Berserkers I: Shield-biting Badasses of the Viking Age – Viking History

They were the howling, shield-biting badasses of the Viking Age! Who were these frightening fighters? What were they really like? We’re exploring all that and more in our new epic series on Viking berserkers!

Be sure to support the show at www.patreon.com/deadideaspod to get your portrait drawn!

Music and graphic design by Rachel Westhoff. Custom map by Adam McKithern. Pics, references and more at http://www.deadideas.net.

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Time/place: Scandinavia, 800-1200 CE

Dead Idea: Berserkers

Co-host: Andre Sólo

 

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Iceland, with glacier coverage accurate to 1000 CE, by Adam McKithern

Custom map  by Adam McKithern – showing glacier coverage accurate to 1000 CE

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Byock, J. L. (1988). Medieval Iceland: Society, Sagas, and Power. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

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Dale, R. T. D. (2014). “Berserkir: A Re-examination of the Phenomenon in Literature and Life.” Thesis. University of Nottingham.

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