History time: Berserkers as modern pop culture has depicted them *never existed.* The word "berserker" literally translates to "bear shirt"... because they wore bear skins. They were often very skilled fighters, chosen by their Jarls (lords) to act as their champions/bodyguards. They didn't take mushrooms and go into frothing rages and run into battle naked, killing friend and foe alike. Shit's a myth. There is a hilarious scene from the Sagas in which a man was displaying some of the characteristics of the "modern day berserker". Two opposing Dane armies were forming up to fight one another. A man (We'll call "Barry the Berserker", or just Barry) from one side rode out onto the field and started shouting challenges to the other side. A man rode out from his side to meet the challenge (we'll just call him Chad). The two men meet in the field and agree to a fight to the death, single combat, starting mounted. Barry the Berserker began howling, chanting, pounding his chest, and *biting the leather on the edge of his shield.* He's probably trying to both psyche himself up and psyche Chad out. But Chad is a Chad. He sees Barry sperging out, biting his shield... so he rides up near him, and *kicks the bottom of Barry's shield upward.* He had his teeth clamped on the edge of his own shield when the kick landed. He fell off of his horse, all of his teeth falling out of his now-bloodied mouth, rolling around on the ground pathetically. Chad drew his sword, rode back around, and decapitated Barry the Berserker. What a fucking hilarious scene that must've been. I'm sure the onlookers from both sides found it hilarious, too- Danes (the proper term for "Vikings" is Danes) had notoriously dark senses of humor, even in the face of their own deaths.