On top of it, the Norse warriors had been portrayed as immune to swords and fire when they were in a trance. What Did It Take to Be a Medieval Knight?.Eric Bloodaxe: Did this Viking Win an English Kingdom?.In addition, berserkers have been compared to animals based on their attire, with some stories holding that berserkers were shapeshifters, able to assume animal form. Why would anyone try to brush off such an elite military unit from the pages of history as a myth? Rather than passing off the blame to kings who had histories written according to their whims, it is important to think of the common perception regarding berserkers.įor example, many accounts show that berserkers fought with bare bodies and had little concern for public civility. 2 Thirteenth-century historian Snorri Sturluson interpreted the meaning as 'bare-shirt', that is to say. Myth 1: Vikings wore those goofy horned helmets. Keep reading to find out which Viking myths are real, and which are pop culture embellishments. Not all of the stereotypes about Vikings are accurate, however.
Real nordic warriors skin#
It likely means ' bear -shirt' (compare the Middle English word ' serk, meaning 'shirt'), 'someone who wears a coat made out of a bear's skin '. The Viking era lasted from about 793 1066 AD, and the lore surrounding these ancient people is fascinating. So, why doubt the existence of berserkers in the first place. The Old Norse form of the word was berserkr (plural berserkir ). One of the pieces from the 900-year-old Lewis Chess Set depicts a berserker biting his shield (Rob Roy / CC BY 2.0 ) However, some traces of the history of berserkers exist: it seems they were real at some point.
The berserkers were also known for their devotion to the gods, specifically Odin. Others, including wolf warriors and boar warriors, would wear the furs or kids o the animals that emulated to mark themselves out in battle. Maybe a few distraught soldiers shared exaggerated accounts of their Viking foes. In the Norse tradition, berserkers were those fighters who took on the traits of a bear in their fighting. Most of the depictions of berserkers in popular culture have accordingly shown them as almost supernatural beings, making us think of berserkers almost as fictional boogeymen. While such accounts of berserkers in battle and myths of their battle rituals have deepened the mystery about them, they must also be understood through the lens of terror: if you can frighten an enemy into defeat, you reduce your own losses to zero. The importance of exaggerating the fighting prowess of shock troops has long been understood by battlefield generals.
Afterward, the berserkers would lose their aggressiveness and would become weaker and docile, exhausted by their fury. Inspired by the classic Myth series, Nordic Warriors is a Real Time Tactical game set in a world descending into an existential struggle for survival. As exciting as the feat of berserkers in battle sounds, it is thought that they were only in such a state for a few moments only. The mere mention of berserkers had the power to make enemy soldiers break their ranks.