The berserkers were fierce Viking warriors who dressed in either bear or wolf skins to strike fear in their enemies.
It was not just their appearance that frightened enemies, but their wild disposition.
Before going into battle, the berserkers would work themselves into a tremendous rage.
Their bodies would shake with fury and they would chomp on their own flesh to work themselves in a blood thirsty madness.
When it was time to charge at the enemy, it appeared as though nothing could stop the berserkers. They appeared immortal with killing abilities that went beyond the average soldier.
To become a member of the berserkers, one had to prove his strength and unflinching willingness to face any danger without a show of fear.
Initiation accounts can be found in numerous sagas and range from fighting a bear to lifting a pile of twelve bear skins off the ground.
