Berserks, or berserkers, were wild warriors who fought savagely in battle and worshiped Odin, king of the Norsereferring to the people and culture of Scandinavia: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland gods. The word berserk comes either from a Norse word for "bear-shirt" (meaning bearskin) or from "bare-of-shirt" (meaning without mail or armor). Either definition would be appropriate because berserks entered battle without armor and dressed in animal skins.

Some people believed that berserks could become man-wolves or man-bears. The legend of the werewolf may have grown from this tradition. It was said that berserks howled and fought with the fury of wild animals and bit their shields during battle. Their extraordinary strength enabled them to overcome their enemies. Neither iron nor fire could hurt them. Because of their fierceness and skill in battle, berserks...