All Viking warriors were understood by their neighbors to be strong, relentless, and bloodthirsty. Among the Vikings themselves, there was an elite group of warriors known as the Berserkers. They were thought to combat with the ferocity of wild animals and to be unsusceptible to steel and fire.

However did these warriors really exist, or were they just a misconception?

What is a Berserker? According to legend, Berserker warriors were a religious order who went through routines to commune with the spirit of wild animals before going into fight. The animal most closely associated with the Berserkers is the

bear. Berserker implies “bear coat”. However there were also Ulfhednar,”wolf coats “, and Jofurr,” boar coats “. What is necessary is that these are wild animals belonging to the area and understood to fight ferociously. The warriors belonged to a kind of spiritual order in which they found out routines to communicate the spirit of the animal before going into fight to embrace its ferocious spirit. The males would then go into battle in a craze, displaying terrific strength and nerve, however also lose their senses to an extent. They are frequently referred to as doing things such as gnawing by themselves shields to control their bloodlust while waiting on the battle cry. They were thought about all however untouchable while battling in this

state. It was thought that they might not be harmed by

steel or fire while in their frenzy. But significantly, they also entered into fight naked or using furs instead of armor. This may have alarmed their challengers as it shows an extreme level of valiancy. However after the frenzy died down, which could last hours or days, they were in a weakened state and would need to renew themselves. That they appear to have actually belonged to an unique cult is enhanced by stories of them observing unique guidelines. One Berserker had to postpone a single fight difficulty to observe ritual days around Yule. When Berserkers died, they were set out on the skin

of their animals during their funerary proceedings. They are in some cases described as Odin’s unique warriors, and it would make sense if their cult was concentrated on the god of war. The Valkyries, the divine shieldmaidens that help Odin take the bravest warriors to Ragnarok, are often represented as their spirit wives. While most readers translate stories of the Berserkers as the warriors taking on the ferocity of the animals, there

are some accounts that recommend that they transformed

into the animal itself, literally becoming a bear or a wolf.

This is known as hamask,”to change form”.

Attestations of Berserker Warriors Berserker warriors are discussed fairly often in the surviving sagas, and there is likewise great evidence that they have actually been around because early German times. Trajan’s column in Dacia, which was built in the first century advertisement, shows German warriors wearing

the skins and heads of both bears and

wolves. German shields and requirements recorded by the Romans likewise reveal warriors utilizing wolf skins. A 5 th century golden horn from Mogeltonder shows naked warriors in horned headdresses, which is the manner in which Berserkers often appear to be represented. In the late 9 th century, Thorbjorn Hornklofi describes King Harald Fairhair of Norway as having a guard of wolf warriors that used pelts instead of mail when they entered into battle. The saga of Hrolf Kraki declares that Bodvar Bjarki literally shapeshifted into a bear to combat at the front of King Hrolf Kraki’s army. The following is a translation of his description of the warriors. I’ll Since the berserks, you cups of blood, Those intrepid heroes, how are they treated, Those who wade out into battle? Wolf-skinned they are called. In fight They bear bloody shields. Red with blood are their

spears when they come to combat. They

form a closed group. The prince in his wisdom puts trust in such men Who hack through opponent shields. The” cups of blood “are not the warriors, however rather the ravens of Odin that circle the battleground, reinforcing the connection in between the Berserkers and the All-Father. It is the Svarfaela Legend that tells the story of a Berserker holding off a single battle until 3 days after Yule due to his personal spiritual observances. According to Egil’s Sage, a group of Vikings that went to King Harald to inform him about the death of one of his relative were strong and had an “remarkable”presence that made them look more like trolls than humans. Numerous interpreters believe that these should have been Berserkers. According to the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII in the 10 th century, a few of his Varangian guard, elite Viking warriors in his service, taken part in something known as the Gothic dance

using animal skins and masks. He might be describing a Berserker routine. In the 13 th century, Snorri Sturluson likewise described

“Berserkergang “hen. Odin’s guys rushed forwards without armor, were as mad as wolves or pets, but their guards, and were strong as bears or wild oxen, and eliminated individuals at a blog site, however neither fire nor iron told upon them. Some bronze-cast passes away found at Torslunda in Oland in Sweden appear to reference the Berserker rituals. One shows a dancing male using a horned headdress and another

male carrying a spear and utilizing a wolf’s skin. This might represent a routine of communing with the wolf. However were the Berserker’s Genuine? The common reference of the Berserkers in the making it through sources recommends that the legend was based upon something. Even if the Vikings did not have warriors that might shapeshift into wolves or bears, or that were immune to fire and steel, they might well have actually had warriors that worked themselves into a great craze to be more powerful and more bold in fight. Some scholars recommend that the routines that they participated in to attain this state may have included the consumption of drugs, such as hallucinogenic mushrooms. This theory has actually been provided assistance by the discovery of Henbane seeds(Hyoscyamus niger )in the grave of a Viking warrior uncovered in Denmark. Henbane is known to trigger violent behavior, increase strength, and normally trigger a person to lose control of themselves in

a method not too different from that described of the Berserkers. So, while there might be a lot of misconceptions around the idea of the Berserkers, they definitely seem to have existed in Viking times. Berserkers in Vikings Valhalla Drawing on Viking history and legend, the History Channel has consisted of Berserkers in their Vikings: Valhalla series. They do seem to have to include them in the most uncommon way. It is not the pagan Vikings who follow Berserker practices, but Jarl Kare and his males, who are seeking to get rid of the old faith in Scandinavia. This appears incredibly not likely. While other Viking warriors discovered a place for themselves within Christianizing Scandinavia, the Church did not support the use of drugs in battle. As Viking neighborhoods started to convert to Christianity Berserkers were disallowed, beginning in Norway in 1015. The practice is likewise plainly outlawed in the medieval Icelandic law code called the Gragas. Thinking about the close connection in between the Berserkers and Odin, this part of the Vikings: Valhalla series appears extremely out of action with historic possibilities.

What does it imply to go crazy today? The idea of going crazy still exists among modern-day Vikings, however it has actually handled a new meaning. Rather than losing control and combating with the ferocity of a bear, it describes the ability to change yourself by finding inner strength that does not constantly feel accessible.

Modern specialists of Asatru will communicate the spirit of the bear or

wolf to assist them gain access to that strength

in times of extreme challenge. However what do you believe? Would you like to freak out?

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