What does the word berserk mean? Military elite - berserkers

“The berserkers roared, the battle was in full swing, those dressed in wolf skins howled and shook their swords,” - this is how Thorbjorn Hornklovi, the skald of the Norwegian king Harald Fairhair, first mentioned the berserkers in 872. Another equally famous Icelandic poet, Snorri Sturluson, described how “Odin’s men went into battle without chain mail, and they were wild, like wolves. They bit their shields and were as strong as bears or bulls. They killed their enemies, but neither fire nor sword took them; it was the rage of fierce warriors.”

Where did warriors come from who were not inferior in ferocity to wild animals, and was it only the Scandinavians who knew the secret of their warrior spirit?

BORN IN BEAR SHIRTS

The word “berserk”, known to many fantasy fans, is derived from the Old Norse berserkr. When translated literally, this linguistic unit can take on several meanings. The first is "bearskin" and the second is "shirtless". This ambiguity is explained, first of all, by the fact that the root ber means both “bear” and “naked”, and serkr is translated as “skin” and “shirt”.

But let's not go too far into the mysteries of linguistics.

The complex range of associations associated with this word include madness in battle, bloodshot eyes, superhuman strength and memories of the Vikings. It was this people, far from peaceful life, who many centuries ago had warriors who terrified enemy troops and instilled fear even in their own relatives. These were fighters who dedicated themselves to Odin, the supreme god of the Scandinavians. Berserkers disdained shields and chain mail that got in the way in battle and fought wearing only shirts or even naked to the waist. In battle, they were distinguished by great strength, quick reaction and insensitivity to pain. A berserker who lost a leg in battle could continue to fight, leaning the stump of a limb on a stone.

WITH BARE HANDS

Historians of late antiquity reported that even a close, disciplined formation of soldiers could not always withstand the attack of bestial warriors. It is no coincidence that they were part of the guard of the Roman Emperor Trajan, who knew a lot about military training, since he himself became famous for his enormous physical strength and incredible endurance.

Northern chroniclers of those years often described cases when berserkers who had lost their weapons began to tear apart enemies with their bare hands, how they fought furiously, receiving mortal wounds, and how, thanks to their inhumanly quick reaction, they avoided blows. Modern researchers are trying to find the answer to these abilities, going through one explanation after another.

IS IT ALL ABOUT THE FLIES Agaric?

How can one explain the unique qualities that distinguished the berserker warriors? What is the reason for the so-called berserker rage, to which the Scandinavian warriors in skins owe their reputation?

Perhaps it's all about the mushrooms. More precisely - in fly agaric mushrooms. And even more precisely - in muscarine, the poison contained in this beautiful but poisonous mushroom. A chemical substance called muscarine causes a state similar to intoxication in a person, as well as attacks of rabies and hallucinations.

Coming out of this state, a person experiences severe fatigue. The effect of the poison lasts about 20 hours, after which deep sleep sets in, into which berserkers often plunged after a battle.

Professor of psychiatry Hanscarl Leiner from the German town of Göttingen argued that fly agaric was used by tribes living in subarctic and arctic spaces for “ecstatic practices.” However, there is no exact evidence that the strength of berserkers appeared due to drug intoxication.

PAGET'S DISEASE

Representatives of medicine, pondering the phenomenon known in medicine as berserker syndrome, see the answer to it in Paget's disease. Professor D.L. Bayok, who studied this issue, writes: “Usually the human skeleton is completely renewed in eight years. However, Paget's disease increases the rate of destruction and repair, which ugly changes the structure of the bones, making them much thicker than before. The effects of Paget’s syndrome are especially noticeable on the skull; its bones become thicker.”

And indeed, the warriors “born in bearskin shirts” were distinguished by the excellent strength of their skeleton.

In one of the sagas of the Icelandic poet Egil, where he describes himself, it is said that he is a quick-tempered, angry and invincible man in battle. The poet's father and grandfather possessed qualities that were equally unpleasant for our contemporary, but useful for the men of those years. According to some historical documents, Egil's bones were so strong that after death his head could not be split even with an ax. History, however, is silent about who was so annoyed by the unfortunate poet that his body was not spared even after his death, but the fact remains that the murdered man’s skull was phenomenally strong. It can be assumed that Egil's family suffered from Paget's disease.

Finally, unique opportunities Berserkers are explained by the internal reserves of the human body, which ordinary people do not know how to use. Proponents of this hypothesis believe that berserkers could concentrate energy. Among their arguments is the invulnerability of berserkers. And if anyone was lucky enough to cripple the brutal warrior, he did not notice the wound and rode the wave of his anger until the end of the battle, actively sending his enemies to the kingdom of the dead.

A disinhibited consciousness helped berserkers avoid wounds, thanks to which the reaction speed significantly increased. They could remain unharmed after a blow by using a method reminiscent of the eastern “iron shirt”, in which strong bones and developed muscles, protected and strengthened by the concentration of internal energy, gave an amazing result, making the warrior’s body practically invulnerable to the blade.

TRANS AGAINST WEAPONS

Are there any references in the culture of other nations to warriors distinguished by unparalleled courage and insensitivity to pain? It turns out there is. For example, among the Zulus, African people numbering about ten million people, living mainly in the Republic of South Africa, there is a war dance technique called giya. It contains a set of combat techniques.

This peculiar dance was beautifully described by G. R. Haggard, the author of semi-fantastic novels, who spent a significant part of his life among the Zulus: “The dancing began... The warriors resembled large, fierce birds rushing at their prey. Stretching out their assegai (spears - editor's note) and raising their shields, they seemed to fly back and forth, accompanying each movement with such a sharp hiss that thousands of snakes could emit... Then each warrior in turn took a leap forward; having run a few steps, he seemed to rush into an attack, soared five feet into the air, threw himself on the ground, jumped up, stuck his head between his legs - in a word, he was everywhere and everywhere at the same time.”

Such elements of the martial art of the Balinese (people in Indonesia living on the island of Bali - editor's note) as amok and puputan are very reminiscent of berserkerism. As a dance type of trance, Puputan required a long time to enter. Then it was only necessary to support him with the rhythm of steps, drumming and shouts. The last example of mass puputan was demonstrated by the Balinese to the Dutch in 1906–1908. But this did not save the island from conquest. Whatever one may say, firearms have greatly simplified the task of exterminating fellow humans on the planet, even those put into a combat trance.

Amok looked more like violent madness. In this state, the fighter did not even notice mortal wounds. True, there was no way out of this state. The warrior who entered into the “deadly dance” was doomed to death from moral and physical exhaustion.

"... Thorolf became so furious that he threw his shield behind his back and took the spear with both hands. He rushed forward and chopped and stabbed enemies right and left. People fled from him in different sides, but he managed to kill many..."

Berserkers or berserkers are the rarest and most terrible of warriors, feared throughout the world for their superhuman strength, cruel nature and complete absence fear. The essence of this phenomenon was the conditional “reincarnation” of a person into a ferocious beast - a bear or a wolf with human face. Beast-like transformations were considered the highest form of manifestation of combat rage in many military traditions. These were suicide warriors, seeking in battle not to save their lives, but to sell them as dearly as possible, taking more enemies to the next world. Berserk is typical for many European peoples.
We can judge what the image of a warrior-beast was, first of all, from Scandinavian sources, for in Scandinavia such warriors existed until the 12th-13th centuries. Ber - “bear” (in Old Scandinavian - “bersi”), and "serk" can mean "shirt". Most often this is how this term is interpreted - “bear shirt”; in literal translation from Old Norse, “berserker” means “one who is in the skin of a bear.” However, bad luck, the totem of the berserkers was the wolf, and they had nothing to do with the bear; sometimes they were also called “ulfhedners,” that is, wolf-heads. Probably, these were different incarnations of the same phenomenon: many of those who are called berserkers bore the nickname “Wolf” (ulf), “Wolf’s skin”, “Wolf’s mouth”, etc. However, the name “Bear” (bjorn) is no less common. Not everything is in order with the shirt either, since among the characteristics of the berserker is his demonstrably naked torso; they usually fought half naked - dressed to the waist, or in bear or wolf skins. Berserkers decorated their bodies with a red or black tattoo, which had a magical meaning. There is another interpretation of the meaning of the roots of the word “berserker”. The Old German "berserker" can be translated in different ways, "Berr" translated from Old Low German means... "naked"! Thus, no “bears” or “shirts” have anything to do with the berserker. This concept is literally translated - naked slasher.” In “The Saga of the Tomsk Knights” the root “serker” is used, which comes from the concept of “axe”. From here it is not completely preserved correct option names - "berserker". In the Russian tradition, the “berserker” option is more often used. The form "berserker" originated as a borrowing from English; English berserk means "furious, furious."
The only documented evidence of their existence is the poetic images preserved in the Scandinavian sagas about invincible warriors who, overwhelmed by battle fury, burst into the ranks of enemies with one sword or ax, crushing everything in their path. Modern scientists do not doubt their reality, but much of the history of berserkers remains an unsolved mystery today.

IN written sources Berserkers were first mentioned by the skald Thorbjörn Hornklovi, in a song about the victory of King Harald Fairhair in the Battle of Hafsfjord, which supposedly took place in 872. There is a high probability that his description is documented: more than a thousand years ago, Harald Fairhair founded the Kingdom of Norway; this was far from a peaceful enterprise, since noble families did not want to lose their lands. He needed an army. He chose especially strong, determined and young men, those very berserkers, for the front battle formations. They dedicated their lives to Odin, the God of War, and at the decisive battle of Boxfjord, dressed in bearskins, they stood at the bow of the ship, “ The berserkers, dressed in bearskins, growled, shook their swords, bit the edge of their shield in rage and rushed at their enemies. They were possessed and did not feel pain, even if they were hit by a spear. When the battle was won, the warriors fell exhausted and fell into deep sleep." Similar descriptions of the actions of berserkers in battle can be found in other authors. For example, in the saga of the Ynglings by the famous Icelandic poet Snorri Sturlusson: “ Odin's men rushed into battle without chain mail, but raged like mad dogs or wolves. In anticipation of the fight, from the impatience and rage bubbling within them, they gnawed their shields and hands with their teeth until they bled. They were strong, like bears or bulls. With an animal roar they struck the enemy, and neither fire nor iron harmed them and, like rabid animals, foam flowed from their mouths..." In battle, berserkers entered a state of combat trance, they fell into an uncontrollable rage (amok) which the Vikings called fighting spirit, and demonstrated a complete disregard for death. The berserker could remove the spear from the wound and throw it at the enemy. Or continue to fight with a severed limb - without an arm or a leg. Probably, we should look for an analogy in this with the invulnerability of werewolves, who could not be killed with conventional weapons, but only with a silver bullet or an aspen stake. From a physiological point of view, this can be explained by the release of excess adrenaline into the blood. Then a person can endure pain for a long time and not feel tired.

During the attack, the berserker seemed to “become” the corresponding beast. At the same time, he threw away defensive weapons, and in some cases, offensive ones; all Scandinavian Vikings knew how to fight with their bare hands, but berserkers clearly stood out even at their level. Many paramilitary groups considered unarmed combat shameful. Among the Vikings, this postulate took the following form: it is shameful not to be able to fight with weapons, but there is nothing shameful in the ability to fight unarmedly. It is curious that as an auxiliary (and sometimes main - if he fought without a sword) weapon, the berserker used stones, a stick picked up from the ground, or a club stored in advance. This is partly due to the deliberate entry into the image: it is not appropriate for an animal to use weapons (a stone and a stick are natural, natural weapons). But, probably, archaism is also manifested in this, following the ancient schools of martial arts. The sword entered Scandinavia quite late, and even after widespread use, it was for some time out of favor with berserkers, who preferred the club and ax, with which they struck in a circular manner from the shoulder, without connecting the hand. The technique is quite primitive, but the degree of mastery of it was very high. In chapter 31 of Germania, the Roman writer Tacitus writes: As soon as they reached adulthood, they were allowed to grow hair and beard, and only after killing the first enemy could they style it... Cowards and others walked with their hair loose, in addition, they wore iron ring, and only the death of the enemy freed them from wearing it. Their task was to anticipate each battle; they always formed the front line. Tacitus mentions a special caste of warriors, which he calls "Harier" and who bear all the characteristics of berserkers (800 years before the Battle of Hafsfjord): " ...they are stubborn warriors. They are characterized by natural wildness. Black shields, painted bodies, choose dark nights for battle and instill fear in opponents. No one can resist their unusual and seemingly hellish appearance.". "Harier" means "Warrior" and Odin was called among them "Herjan", "Lord of Warriors". None of them had their own house or field, any care. They came to anyone, they were treated, they used someone else's , they were careless in their affairs, and only the weakness of old age made them unfit for military life. They considered it a shame to die in their own beds from decrepitude, and when death was imminent, they were stabbed with a spear. Among the Celts, for example, the Sequani tribe, which in the East Slavic tradition could sound like the "Vyatichi berserkers", plunged the ancient Romans into panic with the sight of the wild rage of their naked warriors. This was in 385 BC, when the Celts took Rome. It is likely that the old songs were somewhat embellished. However, It is striking that all the descriptions depict fierce warriors who fought with a wild, downright magical passion.
In literature, berserkers often appear in pairs, often twelve of them at once. They were considered the personal guard of the Old Scandinavian kings. This indicates the elitist nature of this warrior caste. Unwavering loyalty to one's ruler is found in several places in the old sagas. In one of the sagas, the Danish king Hrolf Krake had 12 berserkers who were his personal guard: “Bedvar, Bjarki, Hjalti, Hochgemut, Zvitserk, Kun, Wert, Veseti, Bajgud and the Svipdag brothers.”

Berserkers trace their origins to the mysterious male unions of animal warriors that existed among many peoples of the world. The training of berserkers took place primarily in peculiar pagan monasteries. Future animal warriors took a vow of celibacy and completely devoted themselves to the god Odin, their heavenly patron. It was the word Odin (or Wotan) that meant “mad, merciless, evil.” It is no coincidence that this god of wolf warriors was depicted in a wolf mask, feeding two sacred wolves on a throne under the tree of peace. Some ethnographers suggest that berserkers belonged to certain secret unions or families in which knowledge of mysterious forces or “plants of power” was passed down from generation to generation. Others believe that there were berserker "male unions" and that the display of berserker rage was a test of courage required of every young man upon entering an adult union. Among many primitive peoples, such rituals could be observed with dancing in masks and ecstatic states. What remains inexplicable in this theory, however, is that nothing like this exists in any of the Scandinavian sources. After the adoption of Christianity in Scandinavia, old pagan customs were prohibited, in particular, fighters wearing animal skins. A law passed in Iceland in 1123 reads: marked in a berserker rage will be imprisoned for 3 years in exile" Since then, the berserker warriors have disappeared without a trace.

What is known about Russian berserkers? Berserk is not a Slavic word. Our ancestors have their own sound for this word - borsek. There is another interesting term - “knight”, that is, a screaming warrior. But they say that a knight is an unconventional concept for us, as if it came from the German “reiter” - “horseman”. I wonder what is phonetically closer to the modern Russian word “knight” - the German “reitor”, the English “knight”, the French “chevalier” or the Old Russian “knight”? I think the answer is obvious. East Slavic Rus' has always managed with a small professional military contingent. The squad, consisting of a younger (later forming a social stratum - “children of the boyars”) and an elder, even in the Great Duchies of Rus' rarely reached 2000 people. Let me remind you that on her shoulders fell not only a massacre in an open field, but also the defense of strategically important objects, the throne, the collection of tribute containing the treasury, the formation of an army in subject territories, etc. Of course, in such an army a special role was played by the individual qualities of each . In a sudden raid you cannot gather an army - it takes time. In addition, the military arsenal is also under the prince’s castle, and therefore, the men on the estates are armed with whatever they can and have no armor of any kind. Organizing an army is a complex matter. It is not enough to gather people; they need to be formed into combat units. And where to do this when the throne encampment is already surrounded from everywhere by nomads. Then the final word belonged to the lone suicide bomber, capable of neutralizing the enemy for some time.

Oh, how sweet it is for our “independent” historians to admit that East Slavic Rus' had its own berserkers. But you have to admit, where can you go, sources are stubborn things. The Byzantine writer Leo the Deacon wrote about the Russians, who, with huge shields, before going on the attack, growled, shouting something incomprehensible. The historian Klyuchevsky wrote: Demyan Kudenevich went to the Polovtsian army “without a helmet and armor”; the naked hobras of Svyatoslav the Great are also eloquently described in the chronicles: “ Olbeg Ratiborich, take your bow and lay an arrow, and strike Itlar in the heart, and beat up his entire squad...". The Nikon Chronicle about Ragdai speaks no less eloquently: “ And this man went against three hundred soldiers" What is this, hero worship? Where there! The chronicler is disgusted by the “ungodliness” of the bloody showdowns. Barbarian beauty is not his path at all. This is the real point. Remember Evpatiy Kolovrat. With one regiment he liberated the Ryazan region from the Tatars for six months, at the very height of the invasion. And Evpatiy did not give up his last battle. The Tatars were never able to take his warriors in hand-to-hand combat. They were simply pelted with stones from throwing weapons. A gesture of despair and at the same time resourcefulness of Batu. This beast was so amazed by what he saw that, having won, he ordered the living to be dug up and released, and the dead to be buried with honors. In “The Tale of the Ruin of Ryazan by Batu”, Peruvian medieval writer Eustathius from Zaraysk, it is said that for each of these soldiers of the “desperate regiment” there were up to a thousand Tatar-Mongols. Let us restore the true picture of the events of those days. In the fall of 1237, Evpatiy Kolovrat had to stay in Chernigov. The Tatar-Mongols have already trampled the Ryazan region. Evpatiy returned in December to the ashes. Instead of Ryazan - charred firebrands. It didn’t take him long to look for something to do; he gathered 1,700 people who were ready to tear the enemy apart with their teeth. There was no time left to prepare for battle. But his people could not be called beginners in the martial art. The "Regiment of Desperados" chased the retreating hordes. " And they began to flog without mercy, and all the Tatar regiments were mixed up. It seemed to the Tatars that the dead had risen...“- this is what the chronicler says. There was no Eurasian policy in Rus' yet, and Kolovrat did what he had to do. Frightened Batu assigned his brother-in-law Khostovrul to command best shelves. The Great Slaughter took place on Suzdal soil. The commanders themselves started the battle. They converged in front of the frozen shelves. The spears broke as they were being knocked down, but neither the horses nor the riders wavered. Let's use the sabers. And then Kolovrat cut Khostovrul in half, right down to the saddle. The Horde trembled and ran. But the Russian success was temporary. Batu surrounded the “desperate”. They repulsed all attacks, and then Batu ordered to shoot them with stone throwers. The fighters were covered with stones. Only five remained alive. Batu ordered to dig up Kolovrat’s body. Batu’s words over the dead berserker are known: “ If such a one served me, I would keep him close to my heart!“Batu gave Kolovrat’s body to the five surviving Ryazan residents and demanded that the knight be buried with proper honors. He let them go, something he had never done to an enemy before. The number of the Tatar army is not officially indicated anywhere and it is generally accepted that there were up to half a million of them. But the fact itself remains a fact. It is reliably known that such an event took place. Only one thing is absolutely clear: a simple person could not do such a thing, no matter how much rage he possessed, this is the limit of human strength (physical).

What exactly is “Kolovrat”? Kolovorot, that is, “rotating in a circle.” This is the nickname of a berserker. Space, as you know, is organized according to the principle of a circle. Motor convenience zone for ordinary person– these are the half-radius circles in front of him. To build movement in other directions, a person involves more complex and even structurally dangerous evolutions of the musculoskeletal system. For example, with an incorrectly organized movement behind the back, the menisci often “scatter” when turning the body knee joints, vertebral discs become pinched, etc. This happens mainly for two reasons. Firstly, a person evolves in frontally directed walking, and, secondly, he also does not have a special motor skill in constructing an atypical action. That is, not only this method movement is not structurally justified, it has not yet been mastered. The human body has a large margin of safety, but it must, of course, be used intelligently. For a berserker, in this case, the concept of a back does not exist. IN otherwise, he could not fight in the thick of battle, surrounded on all sides by the enemy. The half-radius of action “in front of your eyes” is an ordinary, combatant army. For him, no matter how you turn around, the idea of ​​inconveniently repelling attacks from behind and the usual frontal attack will remain. The movements of the berserker are structured in such a way that he always slides along the blows, displacing the blow and moving himself. As a result, not a single blow hits a penetrating lesion. The berserker's reflexes react not to the blow as a whole, but to its individual phases! This is a very important circumstance. For example, if you are hacked with a sword year after year, you first begin to suppress panic fear, caused by the instinct of self-preservation, and then you notice that there are some patterns in the actions of the enemy. And really; If you learn to use them, then it becomes not scary at all. The body itself carries within itself a gigantic action potential. Of course, motor abilities, like abilities in general, are developed differently in each person.

Berserk is a mechanism exploded by ferocious passion, adrenaline, ideological attitude, breathing techniques, sound vibrations and a mechanical program of action. The berserker does not have to prove that he will survive. He must pay back his life many times over. The berserker not only goes to die, he goes to receive furious pleasure from this process. By the way, this is why he most often remains alive. Is the berserker a fanatic? Yes. But not the religious one who kills himself “for the sake of Allah.” No one has yet proven that Allah exists at all. God exists as long as there is faith in him. A berserker does not perform a spiritual feat. For him, the highest application of spiritual forces is the norm of behavior. How to shave for you. He experiences death and rebirth dozens of times, but a fanatic only once. But this is precisely where one of the amazing manifestations of barbaric superhumanity lies. I am ready to agree that berserkers are an exceptional phenomenon. But isn’t it the deformation of the barbarian’s personality, for the most part tamed by Christian doctrine, that makes similar phenomena exceptional? Berserk is a necessity, it is an imprint of the struggle of the Northern European peoples for survival. If the East is capable of putting tens and thousands of people “under arms,” then the barbarian squads of Europe numbered only hundreds of warriors. Hence the military principle in barbarism is always a problem of the Personality. Something that the East has never known, completely devaluing the very concept of human life. " The filthy ones had 9 hundred mines, and Rus' had ninety copies. Those who hope for strength, the abominations of the pond, and ours are against them... And the wallpaper was dreamed of, and the slaughter of evil happened, and the Polovtsian fled, and ours chased after them, they are slashing..."That's the whole story for you. The barbaric essence is that you should never, under any circumstances, “run away” yourself. Then the enemy will run. Because he won't have a choice.
What can make us doubt the chronicle line? Ability. The ability to do something like this. Ability in general. What God has divided so unevenly among people. It’s surprising that no one questions the composer’s gift, which explodes the silence of the world with a storm of sounds of rushing passions. Or the gift of a sculptor, gnawing on stone to delight us with the impossibility of the living in the dead. What about the art of combat? Or is this not art at all, but only a routine of mutual self-mutilation? Not at all! It would be wrong to think that a berserker is just a psychopath with a weapon in his hands. Freedom is an expensive thing. Freedom is what is asked in full. It is no coincidence that berserkers are a privileged part of the military class. Complex mechanism military labor gives them not at all spontaneous riots and sacrificial extravagance on the lists, but a completely definite, developed role. It is this that makes berserkers the elite. Berserker opens the battle! It was specially created in order to hold an exhibition match in full view of the entire army.
Another interesting point is that the berserkers, putting themselves in a deranged state, freeing themselves from clothes, simply tore them off. Such behavior in the language of prisoners now means: “ready to kill.” So this is why people lose their heads in a Russian fight. This fight is called “hunting” and is symbolized by wolves tearing each other apart. Their image is first found on a ritual goblet-rhyton from a 10th-century mound called the “Black Grave.” They lose their heads because they put into action a complex physiological mechanism, changing the course of the nervous reactions of the body. In this state, the berserker's speed of motor reflexes increases significantly. His movements are impetuous and light, the activity of peripheral receptors is inhibited, which is why the berserker does not experience, for example, pain if he is wounded at this moment. The detail may be minor, but it left its own special imprint on the mystified mind of the ancients. For example, someone fighting with an arrow in his back and not experiencing pain is unlikely to cause superstitious fear in his enemy. And the wild power of a berserker, capable of tearing apart an enemy with his hands at these moments? This is where the “cutting into halves”, known from the chronicles, comes from, that is, in half. Let me remind you that in a ritual massacre, the Horde hero Khostavrul, Evpatiy Kolovrat cut his enemy to the saddle.
Modern science knows that the human nervous system - including those parts of it that are amenable to conscious control - is capable of producing substances that are similar in composition and action to drugs. They act directly on the “pleasure centers” of the brain. If these substances are released when a person falls into certain state consciousness, then in this state he experiences a complete analogue of a “high”, and when he leaves it, “withdrawal” begins.

“Professional” berserkers became hostages of their own rage. They were forced to look for dangerous situations that would allow them to engage in combat, or even provoke them. Hence the berserker asociality, which arouses wariness even among those who admired their courage and combat effectiveness. And from here comes this very combat capability, which manifests itself in the condition of “opening the floodgates.” Later, berserkers for the most part still managed to control such attacks. Sometimes they even entered a state that in the East is called “enlightened consciousness” (although they usually went to it not through detachment, not through meditation, but through fighting rage; such a path is sometimes fraught with the fact that the “beast” will prevail over a person) . This made them phenomenal warriors. A variety of sources unanimously assert that the warrior-beast actually could not be killed in battle. True, the details of this invulnerability are described differently. A berserker supposedly could neither be killed nor wounded with a military weapon (from which it followed that non-combat weapons must be used against him: a wooden club, a hammer with a stone top, etc.); sometimes he was invulnerable only against throwing weapons (arrows and darts); in some cases it was clarified that with skillful use of weapons he could still be wounded, even fatally, but he would die only after the battle, and before that he would not seem to notice the wound. The berserkers were protected from throwing (and also from striking) weapons by a kind of “wisdom of madness.” Disinhibited consciousness included extreme speed of reaction, aggravated peripheral vision and probably provided some psychic skills. The berserker saw (or even predicted) any blow and managed to parry it or bounce away. Berserkness helped to fend off dangerous blows, but if the blow was missed, it made it possible to “not notice” it. It’s hard to believe, but many independent sources report: the Viking to some extent retained combat effectiveness even after the monstrous wounds from which modern man I would instantly lose consciousness. With a cut off leg or arm, a cut chest, a pierced stomach, he continued to fight for some time - and could take his killer with him to Valhalla. And yet, descriptions of cases have been preserved when a berserker not only avoided a wound, and not even just endured it, but, having received a blow, remained unharmed! Also an exaggeration? Maybe... But this is very similar to the eastern “iron shirt method”, in which hardening of bones and muscles, and most importantly, the ability to concentrate internal energy, in certain cases makes the body difficult to vulnerable even to a blade. But the Viking blades are no match for the eastern ones: no matter how much the northern warriors admire them, this admiration comes from the lack of material for comparison. At least during the time of the berserkers, the blade's hardening was only superficial and it was far from the sharpness of a samurai katana. Moreover, even “energy” did not always save the berserker. Sometimes a missed blow with a sword did not actually cut the body, but caused such a serious bruise that it could ensure the end of the fight. After all, the berserkers’ opponents were a match for them. And not every berserker knew how to competently use internal energy. Sometimes they spent it too extensively - and then after the battle the warrior fell into a state of “berserker impotence” for a long time, which could not be explained only by physical fatigue. The attacks of this powerlessness were so severe that the beast warrior could sometimes die after the battle, without even being wounded in it!

Other attempts have been made to explain the "berserker rage", where the source of such power is not transcendental forces. The state of intoxication, attacks of rage, hallucinations and subsequent fatigue could be caused by chemical substances, namely muscarine, fly agaric poison. Today we know that when people are poisoned by fly agaric, they beat wildly around themselves, they are excited, and they are visited by delusional thoughts. In others and doctors, they see fairy-tale creatures, gods, spirits. The toxic effect stops after 20 hours, and then people fall into deep sleep, from which in most cases they wake up only after 30 hours. Researchers know why people become like this after eating fly agarics: chemical processes arise due to hallucinogens similar to LSD, muscarine is one of them, changes the speed of impulses of nerve endings, causing a feeling of euphoria. But there may also be the opposite effect, due to its large amount, a bad trip (literally “bad trip”), which can end in death. However, the ongoing changes caused by this substance are surprising, which initially occur in only one person, and then spread to everyone. At any techno party you can observe a similar effect. The behavior of a person who has taken a hallucinogen, rhythmic music, monotonous clapping, stomping, lead others to the same state. This “synchronization” is carried out by activating the body’s neurotrans system, the action of which is similar to the actions of drugs. Thus, a dynamic arises that can be called "collective ecstasy." It is believed that the berserkers knew this and only a few leaders “encouraged themselves with doping” from fly agaric. It is certain that they knew what effect it has on a person. Göttingen professor of psychiatry Hanscarl Leuner: " From early times, the fly agaric has played an exceptional role as a mythological remedy in the subarctic and arctic spaces. It was used by the tribes living here for ecstatic practices". However, there is still no exact evidence of such a theory. No sources mention such a rise in strength. But this does not prevent some historians. They believe: "It was precisely because only the northern warriors knew the effect of the fly agaric, they hid this knowledge, keeping fearlessness and invulnerability of the Gods." But is this so?
Doctors also contributed to the issue of berserkers: " The legendary power of berserkers has nothing to do with spirits, drugs, or magical rituals, but was an inherited disease", thinks Professor Jesse L. Byock. The Icelandic poet Egil was hot-tempered, angry, invincible just like his father and grandfather. Stubborn in character, and his head was so massive that even after Egil’s death it was impossible to split it with an ax. This is written in the saga about Egil. The descriptions therein allowed Bayok to learn that Egil's family suffered from Paget's syndrome, a hereditary disease in which uncontrolled bone enlargement occurs. Professor Bayok: " Human bones renew themselves gradually and usually the bone structure is renewed within 8 years. However, the disease increases the rate of destruction and new formation so much that it changes the structure of the bones too much, and they become much larger than before."The effects of Paget's syndrome are especially noticeable on the head; its bones become thicker. In England, 3 to 5% of men over 40 years of age are susceptible to this disease. But can the myth around berserkers be attributed only to a hereditary disease?
The rampage of berserkers is proverbial. Folk speech perceived repeated evidence of “biting the top of the shield.” Animals bare their teeth before attacking. In the same way, we “show our teeth to someone” if we want to do something similar. Skilled fighters pursued the goal of “hardening”, but we also know about their bearskins. And this gives rise to all sorts of talk. Were they half-wild young warriors who went into battle with their bodies unprotected to prove their courage? Are we talking about sacred male unions dedicated to the God of the Dead Odin, and serving him as warriors? Were they just crazy, fighting-to-the-death fanatics? Did they have supernatural powers that protected them from injury? Or was it a drug effect? Did they suffer from hereditary diseases?
So who are the berserkers?

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Forget everything you knew about berserkers - Vikings who ate fly agarics and fell into a battle rage.
They say they were almost impossible to kill.
They say that one berserker was worth a dozen trained warriors.

Forget about it.
Everything was completely wrong...

Modern ideas about berserkers are, in many ways, a castle in the air, built by a number of scientists in the 20th century. Moreover, most of them were not narrow specialists in medieval Scandinavia, but by linguists, folklore collectors and myth researchers.

The bright idea of ​​superhumans, immersed in the surroundings of the ancient Vikings, attracted many. One of the pillars of berserkism, Otto Hoefler, was also a prominent Nazi ideologist during the Third Reich.

It was he who came up with the idea that berserkers were members of military alliances associated with the cult of Odin, perhaps wearing animal masks (Hoefler compared them with the Einherjars - warriors who forever feasted and fought in Valhalla).

As historian Carlo Ginzburg, who explored the connection between German mythology and Nazism, noted: “Berserkers were viewed through the prism of stormtroopers, and vice versa.”

Then the question arises: maybe then berserkers are a myth that was exalted in the twentieth century to create Nazi ideology? This is what we will try to figure out. We need to do two things.

• First, analyze the meaning of the word itself,
• and secondly, to study what exactly the texts say about berserkers.

What is the meaning of the word "berserker"?

The word comes from Old Icelandic and has no cognates in other Germanic languages. Moreover: it falls into them no earlier than the 16th century, that is, half a millennium after the end of the Viking and Berserker era.

But, nevertheless, let's analyze this word. It consists of two parts, and we will consider each in turn.

How is the root “BER-” translated?

There are two translation options here.

• ber – meaning “naked”(V Lately more popular option).

But the shirt ( — serkr) there is no such thing as naked, a conditional word like “naked” requires a suffix that does not exist. Closest parallels such as Berskjalda?r– “holo-shielded” (= “without a shield”) and berbrynja?r– “holokolchuzhny” (= “without chain mail”), – they have suffixes.

• ber – meaning “bear”(although for some reason in the mass consciousness, a berserker is associated with a wolf).

For this reason, berserkers are often associated with the cult of the bear and the cult of Odin. In Scandinavia, the cult of the bear is well known from medieval and folklore data. However, of the 169 known names of Odin (the god of war, magic and death), only two are identified with a bear - this is clearly his secondary attribute.

And there is another reason for doubt.
noun berr with the meaning "bear" - does not exist
neither in Icelandic nor in any other North Germanic language.

The main word for this animal is bjorn. It is also known in the form of the proper name Bjorn, particularly in runic inscriptions. But there are no BJORNSERKS in the sources, there are only BERSERKS.

How is the root “-SERK” translated?

Now consider the element -serkr. It is usually believed that everything is clear here - “shirt” or “chain mail”, that is, real or figurative nudity.

But there is a version according to which - serkr also has the meaning of a certain number of skins ( hence the Russian numeral forty).

There is something else - serkr– singular of the word serkir- “Saracens”, which means serkr- "Saracin".
Formally, it occurs only as part of the word Serkland- Country of the Saracens.

Once the words “berserker” and “Serkland” even appear in the same text.

Dismiss the word Serkland as a reality of later times - times Crusades- it is forbidden. The fact is that it is mentioned in 6 runic inscriptions from 1000-1050, and this is the end of the Viking era.

Then how to interpret this word? Most likely, it came to Scandinavia from the Roman (Greek/Byzantine) language, where it designated the Arab peoples.

Persian version

And finally, there is generally an alternative etymology of the word from Persian bezrek, bezerk – “huge”, i.e. "giant". This version gives the berserkers additional mythology.

What exactly do the ancients say about berserkers?

First of all, we note that in this text we will not touch upon the appearance of berserkers in the sagas. The sagas were recorded in the 12th-14th centuries and, according to M. V. Eliferova, “convey not so much pagan ideas as their own idea of ​​these ideas.”

Therefore, when Ewart Oakeshott, in his book “The Archeology of Weapons,” describes a duel with a berserker, you should not trust him. He was a great specialist in bladed weapons, and his typology of swords is extremely important.

However, the duel with the berserker is a fragment of the Icelandic “Saga of Egil”. Throughout its text, berserkers are mentioned nine times, and one gets the feeling that half of the inhabitants of Scandinavia were in their ranks.

There's just one caveat. This saga was written down between 1220 and 1240. And its hero, Egil Skalagrimson, lived three centuries earlier. And since his death, his biography has acquired very vivid details.

The same goes for the chess pieces of warriors gnawing on shields - typical berserker behavior, as is considered today. These chess pieces (found on the Isle of Lewis) date from the 12th century and cannot be considered contemporaneous.

But let's get back to the texts. We simply won’t be able to find and separate the information added later: it has already taken root in ancient texts and is intertwined with them. Therefore, we need to look for such sources that have come to us from antiquity in a “preserved” form. And these are definitely not sagas.

These are the results M. V. Eliferova obtained during her research.

Varangians in skins in front of the Byzantine emperor

Byzantine emperors also happened to be writers. Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus left behind a treatise “The Book of Ceremonies”, in which he allegedly mentioned the ritual dance of the Varangians dressed in animal skins.

Alas, but not in the Byzantine , neither in Arabic, nor in Frankish, nor in Anglo-Saxon texts is there a single mention of berserkers as a special category of warriors.

Icelandic law book "Grey Goose"

Legal texts are very important because they reflect less literary tradition and more reflect social reality. There is one passage in the Icelandic law book “The Gray Goose”, but it does not appear there, but berserksgangr- “berserker state.”

This mention is in the section on church punishments for pagan religious actions, and it is unclear whether this refers to the worship of the highest gods of the Scandinavian pantheon, or lower spirits. Basically this refers to the fight against everyday magic: spells, damage, amulets.

There, at the end of the list of offenses is “oberserkie.” But what kind of practice this is and who used it is unclear.
There are also no references to military culture and battles.

Mass murder of berserkers

There are several Icelandic place names preserved in the sagas that may date back to the Viking Age: e.g. "Tomb of the Berserkers" And "Berserk Coast".

However, the names geographical objects often carry legends about their education. For example, in the saga “About the People from the Sandy Coast” there is an episode about how berserkers were forced to perform heavy construction works and then killed. Hence the toponym – “Tomb of the Berserkers”.

Moreover, exactly the same episode is told in the main book of Scandinavian mythology - the Younger Edda. Only in it there were giants instead of berserkers. This means that the story of their murder in the saga was invented.

In the name “Tomb of the Berserkers” the berserkers are definitely part of the myth.

Another toponym considered berserk is “Hawk Gorge” or “Hawk Gorge.” The legend, described in four sagas, says that two berserkers were killed in the gorge - both with the name Hauk. There is not even a word here, but the word haukr- it's just a hawk. The whole structure looks artificial.

Runic inscriptions on memorial stones

Let's explore further. The ancient Scandinavians had the following custom: in memory of an event or person, they erected a stone covered with inscriptions. The inscriptions were made exclusively in runes, which were treated exactly like the alphabet.

Rune stones carry very valuable information. In fact, these are letters from the early Middle Ages. In addition, unlike birch bark letters, they are much stronger and more noticeable.

From the texts on such stones we learn a lot of interesting things about the realities of ancient life,
about heroes, about campaigns, but not about berserkers.

That is, one of two things: either the berserkers were not worthy of monuments, or their relatives kept silent about their essence. In addition, the reference to the top secrecy of berserkers does not work - after all, in the sagas of later times they are well known.

Skaldic and Eddic poetry

These are not sagas, but individual verses and inserts into them, which are considered more ancient than the main text. It is believed that poetry, especially skaldic poetry, is a serious source. The strict form of the text reduces the number of variations, and the reason for writing, as a rule, is real events.

Eddic poetry is less reliable. It is a more free form, where stylization is often found.

We will now look at a few excerpts from both.

Drape about Icelanders

M. V. Eliferova counted nine texts mentioning berserkers: three texts of skaldic poetry and six texts of Eddic poetry. Skaldic poetry provides almost no information.

In it, berserkers are only mentioned as the enemies of the lyrical hero, whom he defeated. For example, here is a translation by M. V. Eliferova from “Drappa about the Icelanders”:

The Song of Khabard and the Berserker Women

Consider Eddic poetry. IN " Elder Edda"There is a mention of berserkers in the Song of Khabard.
But it appears there female version berserkers - bru?ir berserkja.

This gives two possible interpretations:

• or should we imagine brutal women warriors (which brings to mind the legendary Amazons and modern warriors from fantasy books and computer games),
• or we must admit that in the text this phrase is a synonym for the word giantess.

Interpreters prefer the second, since the plot of the song leaves almost no other options. In it, Hubard (Odin) talks with Thor, who boasts of his victory over these female creatures.

A dispute arises between them about whether it is worthy to boast of victories over women.
Those who are familiar with Scandinavian mythology remember that the relationship between Thor and the giantesses was tense.

Twelve Sons of Angrim

The following is a group of related texts:

• "The Song of Hyndal"
• poetic inserts from “The Saga of Odd the Arrow”,
• "The Grimm Sagas Furry Cheeks"
• "Hervör Sagas".

These works belong to the so-called sagas of ancient times and have no references to real historical events. In these texts there is a mention of berserkers - the twelve sons of Angrim.

These same sons appear in the 12th century Danish chronicler Saxo Grammar, but in his Latin text there are no berserkers or similar words.

We learn about the twelve brothers that they are enemies of the heroes of the sagas and that they will “go to visit Odin.” This the only poem, where the word "berserkers" appears in the text next to the name of the supreme god of the Scandinavians. But here, according to the context, it is clear that they are not his warriors, but simply must die at the hands of heroes:

will go soon / to visit Odin /
twelve berserkers, / and we two will survive.

(translation by M.V. Eliferova)

In addition, it turns out that these berserkers are by no means naked or wearing shirts or animal skins. Moreover, they " i gram serkjum", that is, “dressed in chain mail.”

Berserkers who fled the battlefield

Finally, analyzing the “Song of Harald”, the researcher comes to the conclusion that its main text must be dated back to the 12th century. And therefore it cannot be considered the author of a contemporary named Thorbjörn Hornklovi.

Inside the work there is a skaldic poem of five stanzas - “The Naval Battle of Havrsfjord”. And this one, unlike the rest of the text, is ancient.

From the analysis of the verse it is clear that the berserkers and “wolf skins” are not Harald’s elite squad at all, but rather those who fled from him in battle. The fact is that the third and fourth stanzas are dedicated to the flight of Harald's enemies.

It was not very clear at first who was running. All that was said was “they had to run away.” However, the only characters, which are mentioned before are just berserkers:

“The berserkers roared, / the battle was in full swing, /
those dressed in wolf skins howled / and shook their swords.”

The logic of text construction confirms this. If the berserkers were Harald’s warriors and they fled, then this was an insult to the king, for which the skald could seriously pay.

Wolf Warriors and others faith people of pagan times

Not a single historical figure in the sources mentions a squad of berserkers, including those dressed in wolf skins. These are the so-called ulfhednar (ulfhe?nar) –"wolf skins" , which are popular and sometimes scientific literature are considered a wolf type of berserker. They appear only in the above-mentioned “Song of Harald”.

Even Odin's berserkers from the Ynglinga Saga are not ulfhe?nar. In the text of the poem about naval battle at Havrsfjord there are no indications of social status and the religion of the berserkers. It is also unclear how to understand their “bestiality” - in the literal or figurative sense. That is, are they really dressed in skins or are they simply depicting animals?

In general, we can quote the conclusion of M. V. Eliferova that “all that can be said about berserkers on the basis of these groups of sources is that someone in Iceland and, perhaps, even in Norway was called berserkers, that these characters could be attributed zoomorphism and that they could be associated with pagan culture.”

All this is not enough to confirm the existence of the classic image of the berserk, known in popular culture and even science. As usual, I advise you to read the works from the bibliography.

And the warrior-beasts dissolve in the fog of centuries under the quiet wolf howl and bear grunt.

Is this all?

Of course not. Berserkers remain in fiction. To console myself and my readers, I suggest reading Maria Semyonova’s wonderful story “Solveig and We Are All” from the 1993 collection “Vikings”.

There you will find the story of one “real” berserker, contrary to all sources, of course, positive character. By the way, he received his illness (and in the story it is a mental illness) - possession by the spirit of a bear, when they tried to “hit the eagle” on him.

For those who don’t know, “blood eagle” is a semi-legendary Viking execution. Wikipedia says: “... the ribs were cut on the back of the convicted person, they were spread apart like wings and the lungs were pulled out. The cause of early death in this case would have to be traumatic shock or pneumothorax.”

By the way, a beautiful version of the “oberserken” of the hero, who thus escapes execution.

Acknowledgments

The author expresses gratitude to the “Ulvdalir” website and members of the “Ulvdalir (Wolf Valley)” group on VKontakte for valuable advice and links to literature. He is especially grateful to Maria Eliferova for permission to use her work in his article. We look forward to the release of her book about the berserker myth.

Photo - from the page of Tina Rybakova and Vasily Mizgirev on social media. VKontakte network.
As well as a still from the film “The 13th Warrior” and photographs without attribution found in social network"In contact with".

Bibliography

• – article in the English version of Wikipedia.
• Berserkergang– article on the website “The Viking answer lady” (http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/berserke.shtml)
• Liberman A. Berserk Rage through the Ages. – Book review: Samson, Vincent. Les Berserkir. Les guerriers-fauves dans la Scandinavie ancienne, de l’Age de Vendel aux Vikings (VIe–XIe siecles). – Lille: Presses Universitaires du Septentrion, 2011.
• Eliferova M.V. Inventing berserkers, or what Constantine Porphyrogenitus actually wrote. / Valla. No. 1(5), 2015.
• Eliferova M.V. Berserkers - a secret warrior cult or an obvious scientific myth?– Introduction and Chapter 2. Source studies of the cult hypothesis (as a manuscript) are freely available on the website www.academia.edu.
• Zimek R. Vikings: myth and era. Medieval Viking Age concept. /The most ancient states Eastern Europe - 1999. - M.: “Eastern Literature” RAS, 2001.
• Cardini F. Origins of Medieval Knighthood. Sretensk 2000.
• Bloody Eagle– Wikipedia article.
• Liberman A.S. Germanists attacking the berserkers. / The most ancient states of Eastern Europe - 2003. - M.: “Eastern Literature” RAS, 2005.
• Shkurlatov R. Berserkers: the frantic "special forces" of the Vikings. "Brother" (division magazine special purpose) (www.bratishka.ru).

The ancient Germans and Vikings called a berserker a warrior, distinctive features which was impeccable martial art, lack of armor, a ritual bearskin on the shoulders and, probably, the ability to put oneself into a state of altered perception (battle trance). Berserkers wore exclusively bear skins, warriors dressed in wolf skins were called ulvhendars (or wolfhendars), this is a fundamentally different military cult, which also existed in Northern Europe in the early Middle Ages.

The word "berserker" (sometimes - berserker) comes from the Old Norse form "berserkr", which is obtained by merging the stems "ber" (which means "bear", actually in Ancient Rus' the bear was also called ber) and "serkr", which translates as "skin" or "cloth". Some linguists have suggested that "ber" in Old Norse can also mean "naked".

Thus, the word "berserker" literally means "bearskin" or "without clothes." Both options perfectly describe the Viking berserkers, because according to historical evidence that has come down to us, they did not wear armor and often even shirts, covering their shoulders and head with bear skin. In traditional English language the form "berserkr" took on the form "berserk", today this word is translated as "furious".

It is believed that before the battle the Viking berserk (photo images from archaeological finds presented below) gave praise to Odin and received his blessing. There is not a single unambiguously proven hypothesis about whether the Norman berserkers used any pharmacological drugs. Many researchers believe that we are talking about decoctions and tinctures of hallucinogenic mushrooms, or herbs and rhizomes, which could act as powerful stimulants.

Historical evidence of berserkers

Many researchers agree that skaldic poetry significantly embellishes the image of the berserker, and here it should be noted that in traditional Eddic texts there is no mention of these frantic warriors. The berserker first appears in the Glimdrapa saga, which was written by the famous skald Thorbjorn Hornklovi, who lived in Norway in the 9th century. This epic work tells about the military campaigns of the Norwegian king Harold I Fairhair, and the very mention of the Viking berserker is found in the description of the legendary Battle of Hafsfjord (872).



In The Circle of the Earth, Snorri Sturluson's epic collection of sagas, the expression "fall into a berserk rage" is also found. Snorri uses this phrase when describing the Scandinavian warriors who “flew into a rage, bit their shields and the layer could be compared to bears.” Snorii further points out that “such a Viking could not be defeated by either steel or fire.”

The most important and very interesting description of the Viking berserker is given in Tacitus’s “Germania”. In Chapter XXXI, he writes that berserker warriors prepared for their role from childhood; they were not allowed to grow hair or beard until adulthood. Then future berserkers had to walk with their hair down until they defeated their first enemy. Also, each of the “warriors of Odin” wore an iron ring, which he could remove only after the first murder, and only then he was recognized as a berserker. Tacitus also mentions that among the Normans, berserkers always formed the first row of the attacking formation.

At the same time, Tacitus does not use the word “berserker” itself; he replaces it with the form “harier” (the etymology is unclear), which, in general, is understandable, because “Germany” was written in the 1st century AD, when the forms “berserkr” could still does not exist in the Scandinavian language. Tacitus, describing the frantic Germanic warriors, says that they were “stubborn and wild”, wore black shields, and their bodies were “artfully painted.” According to Tacitus, berserkers attacked enemies with lightning speed and surprise, choosing the darkest nights to instill fear in them.

The semi-mythical Danish king Hrolf Kraki, the hero of many Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon sagas, repeatedly appears on the pages of works surrounded by his berserker bodyguards. In general, the motive of the elitism of the Viking berserkers can be traced in many sagas; they often act as something like the king’s personal guard. A.N. also mentions this. Tolstoy, in his epic “Peter the Great,” in particular, writes that berserker means “possessed by rage.” Tolstoy explains that berserkers are warriors who drank a tincture of fly agaric and became so cruel and ferocious that even the Scandinavians themselves began to fear them, and therefore in the army of King Canute the berserkers had their own ship.

It is important to note that the Norman berserkers, apparently, could not adapt to peaceful life. “The Saga of Egil”, “The Saga of Gisla”, “The Saga of Njal” and many other skaldic works tell how, outside the military circle, berserkers became murderers, maniacs, robbers and rapists.

In the 12th century, after the final Christianization of Scandinavia, the cult of berserkers began to decline and references to frantic warriors gradually disappeared. This is probably due, among other things, to a legislative act that was adopted in Iceland in 1123. This law prohibited the wearing of bear skins, and it also stated that a person who was seen “in a berserker frenzy” would be punished by three years of exile.

Versions about the “battle rage” of berserkers and common myths

As already mentioned, the main hypothesis accepted today in the scientific community is the version that the Viking berserkers (pictures based on this image are presented above) used psychotropic tinctures, in particular those based on fly agarics. In this regard, some researchers have expressed the opinion that after taking such a tincture, berserkers literally went crazy, feeling invincible, but when the effect of the drug wore off, the warriors quite obviously experienced severe withdrawal symptoms. In order to minimize negative sensations, only one of the berserkers drank the tincture, and the rest then drank his urine, which also contained the active substances, but in a lower concentration and without toxins.

There are also versions according to which the Viking berserkers did not use any drugs, and their “battle rage” is the result of a congenital disease, possibly mental and inherited. According to this hypothesis, berserkers could be subject to severe forms of hysteria.



There are other versions according to which the special state of berserkers is explained by directed meditation. Warriors could consciously put themselves into a combat trance through special psychological and spiritual practices. In this sense, the closest analogue is the combat trance of Muay Thai fighters; this practice is called “ram muay” and has ancient roots.

However, you need to understand that all of these are just hypotheses, and none of them has clear confirmation. In the same way, some researchers suggest that a warrior who wanted to become a berserker had to defeat a wild bear in a duel. And although this assumption quite epic and generally consistent with the spirit of the Viking warriors, there is not a single historical fact or evidence that could confirm this.

Thus, we don’t know much about the Viking cult of berserkers, although this image is very popular in popular culture. We do not know whether berserkers used any special weapons, whether they performed any rituals, and whether it was a full-fledged military subculture or whether the concept of a “professional berserker” actually did not exist. One thing we know for sure is that these were great warriors who possessed exceptional courage and were excellent in the art of war.

And here it is enough to cite just one fact: according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, in the Battle of Stamford Bridge (1066), during the crossing of the English army across the bridge, their onslaught was held back for several hours by only one warrior. As a result, the Scandinavian was killed, but he gave King Harald enough time to form an army into battle formation, and in doing so managed to kill 40 Englishmen. Despite the fact that the information about this warrior and the course of the battle itself varies, many researchers are inclined to believe that we were talking about a berserker. Probably about the last berserker, because with the defeat of Harold the Severe at Stamford Bridge, the “Viking Age” actually ended.