This study examines Old English terms for ships and parts of ships, i.e. it deals with any type of ship which was spoken about in Anglo-Saxon England. This includes well-known seagoing ships as well as inland craft, native boats as well as the ships of foreign traders and raiders. The study revives the old German tradition of 'word-and-object' study in order to contribute to a holistic understanding of the shipbuilding and seafaring traditions of the period. The main emphasis lies on the linguistic analysis of the terms, which are then compared with the documentary, material and iconographic record. The author hopes that this may help to close gaps in our understanding of the evidence and that it may bring some more light into the English "Dark Ages".