Berserkers

[ZenDog]

I'm guessing that this subject ie either,

A) Covered in TFoB
B) Discusssed at length in previous threads
C) A&B

If so apolpgies ect, any hombrew solutions or links to previous threads while I wait for TFoB would be greatfully recieved and very useful for my Savaxen campaign.

[Tash]

See Pgs 48-49 in the book regarding the flaw "Rage" which allows a person to go berserk.  Extrapolate from there to create a "Berserker" warrior.
Some fun "facts":  true berserkers got their name from the phrase "baar sark" or "bear skin" because they fought "wearing nothing but the skin of a bear over them, so as to intimidate their oponents with the size and stiffness of their manhoods".....I actually read that once in a book about Norse warriors.  Its probably the most amusing single quote I've ever encountered, and at least the bear skin part is true.

Also they screamed "Would you like to making fuck, Berserker!" as they charged into battle.

[ZenDog]

Also they screamed "Would you like to making fuck, Berserker!" as they charged into battle.

That combined with the stify would be enough to win most battles.

Cheers I didn't know there was a rage flaw, I'll check that and see what I can do with it thanks Tash.

[Sigurth]

I thought I saw this flaw/gift in the creature's book...Of Beasts and Men

[Brian Leybourne]

Some fun "facts":  true berserkers got their name from the phrase "baar sark" or "bear skin" because they fought "wearing nothing but the skin of a bear over them, so as to intimidate their oponents with the size and stiffness of their manhoods".....I actually read that once in a book about Norse warriors.  Its probably the most amusing single quote I've ever encountered, and at least the bear skin part is true.

That's something of a mistranslation. It's bare rather than bear, and sark is an ancient term that basically means armor, so "bare of armor", or literally "they wore no armor". Having said that, it's not impossible that some might have worn bear skins at times, but that's not what the name means.

Brian.

[Tash]

Thanks for the correction, I'm not sure what book I read that in but ts entirely possible they got some pesky little detail like the translation wrong :)

[[MKF]Kapten]

Some fun "facts":  true berserkers got their name from the phrase "baar sark" or "bear skin" because they fought "wearing nothing but the skin of a bear over them, so as to intimidate their oponents with the size and stiffness of their manhoods".....I actually read that once in a book about Norse warriors.  Its probably the most amusing single quote I've ever encountered, and at least the bear skin part is true.

That's something of a mistranslation. It's bare rather than bear, and sark is an ancient term that basically means armor, so "bare of armor", or literally "they wore no armor". Having said that, it's not impossible that some might have worn bear skins at times, but that's not what the name means.

Brian.

Actually Tash is right. "Bär" meant "bear" in old Scandinavian (you are probably thinking of "bar" without the umlaut; this still means "bare"). "Särk" means shirt. Remember that a lot of Viking shape changer mythos involved donning animal "costumes" to change shape. The word "Bärsärk" also assumed that they could change shape, something that some people believed as well.

(btw, I'm from Sweden, thats where I get my language comments from)

[bergh]

Im from Denmark and [MKF]Kapten is right, i have read lots of norse history, and there was warriors wearing the skins of animals, so they could get there strength's in combat, bears and wolves where the favorite.

But generaly i think there a lot of ways to understand it, but generaly the "shapeshifter" mythos, is what its all based on.
Even some of the viking gods are descriped at wearing cloaks made of animal skins, not nessary as armour.

[Tash]

So, any comment about the manhoods part?

[[MKF]Kapten]

I havent read anything specific about the manhood- part to be honest :)
But considering that the celts fought naked some times and that the tribes of northern Europe seemed to be pretty mobile for a while I suppose it aint impossible that the custom spread to Scandinavia and stayed there for a while ;)

[Tash]

Remember that a lot of Viking shape changer mythos involved donning animal "costumes" to change shape. The word "Bärsärk" also assumed that they could change shape, something that some people believed as well.

Does anyont know if this was the original source of the creatures in the poem Beowulf?  If I remember correctly Grendel and his kin are described as having fangs, claws, and thick fur, yet walking like a man and weilding weapons.  When the one's arm is severed during the battle in the mead hall the translation I have describes it as being like a bear's.

Also the film "The 13th Warrior" actually shows the raiders wearing bear skins.  The plot of this film is taken almost word for word from Beowulf.

[Brian Leybourne]

Hm. I guess my research wasn't thorough enough (or, what I should say is that what I have read was wrong, perhaps). Odd, since it came from different sources, but I wont argue with those of you who have the ancestry and language to know more than me.

You learn something new every day, etc.

Brian.

[nsruf]

Also they screamed "Would you like to making fuck, Berserker!" as they charged into battle.

Isn't that what the Russian heavy metal guy in the movie Clerks always sings?

[Tash]

Yes.

[ZenDog]

One thing I read that fits in with the shapechanger thing (kind of) is about the Beserker's magic poition. I just state that the source is not to my knowedlge reliable or even still in print (I think it was printed in the 70's)

Anyway the book claimed that the Berserkers would starve themselves the night before a battle and then drink a concoction or what you might call 'magic' potion, of a particular type of 'mushroom' that is common to northern Europe, and strong alchool.  After this they would become raving wildmen who took on the characteristics of the animals whose furs they wore. (magic item idea 'Skin of changing' ).

As I said not a reliable source, but then again it doesn't need to be for fiction, does it?