Berserkers were elite Norse warriors known for entering a frenzied, trance-like state during battle. Mentioned in Old Norse sagas and poetry, they are often described as wearing animal pelts—commonly bear or wolf skins—and fighting with reckless ferocity, seemingly immune to pain or fear.

The term berserkr likely means bear-shirt (ber = bear, serkr = shirt), pointing to their animalistic symbolism and behavior. Berserkers were said to howl like beasts, bite their shields, and exhibit superhuman strength. Some accounts suggest they may have used rituals, psychological conditioning, or even intoxicants to enter their frenzied state.

Though their existence is debated in historical detail, berserkers held a powerful role in Norse warrior culture—both feared in life and mythologized in death. Shield is separate.