![]() The pelt they wore was similar in function to modern-day unit insignias. Scandinavian kings would use the berserkers as shock troops to augment their forces. All berserkers - especially the wolf coats - were used in combat as a complement to other Vikings. These tribal groupings contradict the “lone savage” stereotype. Each devotedly fought for a different Norse god and each took on the aspect of the animal whose pelt they wore. They are the well-known Berserkers (whose bear coats are often attributed to the worship of Thor, Tyr, or Odin), the Ulfhednar (who wore wolf coats for Odin), and the Svinflylking (who wore boar coats for Freya). Warrior cults who were often bunched into the same category. ![]() (Bethesda Studios’ Elder Scrolls IV: Skyrim) ![]() Verdict is still out on if they fought dragons or wrote books on how to train them. Though not entirely wrong, these are definitely exaggerations. Berserkers were said to have been lone Viking warriors who donned nothing but a bearskin (or a “bear coat,” which, in Old Norse, is pronounced, “ bjorn-serkr” - sound familiar?), took psychedelic drugs to block out pain, and destroyed anyone foolish enough to stand in the way of their ax. The most barbaric and over-the-top of these Viking stories were of the ![]() Modern historians characterize Vikings more as fur traders than the bloodthirsty savages they’re often depicted as.
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