"It is said that people who could take on the character of animals, or went berserk, became so strong in this state that no one was a match for them, but also that just after it wore off they were left weaker than usual." - Egils saga Skallagrímssonar (Jane Smiley Translation)
Perhaps no other image is more associated with Viking warfare than that of the enraged, battle-crazed, half naked fighter, howling and chewing on the rim of his shield before battle. Then, when the fighting ensued, whirling through the fray, axe or sword in hand, cutting down any with the misfortune to find themselves in the Berserker’s path. They were said to be immune to weapons of steel or the piercing of arrows or spears while in their war-trance, and almost nothing could be done to stop them. It is an image that has spawned literary tropes and left an indelible mark on popular culture. Even the medieval chroniclers who first wrote down the legends of the Berserkers seemed captivated by them. From Snorri Sturluson to Saxo Grammaticus, they seem to write accounts of bestial warriors who welcomed death as a long-lost friend, and who wrought preternatural terror on the battlefield. Who were these enigmatic Viking shock troopers? Do they stand firmly in the realm of legend, or do they possess some historical basis?
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