Berserkers! The facts and the fictions
Short Film - Documentary
This one has been a long time coming, but now I'm glad that I've said it. It may disappoint many die-easy fans of unnecessary carnage, but the truth about berserkers is that they may have been a great deal more sensible and human than the rage-fuelled psychos so beloved by the world's male teenagers.
For those wanting the full 100,000-word thesis, try here: http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/28819/
Lindybeige: a channel of archaeology, ancient and medieval warfare, rants, swing dance, travelogues, evolution, and whatever else occurs to me to make.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lindybeige I may have some drivel to contribute to the Twittersphere, plus you get notice of uploads.
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Lindybeige (it's a 'page' and now seems to be working).
Google+: "google.com/+lindybeige"
website: www.LloydianAspects.co.uk
Nikolas Lloyd
http://YouTube.com
Youtube.com
16/07/2015
Administrator
(C) Nikolas Lloyd as Lindybeige<br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/static?template=terms">Standard YouTube License</a><br />This video represents licensed content on YouTube, meaning that the content has been claimed by a YouTube content partner.
English, Old Norse
Image - Video
Viking Age, medieval, Modern, Scandinavia
Viking: The Berserkers
Short Film - Reception
A film described as 'The Viking Hunger Games'. This trailer shows one way that popular culture engages with the Vikings, in this instance the Viking berserkers who were supposed to have been an unstoppable, berserk Viking warrior.
Antony Smith
Youtube
Lindisfarne SPV1
2014
Administrator
(c) Lindisfarne SPV1
Youtube video
English
MovingImage
England, Viking Age, Modern
Blog: Going Berserk
Essays
A blog post on The History Channel programme 'Unconventional Warfare' and its approach to presenting the Viking berserk.
Eve Siebert
https://skepticalhumanities.com/
https://skepticalhumanities.com/
19/04/2011
Administrator
Eve Siebert
https://skepticalhumanities.com/
Hyperlink
English
Hyperlink
https://skepticalhumanities.com/2011/04/19/going-berserk/
Viking Age, Modern
Words on Words: The Viking Berserker
Essays
A blog post about the meaning of Old Norse 'berserkr'.
Roderick Dale
http://blogs.nottingham.ac.uk/wordsonwords/
University of Nottingham
11/03/2014
Administrator
Roderick Dale
http://blogs.nottingham.ac.uk/wordsonwords/
Hyperlink
English
Old Norse
Hyperlink
http://blogs.nottingham.ac.uk/wordsonwords/2014/03/11/the-viking-berserker/
Medieval
Uppsala online: Berserkergang
Mythology, Norse
An essay about berserksgangr from the perspective of a modern Asatru follower and priest of Odin.
Wayland Skallagrimsson
http://www.uppsalaonline.com/
Wayland Skallagrimsson
20/06/2016
Administrator
Wayland Skallagrimsson
http://www.uppsalaonline.com/
http://www.uppsalaonline.com/uppsala/somafera/
Hyperlink
English
Hyperlink
http://www.uppsalaonline.com/berserk.htm
Modern
Thesis: Berserkr in Old Norse and Icelandic Literature
Thesis
Breen's PhD thesis on the Old Norse berserkr. The thesis itself is not available to view online but the link provides details of how to view it.
Citation:
Breen, G. J. (1999). Berserkr in Old Norse and Icelandic literature. (doctoral thesis).
Gerard John Breen
https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/
Gerard John Breen
05/08/2016
Administrator
Gerard John Breen
https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/
pdf
English
Old Norse
Icelandic
Hyperlink
https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/251680
Viking Age, Medieval, Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark
Lewis Chessman Berserker Model
Souvenirs
A model of one of the Lewis Chessmen warder figures, bought in Stornoway in 2015.
RDale
RDale
RDale
06/08/2016
RDale
RDale
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_chessmen
http://www.nms.ac.uk/lewischessmen.aspx
jpg
No linguistic content
StillImage
http://www.worldtreeproject.org/document/1137
Modern
Lewis Chessmen
Museums
The Lewis chessmen were found in 1831 at Uig on Lewis in the Hebrides. They were probably made in Trondheim, Norway in the late 12th or early 13th century. They are on display at the National Museum of Scotland
National Museum of Scotland
National Museum of Scotland
National Museum of Scotland
15/08/2015
Administrator
National Museums Scotland
Hyperlink
English
Hyperlink
http://www.nms.ac.uk/lewischessmen.aspx
Medieval, Lewis, Hebrides, Uig, Trondheim, Norway, Norge
Sweaty Beards - Official Scandinavian Trailer
Film trailer
Scandinavia. In the year 968, Osvald, the cowardly Viking, and his brave but not too bright brother Sigtrygg, set out to revenge the murder of their father. As much as Osvald loves to be a hero, he detests putting himself at risk of any kind, and fears Perset Olale, the evil fin who murdered his father, even more.
During a bar brawl, Osvald, recklessly challenges the fiercest fighters in the known world, among them the murderer Perset. It ends up in a tournament in the old Viking way of settling disagreement; a single combat to death on a small island. Whoever returns, wins.
The next day he wakes ridden with anxiety to the questions:
Will he become a Berserker?
Will he survive this eight fighter-one survivor tournament?
Will he win the heart of Hildegun, the love of his life?
http://www.sweatybeards.com
http://www.facebook.com/sweatybeards
Sweaty Beards
http://YouTube.com
sweatybeards<br />published via YouTube.com
11/10/2010
Administrator
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/static?template=terms">Standard YouTube License</a><br />This video represents licensed content on YouTube, meaning that the content has been claimed by a YouTube content partner.
http://www.sweatybeards.com/
Youtube video
English
MovingImage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu7YsrVmzU8
Modern, Sweden
Commercial: Medi-Evil Berserker Pre-Workout
Branding (Marketing)
Medi-Evil Nutrition markets one of its pre-workout formulae as 'Berserker', claiming that it is 'Inspired by the legendary warfare fury of the Norse Vikings. Medi-Evil Berserker™ was forged on the gym battlefields, and contains one of the largest profiles of the highest quality active ingredients in a product of its kind.'
Medi-Evil Nutrition.Com
Medi-Evil Nutrition.Com
Medi-Evil Nutrition.Com
11/09/2016
Rebecca Merkelbach
Medi-Evil Nutrition.Com
http://medievilnutrition.com/
Hyperlink
English
Hyperlink
http://medievilnutrition.com/product/medi-evil-berserker-pre-workout-300g/
Modern
Review: Berserker: Hell's Warrior
Movies
A review of the film Berseker: Hell's Warrior. The film is about a Viking cursed to be reborn whenever he dies, and features vampiric Valkyries whose bite turns a man into a berserker.
Alec Pridgen
Mondo Bizarro
Alec Pridgen
06/04/2013
Administrator
Mondo Bizarro
Alec Pridgen
https://ruarighdale.wordpress.com/2014/10/16/berserker-hells-warrior-a-movie-review/
Hyperlink
English
Hyperlink
http://mondobizarrocinema.blogspot.ie/2013/04/reader-request-berserker-hells-warrior.html
Modern
Witcher III: Berserkers
Video games
Witcher III is a fantasy RPG that features Viking-style berserkers at one point. These berserkers are warriors who change into animals in battle, becoming engines of slaughter with no care for their own safety. They can only return to human form once their bloodlust has been sated.
Maja Bäckvall
CD Projekt Red
CD Projekt Red
11/11/2016
Maja Bäckvall
Maja Bäckvall
http://thewitcher.com/en/witcher3
jpg
English
Engelsk
StillImage
http://www.worldtreeproject.org/document/2857
Modern
Mask from Hedeby
Archaeological artefact
This mask is one from two exemplars which have been found rolled in a ship discovered in harbour at Hedeby / Haithaby (currently Germany). They have been used as caulking of a hull.
The mask, presented on the photo, has been made of red felt. It is uncertain what species of mammal it represent - dog? sheep? fox? Unknown is also function of this object, it may be used as theatrical implement, ritual item, or element of disguise. Inga Hägg suggested, that Hedeby mask could be connected with berserkers or ulfhéðnar.
This find is a part of the permanent exhibition in the Hedeby Viking Museum / Wikinger Museum Haithabu.
References:
Hägg I. 1984a: Die Textilfunde aus dem Hafen von Haithabu, Berichte über die Ausgrabungen in Haithabu 20, Neumünster.
Hägg I. 1984b: Textilfunde aus dem Hafen von Haithabu. Aspekte und Interpretation, Offa 41, Neumünster, pp. 177-188.
Price N. 2002: The Viking Way: Religion and War in Late Iron Age Scandinavia, AUN 31, Uppsala.
Klaudia Karpińska
Klaudia Karpińska
20/07/2015
Klaudia Karpińska
Klaudia Karpińska
http://www.schloss-gottorf.de/haithabu
jpg
No linguistic content
StillImage
http://www.worldtreeproject.org/document/2863
Viking Age, Hedeby, Haithabu, Germany, Denmark, Danmark, Tyskland, Vikingtiden, Vikingatida, Vikingetiden