels through which they then threaded cables to make a 228 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:20,879 Speaker 1: sturdy cradle for the ship. This was dangerous work for 229 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:25,639 Speaker 1: divers who had to work in claustrophobic conditions, fearing that 230 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:30,480 Speaker 1: the tunnels beneath the ship might collapse on them. Eventually, though, 231 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 1: they succeeded, and the recovery team then used an incremental 232 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:39,640 Speaker 1: system of lifting the ship with pontoons and cable adjustments 233 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: that was remarkably similar to the strategy attempted in the 234 00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:49,280 Speaker 1: sixteen hundreds. The vasa was gradually pulled and towed into 235 00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:55,320 Speaker 1: shallower water until finally, on April twenty fourth, nineteen sixty one, 236 00:18:55,359 --> 00:19:01,560 Speaker 1: it emerged. Raising the vasa on to a special pontoon 237 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:05,840 Speaker 1: platform was only part of the challenge. However, for those 238 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:10,280 Speaker 1: first couple decades, a tricky balance had to be reached 239 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:15,439 Speaker 1: between preservation and in depth study. Initially, workers had to 240 00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:19,479 Speaker 1: keep spraying the ship with water to prevent drying that 241 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:23,560 Speaker 1: might lead to warping and cracking. A Swedish duo er 242 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 1: Till Centerval and Rolfe Moren, then devised a clever way 243 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:33,560 Speaker 1: to preserve the structure, using a substance called polyethylene glycol 244 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:39,720 Speaker 1: or PEG. When injected, this polymer replaced water while strengthening 245 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:44,320 Speaker 1: wood fibers. Fun fact, this treatment was so effective that 246 00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:49,040 Speaker 1: It became standard practice with water logged wooden structures, including 247 00:19:49,119 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 1: the famous English warship Mary Rose that was later salvaged. 248 00:19:54,720 --> 00:20:00,920 Speaker 1: Preservation with PEG was effective, but also time consuming. Detached 249 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:04,760 Speaker 1: pieces that could be submerged in this chemical mix, the 250 00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:09,520 Speaker 1: process often took from a year to eighteen months. The 251 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:14,040 Speaker 1: main body of the vasa took way longer. The whole 252 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:18,879 Speaker 1: thing couldn't be dunked, so conservators had to sprinkle and 253 00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 1: inject PEG continually. This took from nineteen sixty one to 254 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:30,760 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy nine. Finally, once the ship had been fortified, 255 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:35,800 Speaker 1: eager marine archaeologists and historians were able to start fully 256 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:41,080 Speaker 1: reconstructing and analyzing the ship. The vasa proved to be 257 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 1: an incredible time capsule of seventeenth century Swedish life at sea. 258 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:54,639 Speaker 1: At least twenty five thousand objects were reportedly found. Clothing, shoes, games, glassware, 259 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:58,919 Speaker 1: and coins all provided glimpses at what life was like. 260 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:04,600 Speaker 1: The ship decorations also tell quite a story. An astonishing 261 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:09,400 Speaker 1: number of intricate carvings survived, some with traces of their 262 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:16,040 Speaker 1: original bright paint jobs. These showcased an amalgamation of artistic styles, 263 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 1: classic mythology, old testament iconography odes to King Gustavus Adolphus, 264 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:27,200 Speaker 1: and plenty of mir people and mythical creatures. There were 265 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:32,600 Speaker 1: even carvings that poked fun at rival Polish nobles by 266 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:37,680 Speaker 1: showing them in compromising positions. Two of these were purportedly placed, 267 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:41,400 Speaker 1: so they were only clearly visible to a crewman who 268 00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:47,600 Speaker 1: sat on one of the ship's main to toilets. By 269 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:52,080 Speaker 1: modern standards, the intended living and working conditions on the 270 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:57,080 Speaker 1: Vasa seemed pretty awful. The officers had larger cabins, but 271 00:21:57,320 --> 00:22:00,520 Speaker 1: most of the crew had the ship, in theory, continued 272 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:06,240 Speaker 1: its mission, would have slept in dark, cramped conditions between cannons. 273 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:10,320 Speaker 1: The only daylight that those on the lower decks would 274 00:22:10,359 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 1: have regularly seen would have filtered through cracks in the 275 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:18,600 Speaker 1: beams above. The Vasa was supposed to carry a staggering 276 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:22,720 Speaker 1: four hundred and fifty people, although it wasn't full when 277 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:26,560 Speaker 1: it sank because the soldier regiments had not yet boarded, 278 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:30,160 Speaker 1: so in one way, the fact that the ship failed 279 00:22:30,320 --> 00:22:35,840 Speaker 1: so immediately actually prevented even more people from suffering and dying. 280 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:40,600 Speaker 1: Even so, as we mentioned, there were individuals who never 281 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:45,280 Speaker 1: made it off the ship. Fifteen skeletons were recovered from 282 00:22:45,359 --> 00:22:49,040 Speaker 1: the Vasa wreck, it was hard to identify them since 283 00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 1: no exact official crewe lists survived. The remains still offered 284 00:22:54,359 --> 00:22:58,919 Speaker 1: scientists a wealth of information. Though the group included sailors 285 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:03,399 Speaker 1: likely conscripted from coastal towns or brought on from defecting 286 00:23:03,600 --> 00:23:07,800 Speaker 1: Danish and Norwegian crews. Since the first voyage of the 287 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 1: Vasa was a festive occasion, a few women and children 288 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:16,920 Speaker 1: were also reportedly aboard. This was reflected in the skeletons. 289 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:21,920 Speaker 1: Two of the fifteen were female. Analysis of the bones 290 00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:27,120 Speaker 1: also gave insight into height, age, matrilineal details, and nutrition. 291 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:32,040 Speaker 1: Somewhat surprisingly, although those who had died had plenty of 292 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:36,560 Speaker 1: other apparent injuries, none seemed to have been afflicted by scurvy. 293 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:41,959 Speaker 1: The remains were actually in such good condition that detailed 294 00:23:42,119 --> 00:23:48,240 Speaker 1: facial reconstructions could be done, and eventually one skeleton could 295 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:54,040 Speaker 1: be identified based on its age and clothing remnants. It 296 00:23:54,160 --> 00:24:00,119 Speaker 1: was Hans Jansen. Jansen was an experienced captain slated to 297 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:04,040 Speaker 1: lead the Vasa, who was then replaced by Sofring Hudson. 298 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 1: Johnson still joined the maiden voyage, though, as corroborated by 299 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:13,560 Speaker 1: officers at the inquest. The fact that even an expert 300 00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:17,920 Speaker 1: captain went down with the ship shows just how terrifyingly 301 00:24:18,040 --> 00:24:23,320 Speaker 1: fast it all happened. Further examination also shed more light 302 00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:27,680 Speaker 1: on why the Vasa sank. A critical problem was that 303 00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:32,240 Speaker 1: there were too many heavy beams, too high up the hull, 304 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:37,520 Speaker 1: and too much space between decks. This, combined with apparent 305 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 1: asymmetries and the fact that the ship was actually too 306 00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:45,479 Speaker 1: small to effectively carry so much cargo, made it a 307 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:51,600 Speaker 1: top heavy catastrophe waiting to happen, a catastrophe that, while 308 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:56,280 Speaker 1: highly tragic at the time, eventually also led to a 309 00:24:56,320 --> 00:25:05,199 Speaker 1: stunning archaeological find that is inspired millions. The Vasa sinking 310 00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:09,240 Speaker 1: was a costly and embarrassing disaster, but it did not 311 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:15,280 Speaker 1: seemingly dampen King Gustavus Adolphus's nautical ambitions in his remaining years. 312 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:19,239 Speaker 1: Since the ship was such a failure, it became a 313 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:24,840 Speaker 1: cautionary tail and brought sweeping changes. The Swedish Navy improved 314 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:29,840 Speaker 1: their production process, utilizing more thorough oversight and opting to 315 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:35,000 Speaker 1: work from detailed designs and models on future builds. Larger, 316 00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:39,119 Speaker 1: sturdier worships eventually made it out of the harbor to 317 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:42,679 Speaker 1: see action in the long run, though no ship from 318 00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:47,119 Speaker 1: this period would see more action than the Vasa, which 319 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:52,680 Speaker 1: to this day has not left Stockholm Harbor. While conservators 320 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:57,480 Speaker 1: were working to preserve the Vasa on its pontoon platform, 321 00:25:57,680 --> 00:26:03,359 Speaker 1: a museum was built around the ship still rests there 322 00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:08,159 Speaker 1: on an island in Stockholm in a temperature and humidity 323 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:12,359 Speaker 1: controlled environment, one that I actually was lucky enough to visit, 324 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:17,120 Speaker 1: although every single photo I have is incredibly dark and blurry. 325 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:21,160 Speaker 1: The Vasa may have struggled at sea, but since its 326 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:25,840 Speaker 1: recovery and career pivot, it has been a smashing success 327 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:30,680 Speaker 1: that continues to repay Sweden's investment, at least in terms 328 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:36,879 Speaker 1: of tourism. The current King of Sweden, Karl the sixteenth Gustav, 329 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:40,760 Speaker 1: who get this, has demonstrated he's both a fan of 330 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:46,600 Speaker 1: historical ships and of promoting maritime safety, inaugurated the Vasa 331 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:52,280 Speaker 1: Museum on June fifteenth, nineteen ninety. According to some sources, 332 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:57,159 Speaker 1: it is the most visited museum in Scandinavia, attracting a 333 00:26:57,320 --> 00:27:02,720 Speaker 1: reported one point five million visitors a year, books, documentaries, 334 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:07,000 Speaker 1: countless types of merchandise, and even a video game. Have 335 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:12,800 Speaker 1: focused on the Vasa's unique history. In addition, the Vasa 336 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:17,680 Speaker 1: has had a significant effect on popular culture in Sweden, 337 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:23,840 Speaker 1: according to some archaeologists and historians. Despite the ship's infamous sinking, 338 00:27:24,359 --> 00:27:28,359 Speaker 1: fascination with it in recent decades has helped foster a 339 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:33,080 Speaker 1: nationalistic view of the age of warrior kings and quests 340 00:27:33,119 --> 00:27:36,359 Speaker 1: for nautical glory that is similar to the sense of 341 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:43,600 Speaker 1: modern pride at least shared cultural identity regarding the Viking Age. 342 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:47,720 Speaker 1: In some business and technology circles, the Vasa has also 343 00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:53,119 Speaker 1: become a vivid symbol of project mismanagement. Several authors and 344 00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:58,160 Speaker 1: experts have used the term Vasa syndrome when discussing failed 345 00:27:58,280 --> 00:28:04,440 Speaker 1: ventures that were drastically afif affected by modern organizations, shortened timelines, 346 00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:10,840 Speaker 1: poor communication, and lack of corrective action. Such examples include 347 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:15,479 Speaker 1: Greyhound trying to shift to a computerized bus reservation system 348 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:20,520 Speaker 1: in nineteen ninety three and NASA's reportedly flawed process leading 349 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:25,400 Speaker 1: up to the Challenger space shuttle disaster. Ultimately, it's difficult 350 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:29,080 Speaker 1: to envision there ever being another ship like the Vasa, 351 00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:33,479 Speaker 1: thanks to its bridging of eras, linking of kings, and 352 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 1: legacy of mind bettening dichotomies. By sinking, it rose to 353 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:46,800 Speaker 1: fame by barely traveling. It lured countless travelers. Perhaps most inspiringly, 354 00:28:47,280 --> 00:28:51,840 Speaker 1: after drowning under the weight of discord and royal expectations, 355 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:58,080 Speaker 1: the Vasa lived on by booying cooperation and scientific innovation. 356 00:28:58,960 --> 00:29:06,040 Speaker 1: Not bad for bundle of sticks. That's the unsinkable history 357 00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:09,440 Speaker 1: of the Vasa. But stick around after a brief sponsor 358 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:13,240 Speaker 1: break to get one last blast of irony from those 359 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:27,000 Speaker 1: sought after bronze cannons. Other than firing one ammunition free salute, 360 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:31,680 Speaker 1: the Vasa's bronze twenty four pounders were never actually put 361 00:29:31,760 --> 00:29:36,720 Speaker 1: to use on the Swedish flagship. In a fateful twist, however, 362 00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:43,000 Speaker 1: the cannons may have seen action decades later. Albert von Trelburn, 363 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:47,200 Speaker 1: the Swede who if you'll remember, effectively utilized the diving bell, 364 00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:51,320 Speaker 1: salvaged most of the guns and passed them onto his 365 00:29:51,440 --> 00:29:56,160 Speaker 1: business partners. We know this because surviving customs records from 366 00:29:56,200 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 1: sixteen sixty five reveal that those men exported fifty three 367 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:04,560 Speaker 1: of the cannons to Lubec, Germany, where there was quite 368 00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:08,960 Speaker 1: a market for secondhand weapons. Fred Hawker, the head of 369 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:12,800 Speaker 1: research at the Vasa Museum makes a compelling case in 370 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:16,960 Speaker 1: his book Vasa that some of those cannons found their 371 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:19,960 Speaker 1: way to Denmark, since the Danish king at the time, 372 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:24,320 Speaker 1: Frederick the Third, had sent representatives to Lubek to purchase 373 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:29,400 Speaker 1: cannons for his own navy. Given that Denmark later battled 374 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:34,000 Speaker 1: Sweden in the Scanyon War in sixteen seventy, it's therefore 375 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:39,360 Speaker 1: possible that those same cannons were, as Hawker put it quote, 376 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:45,080 Speaker 1: eventually fired in anger at the Swedish fleet. In other words, 377 00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:50,040 Speaker 1: after causing no end of trouble for foundry workers, shipbuilders, 378 00:30:50,120 --> 00:30:55,000 Speaker 1: and the Vasa crew, King Gustavus Adolphus's ubristic order of 379 00:30:55,080 --> 00:31:00,520 Speaker 1: cannons could hardly have backfired anymore on their home country's 380 00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:14,800 Speaker 1: hopes for Scandinavian supremacy at sea. Noble Blood is a 381 00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:19,040 Speaker 1: production of iHeartRadio and Grim and Mild from Aaron Mankey. 382 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:23,560 Speaker 1: Noble Blood is hosted by me Dana Schwartz, with additional 383 00:31:23,560 --> 00:31:28,280 Speaker 1: writing and research by Hannah Johnston, Hannahswick, Courtney Sender, Amy 384 00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:32,480 Speaker 1: Hit and Julia Melaney. The show is edited and produced 385 00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:37,680 Speaker 1: by Jesse Funk, with supervising producer rima il KLi and 386 00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:42,360 Speaker 1: executive producers Aaron Manke, Trevor Young, and Matt Frederick. For 387 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:47,840 Speaker 1: more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 388 00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:52,160 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.