Did You Know?
"Berserk" comes from Old Norse "berserkr," which combines "ber-" ("bear") and "serkr" ("shirt"). According to Norse legend, "berserkrs" were warriors who wore bearskin coverings and worked themselves into such frenzies during combat that they became immune to the effects of steel and fire. "Berserk" was borrowed into English (first as a noun and later as an adjective) in the early 19th century, when interest in Scandinavian myth and history was high. It was considered a slang term at first, but it has since gained broader acceptance.
