Archived How Vikings Went Into a Trancelike Rage Before Battle (wired.com)
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Archived How Vikings Went Into a Trancelike Rage Before Battle (wired.com)
submitted ago by Thisismyvoatusername
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[–] derram ago
https://archive.ph/expw6 :
'One of the more hotly contested hypotheses is that the berserkers ingested a hallucinogenic mushroom (Amanita muscaria), commonly known as fly agaric, just before battle to induce their trancelike state. '
'"This anger effect can range from agitation to full-blown rage and combativeness depending on the dosage and the individual's mental set," he wrote. '
'Accounts of the berserkers date back to a late ninth-century poem to honor King Harald Fairhair. '
'Then the rage broke out, and once it abated, the berserker would experience both physical fatigue and emotional numbness for a few days. '
'One intriguing hypothesis as to the source of their behavior is that the berserkers ingested a specific kind of mushroom with psychoactive properties. '
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