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Dictionary definition: berserk
- Article from:
- A New Dictionary of Eponyms
- Author:
Copyright© A New Dictionary of Eponyms 1997, originally published by Oxford University Press 1997. (Hide copyright information)
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berserk
From Norse mythology has come the word berserk, meaning “deranged” or “raging” or “crazed.” Berserk, a legendary Norse hero of the eighth century, always went into battle without armor and was famed for the savagery and reckless fury with which he fought. In old Scandinavian,
ber-serk
probably meant “bear-shirt,” that is, one clothed only in his shirt and not protected by armor or heavy clothing. Berserk's twelve sons, who like their father ...