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Some Whys, Hows, and Retorts

Kystjolk is an investigation into the problem of the sea as a unifying medium. It is one of the commonplaces of maritime history that in the age before modem transport systems, communication across the sea was easier than across land. In good weather, a sailing ship can cross the Kattegat and Skagerrak from coast to coast in less than a day and the entire route from Lindesnes to Elsinore might under favourable conditions be done in three days. Delays for weeks occurred frequently because of unfavourable winds, but nevertheless transport by sea was much faster than by land. Even on the best roads of Sealand the maximum transport distance was around eighty kilometres per day, and for heavy goods the maximum per day was around half this.' On the worst roads of Jutland and Norway transportation was much slower. We may surmise, therefore, that for centuries coastal populations were closer to each other than to their respective capitals. I believe that, if proven, this is a point of crucial importance to Scandinavian history. The concluding paragraph in the introductory section entitled "The Problem" sets out my purpose in the book.