The Myths and Realities of the Viking Berserkr

Roderick Dale

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English

Routledge
25 September 2023

History; Military engineering

Series: Studies in Medieval History and Culture

The viking berserkr is an iconic warrior normally associated with violent fits of temper and the notorious berserksgangr or berserker frenzy. This book challenges the orthodox view that these men went ‘berserk’ in the modern English sense of the word. It examines all the evidence for medieval perceptions of berserkir and builds a model of how the medieval audience would have viewed them. Then, it extrapolates a Viking Age model of berserkir from this model, and supports the analysis with anthropological and archaeological evidence, to create a new and more accurate paradigm of the Viking Age berserkr and his place in society. This shows that berserkir were the champions of lords and kings, members of the social elite, and that much of what is believed about them is based on 17th-century and later scholarship and mythologizing: the medieval audience would have had a very different understanding of the Old Norse berserkr from that which people have now. The book sets out a challenge to rethink and reframe our perceptions of the past in a way that is less influenced by our own modern ideas.

The Myths and Realities of the Viking berserkr will appeal to researchers and students alike studying the Viking Age, Medieval History and Old Norse Literature.

By: Roderick Dale
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
Weight: 453g
ISBN: 9781032164205
ISBN 10: 1032164204
Series: Studies in Medieval History and Culture
Pages: 196
Publication Date: 25 September 2023
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

List of Figures Acknowledgements Abbreviations and Explanatory Notes Introduction Chapter 1 Defining the berserkr Chapter 2 The monstrous berserkr Chapter 3 Berserksgangr: fit or frenzy? Chapter 4 The etymology and meaning of berserkr Chapter 5 The Viking Age reality of berserkir Chapter 6 Towards new paradigms for berserkir Appendix 1 Incidence of names of berserkir and where to find them in Old Norse literature Appendix 2 Haraldskvæði: the earliest reference to berserkir Bibliography

Roderick Dale has worked as an archaeologist throughout the United Kingdom and in research roles at University College Cork and the University of Nottingham. He currently works at the University of Stavanger. His research interests include Old Norse literature, Viking Age history and the reception of vikings in popular culture.