About History: Berserkers

Background

The Viking Age [1], as it is popularly called, is commonly said, in Britain at least, to have begun with the raid on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne on 8th June 793 and ended with the unsuccessful invasion of northern England in September 1066. For roughly three centuries European history was transformed as Norse seafarers, warriors, and merchants left their mark on the mediæval world.

Originating from the Scandinavian regions of present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, the Vikings [2] were masterful shipbuilders and navigators. The shallow draft and versatile design of their longships enabled them to traverse both open seas and rivers, allowing them to penetrate deep into continental Europe, reaching as far as the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and North America. Popular culture tends to focus on their reputation as fearsome raiders, but the Norse (or Rus) were also skilled traders, craftsmen, and settlers. They established trading networks that stretched from the Arctic to Constantinople, dealing in goods such as furs, slaves, ivory, and precious metals. Their settlements grew into significant urban centres, with cities like Dublin, York, and Kyiv owing their development to Scandinavian influence. In many regions, including Britain, Danes, Norwegians and Swedes integrated with local populations, adopting and adapting to local customs while maintaining elements of their Norse culture.

Going berserk!

One of the Orkney chessmen depicting a warrior biting the rim of his shield.

While this all sounds peaceful and almost idyllic, it was a violent period and the Viking’s formidable reputation as warriors had good reason. Into this arena step the berserkers (Old Norse: berserker, sing. berserkr) of Norse history and mythology. These enigmatic warriors were renowned for fighting in an uncontrollable, trance-like fury known as berserkergang (“berserker rage”). Characterized by superhuman strength, apparent immunity to pain and fire, and a complete dissociation from normal behaviour, berserkers inspired terror in their enemies. Warriors in this state were said to bite their shields, howl like wild animals, and attack friend and foe alike with unstoppable ferocity. Some scholars propose that certain examples of berserker rage had been induced voluntarily by the consumption of drugs, such as hallucinogenic mushrooms, or massive amounts of alcohol. The evidence is scant, and the hypothesis is much debated. Yet, the discovery of seeds belonging to black henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) in a Viking grave near Fyrkat, Denmark in 1977 lends some support to the theory. The intoxication caused by Hyoscyamus niger is similar to the symptoms ascribed to berserkergang suggesting it could have been used to induce their warlike state. Alternatively, epilepsy or mental illness have also been offered as explanations, as has the hypothesis that the physical manifestations of berserker rage was a form of self-induced hysteria.

This may not so far-fetched as warriors have screamed (“howled”?) or yelled at their enemy or crashed weapons against shields to intimidate their opponents while excising their own fear before battle. Consider for example the Māori Haka which, among other ceremonial functions, is popularly associated with intimidating adversaries in preparation for battle [3]. Much like the berserkergang, the “ríastrad” was the battle frenzy that transformed the Irish hero Cú Chulainn into a fearsome warrior. Sometimes translated as “warp spasm”, it contorted Cú Chulainn’s body with rage turning him into an unstoppable force that would kill friend or foe alike.

What’s in a name?

Archaeological evidence and historical accounts, including the sagas and skaldic poetry, describe berserkers fighting without armour. This has led some to translate berserkr as “bare of shirt”, where “shirt” refers to the mail-shirt, or byrnie, popularly worn at the time. However, the name berserkr likely derives from the informal Old Norse word bera (“bear”) and serkr (“shirt”), which has been interpreted as they wore bear pelts into battle. The association with animal hides connects to a wider belief that berserkers could take on the characteristics of wild animals, particularly bears and wolves, during their frenzied states. Indeed, the Vatnsdæla saga, the Haraldskvæði and the Grettis saga all refer to warriors wearing the skins of wolves called ulfheðnar (“wolf-skin-ers” or possibly “wolf-heathens”; singular ulfheðinn). They are consistently mentioned as a group of berserkers and always presented as the elite following of the first Norwegian king Harald Fairhair. They were said to wear the pelt of a wolf over their chainmail when they entered battle and thus were not “bare of shirt”. Unlike berserker, however, direct references to ulfheðnar are scant.

Berserkers, on the other hand, served important roles in Norse society beyond their battlefield prowess. They often acted as elite guard units for kings and chieftains, with historical accounts mentioning them serving in the personal retinues of various Scandinavian rulers. Their presence was seen as both a military asset and a status symbol, although their unpredictable nature perhaps made them dangerous allies even to their own leaders. Yet, the cultural significance of berserkers extended beyond their military function. In Norse mythology, they were sometimes associated with the cult of Odin, the god of war and death. This connection makes sense given Odin's aspects as a god of battle frenzy and ecstatic states.

Bon appétit!

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Reference:

Hansley, C.K., (2019), “The First Reported Contact Between Britain and Vikings”, The Historian’s Hut, available online (accessed 27th May 2025).

Endnotes:

1. The anonymous author of the early sections of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was the first known source to write about a Viking raid in Britain. In the entry for the Anglo-Saxon year AD 787 (often equated by modern historians to year AD 789), it was reported that three ships of “Northmen” arrived near the Kingdom of Wessex from the so-called “Hæretha Lands,” or the land of robbers. Four years later, in AD 793, Vikings raided the monastery of Lindisfarne in Northumbria, looting the sanctuary and killing some of the monks. This act horrified not only Anglo-Saxon England but European Christendom but presaged many future raids. ▲

2. The term “Viking” is popularly used to denote the people of Denmark, Norway and Sweden during the 8th- to 11th-centuries. To call all these people “Vikings”, however, is a mistake as the name does not really describe the distinct tribes, groups or communities of the Early Mediæval Period. Click here to discover more. ▲

3. Haka have been traditionally performed by both men and women for a variety of social functions within Māori culture. While the war dance (peruperu) holds sway in the popular imagination, haka are also performed to welcome distinguished guests (haka pōwhiri), to acknowledge great achievements, as a way of giving advice or instructions (waiata tohutohu), restoring self-respect (pātere), transmitting social and political messages (haka taparahi, ngeri), or as a fare-well or mourning of the deceased (waiata tangi). ▲