Vasa ship’s little sister discovered in Finnish waters
The Forgotten Fleet research programme has identified the wreck that sank off Porkkala in the Gulf of Finland as the Falken, which belonged to King Gustavus Adolphus and later Queen Christina. The Falken, sunk in 1651, was an important part of the Swedish navy in the 1630-1650’s, both in warfare and as a carrier for important people.
The ship was a so-called pinass and looked like a smaller version of the famous Vasa: three masts, carvings, a long beakhead and gun ports along the sides. Falken measures about 35 metres from bow to sternpost and was equipped with 16 to 20 guns – the number varies from year to year. Falken is the world's best-preserved example of a royal pinass, a fast, comfortable, and lavishly elegant little ship.
Falken’s wreck was discovered in 1974 and has until now been known as Varmbådan or Uunihylky (Cultural Environment Service Window kyppi.fi). Despite previous research, the ship's identity had remained uncertain until now.
A 3D model of the wreck (below) made by the Finnish Maritime Archaeological Society was given to Stockholm University researcher Niklas Eriksson, who found many of the features of an early 17th century warship. He was able to deduce from literature and archival research that it was the Falken.
Acts of war and personalities
The Falken was built in Stockholm between 1630 and 1631, probably by Hein Jakobsson, the master shipbuilder who had completed the ill-fated Vasa a few years earlier. The Falken was half the size of the Vasa but had large cabins and other facilities on the order of king Gustav II Adolf.
Because of its luxurious facilities, the Falken was used not only as a warship but also for transporting important people. The Falken has carried many famous councils, diplomats, kings and other historical celebrities.
In the autumn of 1651, the Falken ran aground off Porkkalanniemi at the mouth of the Gulf of Finland. The ship was on its way to Stockholm after carrying Count Erik Stenbock to Narva. The details of the accident are not known but the smaller ship Ugglan (Owl) was equipped and sent to the scene to help the crew and salvage as much of the Falken's guns and equipment as possible.
"Unlike the larger and better-known ships such as the Vasa, Äpplet or Mars, the Falken was actively used. The Falken was present at many important and well-known historical events, and from the wreck we can learn a lot about what such a ship looked like, how it operated and how it was decorated", says Niklas Eriksson, a researcher in the Forgotten Fleet programme.
The Forgotten Fleet - Sweden's ‘blue’ cultural heritage 1450-1850 is an interdisciplinary research programme that maps, documents and studies the Swedish naval fleet. Within the research programme, the ships are studied and, if possible, identified using marine archaeological and other methods. Both written sources and archaeological finds are used. The programme runs from 2021 to 2026 and is carried out in collaboration between the Centre for Maritime Studies (CEMAS) at Stockholm University, the National Maritime and Transport History Museums (SMTM) and the Finnish Heritage Agency.
The Finnish part of the research programme is mainly studying the wrecks around Suomenlinna Castle Fortress under the leadership of Minna Koivikko, but now the joint resources will be directed towards the Falcon for a week. The project is funded by Riksbankens Jubileumsfond.