Berserkers (or Berserks) were Norse warriors who wore coats of wolf or bear skin and who were commonly understood to have fought in an uncontrollable rage or trance of fury; the berserkergang, hence the modern word berserk. Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who speak one of the North Germanic languages as their native language According to the Random House Dictionary, the term warrior has two meanings Trance denotes a variety of processes techniques modalities and states of mind awareness and consciousness
The Úlfhéðnar (singular Úlfhéðinn) mentioned in the Vatnsdœla saga, Haraldskvæði and the Völsunga saga were said to wear the pelt of a wolf upon their heads when they entered battle. Þorbjörn Hornklofi was a 9th century Norwegian Poet. He was the court poet of King Harald Fairhair. The Völsunga saga is a Legendary saga, a late 13th century Icelandic prose rendition of the origin and decline of the Volsung clan (For example: Bernhari, Haimric, Hlodwig, Theudberga, Warinhari, etc. ) Úlfhéðnar are sometimes described as Odin's special warriors, with the pelt from a wolf and a spear as distinguishing feature. Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism.
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Literary references
The earliest surviving reference to the term berserker is in Haraldskvæði, a skaldic poem composed by Thórbiörn Hornklofi in the late ninth century in honor of King Harald Fairhair, a famous ruler of Norway. Þorbjörn Hornklofi was a 9th century Norwegian Poet. He was the court poet of King Harald Fairhair. The skald was a member of a group of Poets whose courtly poetry (Icelandic dróttkvæði) is associated with the courts of Scandinavian and Icelandic Þorbjörn Hornklofi was a 9th century Norwegian Poet. He was the court poet of King Harald Fairhair. Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair ( Old Norse: Haraldr hárfagri, Norwegian: Harald Hårfagre) (c Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The poem was preserved by Snorri Sturluson. Snorri Sturluson (1178 – September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian poet and politician In this poem, Harald's army includes a warrior gang of berserkers fighting under the name of the Norse god of war, Tyr, in the battle of Hafrsfjord. The Battle of Hafrsfjord has traditionally been regarded as the battle in which Norway for the first time was unified under one monarch In it, they are described as Ulfheðnar ("men clad in wolf skins"). This grounds a connection between bears and wolves in Norse warrior culture and the common assumption that the word "berserker" itself originates from men wearing the skin of the bear. The grey wolf or gray wolf ( Canis lupus) also known as the timber wolf or simply wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora An alternative etymology is from "bare", meaning unencumbered by a mail shirt. Etymology is the study of the History of Words &mdash when they entered a language from what source and how their form and meaning have changed over time Mail (also maille, often given as chain mail or chain maille) is a type of Armour or jewellery that consists of small metal rings linked [1]
Snorri Sturluson goes on to mention berserkers in the Ynglinga saga (chapter 6):
"His (Odin's) men rushed forward without armor, were as mad as dogs or wolves, bit their shields, and were as strong as bears or wild bulls, and killed people at a blow, but neither fire nor iron told upon themselves". The Ynglinga saga was originally written in Old Norse by the Icelandic poet Snorri Sturluson about 1225. Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism.
Berserkers appear prominently in a multitude of other sagas and poems including The Saga of Hrólf Kraki, many of which describe berserkers as ravenous barbarians who loot, plunder, and kill indiscriminately. The sagas (from Icelandic saga, plural sögur) are stories about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history about early Viking voyages Hrólfr Kraki, Hroðulf, Rolfo, Roluo, Rolf Krage (early 6th century) was a Legendary Danish king who appears both in "Barbarian" is a pejorative term for an uncivilized person either in a general reference to a member of a nation or Ethnos perceived They also wore bear coats.
Much can be derived about berserkers from Egils saga. Egils saga is an epic Icelandic saga possibly by Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241 AD who may have written the account between the years 1220 and Egil's grandfather was named Kveld-Ulf meaning "evening wolf", and this is generally ascribed as meaning he was a werewolf. See also Lycanthropy (disambiguation Werewolves, also known as lycanthropes, are mythological or folkloric humans with the ability to Kveld-Ulf's son, referred to as Skalla-Grimm, was a berserker. Kveld-Ulf and Skalla-Grimm are both depicted as irascible and violent throughout the saga, the latter attempting to kill his son. Egill Skallagrímsson himself is described in the saga as attacking opponents with his teeth, ripping out another berserker's jugular vein during a duel. Egill Skallagrímsson (910-c990 was a Viking Skald and the great Anti-hero of Icelandic literature. The jugular veins are Veins that bring deoxygenated blood from the Head back to the heart via the Superior vena cava. Patently, violence and gruesome tragedies permeate the berserker ethos described in Icelandic sagas such as this one. Ethos (ˈiːθɒs (grc ἦθος ἔθος plurals ethe (ἤθη ethea (ἤθεα is a Greek word originally meaning "accustomed The Sagas of Icelanders ( Icelandic: Íslendingasögur)&mdashmany of which are also known as family sagas &mdashare prose histories describing
History
Hilda Ellis-Davidson draws a parallel between berserkers and the mention by the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII in his book De cerimoniis aulae byzantinae ("Book of Ceremonies of the Byzantine court") of a "Gothic Dance" performed by members of his Varangian Guard (Norse warriors working in the service of the Byzantine Empire), who took part wearing animal skins and masks: she believes this may have been connected with berserker rites. Dr Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson (born Hilda Roderick Ellis, 1 October 1914 - January 2006 was a British Antiquarian and academic writing in particular Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos or Porphyrogenitus, "the Purple-born" ( Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Ζ΄ Πορφυρογέννητος De Ceremoniis (full title De caerimoniis aulae Byzantinae, also spelled caeremoniis, cerimoniis) is the The Varangians or Varyags ( Old Norse: Væringjar Greek: Βάραγγοι Βαριάγοι Váraggoi / Varyágoi, Ukrainian [2]
In 1015 Jarl Eiríkr Hákonarson of Norway outlawed berserkers. Earl was the Anglo-Saxon form and jarl the Scandinavian form of a title meaning " Chieftain " and referring especially to chieftains Eiríkr Hákonarson or Eric of Norway (960s &ndash 1020s was earl of Lade, ruler of Norway and earl of Northumbria. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Grágás, the medieval Icelandic law-code, sentenced berserker warriors to outlawry. See also Medieval Scandinavian laws The Gray Goose Laws (Icelandic Grágás) were a collection of laws from the Icelandic Commonwealth period consisting By the 1100s, organized berserker warbands had disappeared.
King Harald Fairhair's use of berserker "shock troops" broadened his sphere of influence. Shock troops or assault troops are Infantry formations and their supporting units intended to lead an attack Other Scandinavian kings used berserkers as part of their army of hirðmen and sometimes ranked them as equivalent to a royal bodyguard. A bodyguard (or "close protection officer" is a type of Security guard or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous wealthy or politically It may be that some of those warriors only adopted the organization or rituals of berserk warbands or used the name as a deterrent or claim of their ferocity. A ritual is a set of actions often thought to have Symbolic value the performance of which is usually prescribed by a Religion or by the Traditions
Still, some scholars consider the frenzied and indomitable berserker and his bloodshot eyes to stand right alongside horned Viking helmets as a "feature of later literary [works] rather than contemporary historical ones", placing the legitimacy of Norse sagas as historical records into question. A helmet is a form of Protective gear worn on the head to protect it from injuries a variation of the hat
Theories on the causes of the berserkergang
Theories about what caused berserker behavior include ingestion of materials with psychoactive properties, psychological processes, and medical conditions. A psychoactive drug or psychotropic substance is a Chemical substance that acts primarily upon the Central nervous system where it alters Brain Psychology (from Greek grc ψῡχή psȳkhē, "breath life soul" and grc -λογία -logia) is an Academic and
A Horizon Book on Vikings claims that some chieftains would hold their berserkers in reserve during a battle. Once a portion of the enemy line appeared to tire or weaken, the chieftains would send the berserkers charging into the enemy ranks to hopefully open a break and even panic the enemy. For psychological condition see Panic attack Panic is a sudden Fear which dominates or replaces thinking and often affects groups of The book also claimed that while on sea voyages close to land, berserkers were sometimes asked to go ashore to find objects on land to wrestle or bash to give vent to their fury.
According to a theory of spirit possession, the berserk rage was achieved through possession by the animal spirit of either a bear or a wolf. Spirit possession is a concept of Paranormal, Supernatural and/or Superstitious belief in which spirits, gods, daemons A totem is any supposed entity that watches over or assists a group of people such as a family Clan or tribe ( Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary and Webster's Berserkers would cultivate an ability to allow the animal's spirit to take over their body during a fight. The English word " spirit " comes from the Latin " spiritus " (breath This is seen as a somewhat peculiar application of animal totemism. A totem is any supposed entity that watches over or assists a group of people such as a family Clan or tribe ( Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary and Webster's
Botanists have suggested the behavior might be tied to ingestion of bog myrtle (Myrica gale syn: Gale palustris), a plant that was one of the main spices in alcoholic beverages in Scandinavia. Botany, plant science(s, phytology, or plant biology is a branch of Biology and is the scientific study of plant Life Ingestion is the consumption of a substance by an Organism. In Animals it normally is accomplished by taking in the substance through the Mouth into the Myrica gale is a species of Flowering plant in the genus Myrica, native to northern and western Europe and parts of northern Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well The drawback is that it increases the hangover headache afterwards. A hangover ( veisalgia) describes the sum of unpleasant physiological effects following heavy consumption of drugs particularly Alcoholic beverages The most commonly Drinking alcoholic beverages spiced with bog myrtle the night before going to battle might have resulted in unusually aggressive behavior.
The notion that Nordic Vikings used the fly agaric mushroom to produce their berserker rages was first suggested by the Swedish professor Samuel Ödman in 1784. Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly Amanita is a poisonous and Psychoactive Basidiomycete Fungus, A mushroom is the fleshy Spore -bearing Fruiting body of a Fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source Year 1784 ( MDCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Ödman based his theory on reports about the use of fly agaric among Siberian shamans. Amanita muscaria, commonly known as the fly agaric or fly Amanita is a poisonous and Psychoactive Basidiomycete Fungus, The notion has become widespread since the 19th century, but no contemporary sources mention this use or anything similar in their description of berserkers. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar In addition, the injection of bufotenine from Bufo marinus toad skin into humans was shown to produce similar symptoms to the "Berserker" descriptions. Bufotenin (also known as bufotenine) is a Tryptamine related to the Neurotransmitter Serotonin. These findings, first examined by Howard Fabing in 1956, were later linked to the induction of zombie characteristics by ethnobotanists in 1983. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. zombie is a reanimated human corpse Stories of zombies originated in the Afro-Caribbean spiritual belief system of Vodou, which told of the people being controlled Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar)
A British television program in 2004 tested the possible use of fly agaric and alcohol by training a healthy volunteer in the use of Viking weapons, then evaluating his performance under their influence. Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " A volunteer is someone who works for a community or for the benefit of environment primarily because they choose to do so It was shown that use of fly agaric or alcohol severely reduced his fighting ability, and the tentative conclusion was that the berserk state was achieved psychologically; otherwise, berserkers would have been too easy to kill. Of course, this does not take into account the mindset that the berserker likely would have attempted to place himself in. A mindset, in Decision theory and general systems theory, refers to a Set of assumptions methods or notations held by one or more people or groups
A simpler theory attributes the behavior to drunken rage. It is also possible that berserkers worked themselves into their frenzy through purely psychological processes, perhaps using frenzied rituals and dances. Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic According to Saxo Grammaticus they also drank bear or wolf blood. "Saxo" redirects here For the car see Citroën Saxo and for the bank see Saxo Bank Saxo Grammaticus (c Blood is a specialized Bodily fluid that delivers necessary substances to the body's cells such as nutrients and oxygen—and transports Waste products
American professor Jesse L. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Byock claims (in Scientific American, 1995) that berserker rage could have been a symptom of Paget's disease. Scientific American is a Popular science magazine, published (first weekly and later monthly since August 28, 1845, making it Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Paget's disease, otherwise known as osteitis deformans, is a chronic disorder that typically results in enlarged and deformed bones Uncontrolled skull bone growth could have caused painful pressure in the head. He mentions the unattractive and large head of Egill Skallagrímsson in Egilssaga. Egill Skallagrímsson (910-c990 was a Viking Skald and the great Anti-hero of Icelandic literature. Egils saga is an epic Icelandic saga possibly by Snorri Sturluson (1179-1241 AD who may have written the account between the years 1220 and Other possibilities are mild epilepsy, rabies, and hysteria. Epilepsy is a common chronic Neurological disorder that is characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. Rabies (from rabies “madness rage fury” Also known as “ hydrophobia ” is a viral Zoonotic neuroinvasive disease that Hysteria in its colloquial use describes a state of Mind, one of unmanageable Fear or Emotional excesses Nevertheless, these theories are highly unlikely, as the berserkers would presumably turn on each other as well as their enemies. During battle, they are consistently described in the frenzy of rage; yet berserkers, while purportedly felling allies, seem to have avoided attacking each other. In general allies are people groups or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose
Parallels in other cultures
Among the Irish, Cúchulainn acted in the 'battle frenzy', or 'contortion', and many other famous Irish warriors from the pre-Christian period became possessed and frenzied. The Irish people ( Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a Western European Ethnic group who originate Cúchulainn /kuːˈxʊlɪnʲ/ ( ( Irish for "Hound of Culann " also spelled Cú Chulainn, Cú Chulaind, Cúchulain, or Contortion (sometimes contortionism) is an unusual form of physical display which involves the dramatic bending and flexing of the Human body. They are described in texts such as The Tain as foaming at the mouth and not calming down after battle until doused with cold water.
Similar behaviour is described in the Iliad, where warriors who are "possessed" by a god or goddess exhibit superhuman powers. The Iliad ( Greek: Ἰλιάς (Ancient Ιλιάδα (Modern is together with the Odyssey, one of two ancient Some aspects of the Malay phenomenon of running amok ("mengamuk" in Malay) bears a close resemblance to berserkergang. Running amok, sometimes referred to as simply amok (also spelled amuck or amuk) is derived from the Malay / Indonesian /Filipino word
Modern usage
The word "berserker" today applies to anyone who fights with reckless abandon and disregard to even his own life, a concept used during the Vietnam War and in Vietnam-inspired literature (Michael Herr's Dispatches) and film (Oliver Stone's Platoon and Adrian Lyne's Jacob's Ladder). The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Michael Herr (born in 1940 Syracuse New York) is a Writer and former War correspondent, best known Dispatches is a non-fiction book by Michael HERR that describes the author's experiences in Vietnam as a war correspondent for Esquire magazine William Oliver Stone (born 15 September) is an American Film director and Screenwriter. Platoon is a 1986 Vietnam War film written and directed by Oliver Stone and starring Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger Adrian Lyne (born 4 March, 1941 in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England) is an English Filmmaker and producer Jacob's Ladder is a 1990 Psychological horror Film directed by Adrian Lyne, based on a Screenplay by Bruce Joel Rubin "Going berserk" in this context refers to an overdose of adrenaline-induced opioids in the human body and brain leading a soldier to fight with fearless rage and indifference, a state strikingly similar to that of the 9th century berserkers observed in this article. The term drug overdose (or simply overdose or OD) describes the Ingestion or application of a Drug or other substance in quantities An opioid is a chemical Substance that has a Morphine -like action in the body The brain is the center of the Nervous system in animals All Vertebrates and the majority of Invertebrates have a brain The 9th century is the period from 801 to 900 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era.
Modern soldiers in battle sometimes observe in both themselves and others these occasional bouts of exceptional aggressiveness and feelings of invincibility. The main character in the Red Badge of Courage has a moment in battle where he becomes almost unaware of the danger around him and experiences an irresistible urge to destroy the enemy. Afterwards, he comes back to himself and is almost unaware of what has happened. The testimony of Medal of Honor winners sometimes recount similar experiences of altered consciousness and heightened aggression during the combat for which the Medal of Honor was awarded. [3] There is however, no real modern military tradition or documentation of the habitual inducement of a ‘berserker’ mental state. Since modern combat training focuses on intense training, military specialties, and unit cohesion – unpredictable and individualistic ‘berserker’ combat is most certainly discouraged in modern military science and training.
"Going berserk" is also used colloquially to describe a person who is acting in a wild rage or in an uncontrolled and irrational manner. A colloquialism is an expression not used in formal speech, writing or Paralinguistics. A recent controversy among civil rights advocates and law enforcement and emergency medicine professionals involves a state called "excited delirium", in which a "berserk" individual dies after the use of restraints. Emergency Medicine is a speciality of Medicine that focuses on the Diagnosis and treatment of acute illnesses and injuries that require immediate medical attention Excited delirium is a controversial term used to explain deaths of individuals in police custody in which the person being arrested detained or restrained is highly agitated and may Physical restraint refers to the practice of rendering people helpless or keeping them in captivity by means such as Handcuffs, Shackles, Straitjackets
Notes
- ^ Ask Oxford entry for berserk
- ^ Ellis-Davidson, Hilda R. (1967) Pagan Scandinavia, page 100. Dr Hilda Roderick Ellis Davidson (born Hilda Roderick Ellis, 1 October 1914 - January 2006 was a British Antiquarian and academic writing in particular Frederick A. Praeger Publishers ASIN B0000CNQ6I
- ^ http://www.cmohs.org/recipients/living_recips.htm
References
- Beard, D. J. "The Berserker in Icelandic Literature. " In Approaches to Oral Literature, Ed. Robin Thelwall, Ulster: New University of Ulster, 1978, pp. 99-114.
- Blaney, Benjamin. The Berserkr: His Origin and Development in Old Norse Literature, Ph. D. Diss. University of Colorado, 1972.
- Davidson, Hilda R. E. "Shape-Changing in Old Norse Sagas. " In Animals in Folklore, Ed. Joshua R. Porter and William M. S. Russell. Cambridge: Brewer; Totowa: Rowman and Littlefield, 1978, pp. 126-42.
- Davis, EW (1983) "The ethnobiology of the Haitian zombie", Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 9:85-104.
- Fabing, Howard D. "On Going Berserk: A Neurochemical Inquiry. " Scientific Monthly, 83 [Nov. 1956].
- Höfler, Otto. "Berserker. " Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde. Bd. 2. Ed. Johannes Hoops. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. 1976. pp. 298-304.
- Ole Högberg, Flugsvampen och människan. Section concerning the berserker myth is published online [1] (In Swedish and PDF format) ISBN 91-7203-555-2
- Holtsmark, Anne. "On the Werewolf Motif in Egil's saga Skalla-Grímssonar" Scientia Islandica/Science in Iceland 1 (1968), pp. 7-9.
- von See, Klaus. "Berserker. " Zeitschrift für deutsche Wortforschung 17 (1961), pp. 129-35; reprinted as "Exkurs rom Haraldskvæði: Berserker" in his Edda, Saga, Skaldendichtung: Aufsätze zur skandinavischen Literarur des Mittelalters. Heidelberg: Winter, 1981, pp. 311-7.
- Michael P. Speidel, "Berserks: A History of Indo-European 'Mad Warriors' ", Journal of World History 13. The Journal of World History is a refereed Scholarly journal that presents historical analysis from a global point-of-view focusing especially on forces that 2 (2002) 253-290 [2]
- Weiser, Lilly. Altgermanische Jünglingsweihen und Männerbünde: Ein Beitrag zur deutschen und nordischen Alterums- und Volkskunde. Bausteine zur Volkskunde und Religionswissenschaft, 1 Buhl: Konkordia, 1927.
- The Sagas of Icelanders: Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition (World of the Sagas), Ed. Örnólfur Thorsson. Penguin (Non-Classics); New Ed edition (February 27, 2001). pp. 741-742.
External links
- Berserkergang (vikinganswerlady. com)
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