Why were the Berserkers so feared in battle?

The Berserkers were a very special group of elite Viking warriors who went to battle without your traditional armor. Instead they would wear animal pelts, usually from bears or wolves. The word “berserker” is from the Old Norse “serkr” meaning “coat” or “shirt” and “ber” the Norse word for “bear”. They fought in such ferocity with such a trance-like fury at times they could forget who their friend or foe was

There was a theory that Berserkers would take mushrooms or hallucinogens before battle. The hallucinogens in combination with a full adrenaline rush is a perfect recipe for the aggressive trance like fury they could tap into.

Enemies would react like a deer in headlights as Berserkers were extremely tough to predict let alone know what to prepare for. It was very common for the Berserkers to wield an axe in each hand which allowed them to do a lot of damage from close range striking and mid range throwing.  They may not have had the greatest defensive capabilities based on their attire and weapon selection, but you did not want to be across from them in battle because the damage and raw fury is something that is almost impossible to match. The Berserker is a warrior type that will always hold a high and unique place in history because it is hard to find a direct comparison.

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