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Axei [2018-03-03 00:14:09 +0000 UTC]

Generally, berserkers (bear-seark in old norse means either "bear shirted" or "bare shirted") would have worn bear-skins over their armor, if any. Not generally wolf skins.

Wearing wolf skins on the battlefield was actually a mostly roman thing.
But it would still be possible that some groups of ulfhednar could have done it. Though it's a matter of debate wether or not ulfhednar should be considered "berserkers" or not. Berserkers didn't work well in groups, they were elite bodyguards and assassins with ascetic and quasi-priestly tendencies. The ulfhednar, however, were the equivalent of very religious mercenary bands, "wolf-packs", if you prefer. The latter fought as a unit and lived as a well-coordinated group. Also, the berserkers didn't fight *all* the time, they served as envoys and emissaries most of the time. Ulfhednar were dedicated warriors who literally worshipped the divine personification of War; so they travelled around a lot in times of peace, going wherever there were armies willing to hire them, and sometimes bein paid to train levies in strategy, tactics and battle formations.
Neither of them were the cool rage-fueled "berserkers" of modern fantasy though, that stuff wouldn't have worked in norse society, which actually valued remaining calm under pressure, especially in a shield wall where it was a matter of life or death for the comrades beside you.

Also, double-bitted axes were woodsmen's felling axes, they'd be too heavy and impractical to use as battle axes. Most battle axes were purpose-build as weapons, with a thin light blade to use against fleshy targets.

Only very poor commoners would have used tools as weapons, and the berserkers would have rarely been poor, since many of them served as bodyguards, emissaries and assassins in the service of a jarl (the one who, in theory, would give them a bear skin to signify their high social status as a jarl's best warrior, along with high-quality mail and weapons. Bear skins were expensive and fancy things in the middle-ages. Low-status people would rather sell them for a year's wage instead of wearing them.)

That being said, the details on that bronze axe are gorgeous, and very similar to those found on real bronze artifacts.

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jacobmosovich [2014-03-28 14:39:18 +0000 UTC]

Reminds me of skyrim

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