For instance, some scholars have claimed that the Vikings believed in spirit possession and that berserkers were possessed by the animal spirits of wolves or bears. Other more esoteric theories surround supernatural beliefs. Some botanists have claimed that berserker behavior could have been caused by the ingestion of alcohol, hallucinogenic mushrooms or the plant known as bog myrtle, one of the main spices in Scandinavian alcoholic beverages. While some researchers believe the Berserkers simply worked themselves up into a self-induced hysteria before fighting, others maintain that it was sorcery, the consumption of drugs or alcohol, or even mental illness, that accounted for their behavior.
Possession, Sorcery or Drug-Fuelled Rage? The prince in his wisdom puts trust in such men Red with blood are their spears when they come to fight.
Those intrepid heroes, how are they treated, I'll ask of the berserks, you tasters of blood, The earliest known reference to the berserkers can be found in the 9 th century skaldic poem Hrafnsmál, which largely consists of a conversation between an unnamed valkyrie and a raven the two discuss the life and martial deeds of King Harald Fairhair. More than Blood and Bling: Our Many Visions of the VikingsĪ Úlfhéðnar (wolf warrior) berserker ( CC by SA 3.0 ) Tasters of Blood.What Really Happened at Viking Funerals? It’s Not What You Think!.Vikings in Ireland: Recent Discoveries Shedding New Light on the Fearsome Warriors that Invaded Irish Shores.It is believed that this account is partially true and that their trance-like state actually prevented them from feeling pain until after the battle. His (Odin's) men rushed forwards without armour, were as mad as dogs or wolves, bit their shields, and were strong as bears or wild oxen, and killed people at a blow, but neither fire nor iron told upon them. The Icelandic historian and poet Snorri Sturluson (1179–1241 AD) wrote the following description of berserkers in his Ynglinga saga: They were described as being immune to fire and to the strike of a sword, continuing on their rampage despite injury. According to ancient legend, the berserkers were indestructible, and no weapon could break them from their trance.
#PICTURES OF NORDIC WARRIORS SKIN#
They would bite into their shields and gnaw at their skin before launching into battle, indiscriminately injuring, maiming and killing anything in their path.ĭating back as far as the ninth century, the berserker Norse Warriors were said to be able to do things that normal humans could not. The fury of the berserkers would start with chills and teeth chattering and give way to a purpling of the face, as they literally became ‘hot-headed’, and culminating in a great, uncontrollable rage. The Torslunda helmet: Odin followed by a berserker ( public domain ) It is proposed by some historians that by wearing the pelts, the warriors believed they could extract the power and strength from the animal. Adding to their ferocity, and in order to intimidate the enemy, they would wear bear and wolf pelts when they fought, giving them the name Berserker, meaning “bear coat” in Old Norse. In medieval Norse and Germanic history and folklore, the berserkers were described as members of an unruly warrior gang that worshipped Odin, the supreme Norse deity, and were commissioned to royal and noble courts as bodyguards and ‘shock troops’, who would strike fear into all who encountered them. They would howl and growl like beasts, froth at the mouth, and launch an attack in a fit of frenzy. The meaning of the word originates with the Viking berserkers, the fierce warriors who were known for battling in an uncontrollable, trance-like fury, and were alleged to be able to perform seemingly impossible super-human feats of strength. Today, the word ‘berserk’ is used to describe anyone in an irrational, agitated state of mind who cannot or does not control his or her actions.
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