YouTube historian Sellsword Arts claims outright that Viking berserkers “are not real.” Author Elisabeth Wheatley takes a less absolute stance, suggesting that “if they existed,” they likely didn’t use mushrooms to achieve their frenzied state. Both base their arguments on the lack of contemporary written sources referencing berserkers.
Sellsword Arts says there’s only one thing written about them: In a battle before the Battle of Hastings, “some dude with an axe, swinging it around on the bridge. No one wanted to go near him, so they just shot him full of arrows.”
Viking Word ‘Berserkr’
“Berserkr” is a Viking word. As Dr. Jackson Crawford points out, English has taken it from the Old Norse. The word can be broken down into two parts: “Berr” and “Serkr.” “Serkr” means “shirt.” “Berr could mean “bare” or it could be “bear.” That gives us some possible meanings. The first being one who fights without a shirt, i.e. bare-chested.
Other possible meanings could be one who fights in a bear shirt or one who fights with the strength of a bear. Crawford leans toward “bear shirt” because of its relationship to the Viking word “ulfhedinn” meaning “wolf shirt.” Crawford cites the Vatnsdola Saga that states the berserkers wore wolf shirts or wolf cloaks.
Who Were the Berserkers?
Crawford says that the berserkers were often fighting men of a different nationality, like a Norwegian in Sweden or a Dane in Norway. They were the villains of the sagas and would challenge men for their wives, daughters, or sisters. Berserkers are immune to fire and iron thanks to the blessing of Odin.
The Ynglinga Saga describes berserkers as biting their shields, howling like wolves, and fighting with the strength of bears or bulls. Other sagas, such as Egil’s Saga, depict heroes battling berserkers, sometimes in groups of twelve.
While popular modern theories suggest berserkers used hallucinogenic mushrooms to induce their rage, Crawford finds no historical evidence supporting this claim, noting that saga descriptions alone account for their behavior.
More Berserker Evidence
In the real world, Scandinavian laws of the time outlawed being a berserker, and some people into the 1200s were described as berserkers.
Archaeological evidence includes depictions of “weapon dancers.” These were men, naked or clad in animal skins holding swords and spears. Runestones, tapestries, coins and pendants also have depictions of animal warriors.
A byzantine account of battles against the Rus Vikings includes a commander who fought so ferociously it was near insanity. The Haraldskvaedi, likely written around 900, describes a group of berserkers graphically, according to author Neil Price.
Did Viking Berserkers Exist?
While debate continues, the term berserkr undeniably originates from Old Norse, and saga accounts describe such warriors in vivid detail. Whether mythic exaggeration or echoes of real fighters, berserkers remain one of the most compelling figures of Viking legend—where history and storytelling collide.
Sources: Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings by Neil Price (2020).
