Berserk powers

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1 - Therianthrope

The berserker is closely associated in many respects with the god Odhinn. Adam of Bremen in describing the Allfather says, "Wodan --- id est furor" or "Wodan --- that means fury." The name Odhinn derives from the Old Norse *odur*. This is related to the German *wut*, "rage, fury," and to the Gothic *wods*, "possessed" (Georges Dumezil. The Destiny of the Warrior. Chicago, U of Chicago P. 1969. p. 36).

This certainly brings to mind the madness associated with the berserker, and other Odhinnic qualities are seen to be possessed by the berserk. Ynglingasaga recounts that Odhinn could shape-shift into the form of a bird, fish, or wild animal (Snorri Sturluson, p. 10). The berserker, too, was often said to change into bestial form, or at least to assume the ferocious qualities of the wolf or bear. Kveldulfr in Egils Saga Skallagrimsonar was spoken of as a shapechanger (Hermann Palsson and Paul Edwards, trans. Egil's Saga. NY: Penguin. 1976. p. 21), and Hrolf's Saga tells of the hero Bjarki, who takes on the shape of a bear
in battle:

Men saw that agreat bear went before King Hrolf's men, keeping
always near the king. He slew more men with his forepaws than
any five of the king's champions. Blades and weapons glanced
off him, and he brought down both men and horses in King
Hjorvard's forces, and everything which came in his path he
crushed to death with his teeth, so that panic and terror swept
through King Hjorvard's army..." (Gwyn Jones. Eirik the Red and
Other Icelandic Sagas. NY: Oxford U.P. 1961. p. 313).

Dumezil refers to this phenomenon as the *hamingja* ("spirit" or "soul") or *fylgja* ("spirit form") of the berserker, which may appear in animal form in dreams or in visions, as well as in reality (Georges Dumezil. Gods of the Ancient Northmen. Los Angeles: U of California P. 1973. p. 142).

2 - Strength

Another characteristic of berserkergang was the great strength showed by the berserk. This strength was sometimes expressed in the sagas by describing the berserker as a giant or as a troll. The berserker was thought not only to have assumed the ferocity of an animal, but also to have acquired the strength of the bear. In token of this, the berserk might assume a "bear name," that is, a name containing the element *bjorn* or *biorn*, such as Gerbiorn, Gunbiorn, Arinbiorn, Esbiorn or Thorbiorn (Saxo Grammaticus. The History fo the Danes. trans. Peter Fisher. Totowa NJ: Rowman and Littlefield. 1979. Vol II, p. 95). Bjarki, whose name means "Little Bear," was said to actually take the shape of the bear in combat.
To gain this bear-like strength, the berserk might drink the blood
of a bear or wolf (Ibid., p. 45):

Straight away bring your throat to its steaming blood and devour
the feast of its body with ravenous jaws. Then new force will
enter your frame, an unlooked-for vigor will come to your muscles,
accumulation of solid strength soak through every sinew"
(Saxo, Vol. I, p. 25).

3 - Immunity to weapons

Another Odhinnic quality possessed by the berserk is a magical
immunity to weapons. In Havamal, Odhinn speaks of spells used to induce
this immunity:

A third song I know, if sore need should come
of a spell to stay my foes;
When I sing that song, which shall blunt their swords,
nor their weapons nor staves can wound
....
An eleventh I know, if haply I lead
my old comrades out to war,
I sing 'neath the shields, and they fare forth mightily;
safe into battle,
safe out of battle,
and safe return from the strife.
(Lee M. Hollander, trans. Poetic Edda. Austin.
U of Texas P. 1962. pp. 44-45)

The berserk was sometimes inherently possessed of this immunity, or performed spells to induce it, or even had special powers to blunt weapons by his gaze. Many tales say of their berserkers, "no weapon could bite them" or "iron could not bite into him." This immunity to weapons may also have been connected with the animal-skin garments worn by the berserk. As we saw above, while in animal form, "blades and weapons glanced off" Bodvar
Bjarki. Similarly, Vatnsdoela Saga says that "those ebrserks who were called *ulfhednar* had wolf shirts for mail-coats" (Ellis-Davidson, "Shape Changing," p. 133). This concept of immunity may have evolved from the berserker's rage, during which the berserk might receive wounds, but due to his state of frenzy take no note of them until the madness passed from him. A warrior who continued fighting while bearing mortal wounds would surely have been a terrifying opponent.

It is said that however berserkers are vulnerable to wooden clubs. A common technique used by saga heroes to overcome berserks was to catch them after their madness had left them, as Hjalmar and Arrow-Odd do in Herverar Saga, and slay the berserkers while they lay in their enfeebled state after their fury (Christopher Tolkein, trans. The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise. NY: Thomas Nelson & Sons. 1960. pp. 5-7).