Viking Berserkers were a Norse cult warrior class who historians believed would work themselves up into a raged state and would then charge the enemy lines in an attempt to hack their way through, one Icelandic historian described them in the following way:
"His (Odin's) men rushed forwards without armour, were as mad as dogs or wolves, bit their shields, and were strong as bears or wild oxen, and killed people at a blow, but neither fire nor iron told upon them."
After reading this description you wouldn't blame me for thinking these guys had consumed some kind of designer drug, if I'm not mistaken drugs like PCP, Methamphetemines, and even a Cocaine overdose can produce similar effects, even this new stuff called Bath salts (not the stuff you put in the bath) which I think is a Cocaine Methamphetemine cross is reported to produce an extreme version of these effects, but lasting longer than the others, hours and even days in some cases, fearlessness, superhuman strength, high level of aggresion, perhaps they came up with a Dark Age version of these drugs? either way, whether they were taking anything before battle or not they certainly left their mark in history.
WARNING
If you are reading this and know very little about drugs, what I dont mention in the above paragraph is all the other side effects that go with taking these types of drugs like extreme agression, agitation, paranoia, hallucinations, chest pain, suicidality, psychosis, and other stimulatory effects, this stuff is really bad news, you may end up harming someone or even end up harming yourself, so, stay well away from drugs... of any kind.
These miniatures are from Khurasan Miniatures and they are 15/18mm in scale, nicely posed, managing to capture the Dark Age Viking feel very well, they have plenty of character and there was minimal prep work involved in getting the miniatures to a primed state, the painting part as you know is the most enjoyable and these miniatures were no exception. More Vikings still to come.
