The First Berserkers: the Bronze Age Koryos
Vložit
- čas přidán 9. 06. 2021
- The berserker Viking warrior is famous but the tradition can be traced back to the early Bronze Age warband called the koryos.
The berserkers fought like madmen, in a trance-like state of fury that struck fear into the hearts of their enemies. But why did they act in this way? And why were they associated with wolves and bears?
In this video we travel back thousands of years into the history of Bronze Age Europe and find out why the youths of Indo-European cultures transformed into wolves and other animals during their rites of passage.
Get Godborn exclusively from Audible here
US ➜ www.audible.com/pd/Godborn-Au...
UK ➜ www.audible.co.uk/pd/Godborn-...
CA ➜ www.audible.ca/pd/Godborn-Aud...
AUS ➜ www.audible.com.au/pd/Godborn...
Not on Audible? Sign up for your free Audible trial and pick Godborn for your free audiobook:
Try Audible US ➜ amzn.to/3fSNcs8
Try Audible UK ➜ amzn.to/34iZEMH
Support the channel
Patreon ➜ / dandavisauthor
PayPal ➜ paypal.me/DanDavisAuthor
Ko-fi ➜ ko-fi.com/dandavis
My Books
All my books on Amazon ➜ amzn.to/3xngwz5
My Links
Website dandavisauthor.com/
Facebook: / dandavisauthor
Twitter: / dandaviswrites
Instagram: / dandavisauthor
Music
Lombus ➜ lombus.bandcamp.com/
Patrick Patrikios
Amulets
Godmode
Maps by indo-european.eu/maps/
Video Sources
The One-eyed God: Odin and the (Indo-) Germanic Männerbünde - Kris Kershaw ➜ amzn.to/3dRk8kW
The Myth of the Eternal Return: Cosmos and History - Mircea Eliade ➜ amzn.to/2SgJmS7
Rites and Symbols of Initiation: The Mysteries of Birth and Rebirth - Mircea Eliade ➜ amzn.to/3zk1xXq
Germania - Tacitus ➜ amzn.to/3zbt0uB
The Histories - Tacitus ➜ amzn.to/3cxhUGi
The Prose Edda - Snorri Sturluson ➜ amzn.to/2TiQInY
The above links include affiliate links which means we will earn a small commission from your purchases at no additional cost to you which is a way to support the channel.
-- Bronze Age Warfare series --
Watch all the Bronze Age Warfare series here ➜ • Bronze Age Warfare Pla...
Koryos ➜ • The Koryos: the Indo-E...
Trepanation ➜ • Are These Skulls Evide...
Indra's Cudgel ➜ • The 5,000-Year-Old Yam...
Thor's Hammer ➜ • The Stone Battle Axe o...
First Berserkers ➜ • The First Berserkers: ...
Army of the Dead ➜ • The Cult of the Ancest...
People seem to have enjoyed the clip from the Godborn audiobook, narrated by Alex Wyndham (he played a soldier on HBO's Rome!). You can get it from Audible:
US ➜ www.audible.com/pd/Godborn-Audiobook/1774247860
UK ➜ www.audible.co.uk/pd/Godborn-Audiobook/1774247860
CA ➜ www.audible.ca/pd/Godborn-Audiobook/1774247860
AUS ➜ www.audible.com.au/pd/Godborn-Audiobook/1774247860
Thunderer: Gods of Bronze 2 will be out on Audible very soon.
Watch all the Bronze Age Warfare series here: czcams.com/play/PLUyGT3KDxwC8xD2S2Q1IqH_S_ocWwXWHv.html
The Koryos: czcams.com/video/LbIwi1HxmpE/video.html
Trepanation: czcams.com/video/ic8jxFYIV6g/video.html
Indra's Cudgel: czcams.com/video/cYEBxo6ZEy4/video.html
Thor's Hammer: czcams.com/video/X1PduS2ocl8/video.html
First Berserkers: czcams.com/video/zEXXA0naXkk/video.html
Army of the Dead: czcams.com/video/oqOp81KQO4A/video.html
Thanks for the ❤ mate, I really appreciate it.
@@paulmyers3978 thanks Paul, I really appreciate that. Cheers.
This is the second videos I've watched of yours and I can already say you're one of my favourite channels.
Between you and Asha Logos I'm building up some great knowledge
Mr, Davis. Can i ask you somethings about Berserkers
the pic you ha
Not to detract from other great history channels, but... What a huge difference makes having a professional storyteller producing these videos.
Thank you very much, I appreciate it.
Considering he's talking about a pre-literate culture, I wonder how the heck he knows most of his claims .
@@markstuber4731 not sure how related your reply is to my comment.
Nevertheless, he's continuously referring in his videos to current historical literature. You can easily read the articles/books he's referring to.
Truly
@@markstuber4731 Mr. Stuber isnt smart enough to watch the video before he makes his salty comments...
Indeed! As a Scandinavian, vikings were simply typical Indo-european warbands bourne by ships rather than horses and wagons, probably as a result of the Scandinavian topography where mountains, seas, rivers, rocks/hills and forests were frequent obstacles unlike the flatness of the eastern European steppes. The cattle raids described by the ancient Irish and Indians are similar examples.
Thats Why Finns beat them.
There are still warrior bands today. I am part of one. I dedicate my life to learning how to be violent, I grew up around violence my whole life. And I train other men how to be violent. But also to control it. Only need it when it's necessary. There are many of us, in the millions. Still carrying on a resemblance of what our ancestors did. We are still here, and our ancestors are too. III
@@Thekoryostribalpodcast Do you act in service of the state? How do you organise and what do you do?
@@Thekoryostribalpodcast sounds like larp
Athena has largely won out on this I’d say. Ares style violent rage is less apart of military. Where Athena’s strategy and discipline has won wars. Ares does get his due during war atrocities but there are repercussions to such acts.
The department of defense did research to try to find out what caused men to do heroics that got them medal of honors. The answer of brotherhood and comradery. The desire to keep your friends safe from the enemy.
Those ancient war bands definitely fostered a sense of brotherhood. Men are inspired to heroics if they’re all that stand against the forces of chaos. They will die to keep their family safe.
In serbian language, there is an archaic word for wolf, kurjak (pronounced kooryack). It is used when talking about its wild, bestial and brutal, mystical and mysterious nature. Word Vuk (Vook) is used more generally.
That's fascinating
He who takes up the cowl, must first be a warg at least one year
Start as a bear cub, and work your way up to eagle scout.
Almost swept away to those ancient times. Goosebumps and excitement running through me. Very nice storytelling.
Thank you.
It will be less exciting when your covered in blood and guts fighting for your survival. But hey, different times ... any how, would love to know if they suffered from PTSD if they returned to their tribe and had to adjust to be just a farmer or artisan...
@@johnanita9251 I think this is probably how they did deal with it. I think that it was probably something to do with getting it as a kid/teenager so the rituals keep you "psyched up", and the career of hunting and fighting keeping your brain into what's clearly where your neurons are, at that point, bent towards fight in an almost permanent state of fight-or-flight panic. Presumably by the time they were old enough to become warmasters, they had enough of a grip on it to deal with being around, and teaching, kids. I assume that they would have also acquired a semi-mystical/religious status to the people of the regular tribe as well, alongside the wise woman/women, spirit talkers, etc. that governed that part of the society.
Great content.
This brings into mind the connection of the agogi of Sparta, the Wolfskin-wearing Roman Velite Skirmishers and the Viking Beserkers even if they are all separated by so much distance.
Keep it up.
@Lucas De Araújo Marques Like a who?
@lucgma no, the sagas explain bezerkers are warriors that either A. Wore bear skin pelts in battle B. Wore no shirt in battle, working themselves up into a rage with prior ritual and possibly stinking henbane, there were many types of bezerkers besides just bear pelt wearers such as Úlfhéðnar. The ancestors of scandanavians clearly took the idea of wolf warriors and animal shamanistic warrior beliefs from their previous indo European tribes, where this was common as well. You needed to go through certain rituals/ circumstances and do certain things to get the power of said bezerkir. This is backed up by a few sagas, such as the one about the men who were Úlfhéðnar with wolf pelts, turning into wolves for several days.
@lucgma while it wasn’t a position, it was spiritual and was considered to be high ranking soldiers, normally protecting kings. Making them a class of warriors kindve like knights.
The roman founding myth sounds alike too. With romulus being the koryonos leading a pack of young man to take this new territory. Stole the sabine women. The connection to the wolf is there too.
*germanic berserkir*
If I understand correctly, the warbands/beserker initiation lost its popularity quite early - as soon as the groups of hunters-gatherers transformed themselves into class societies, since rise of the Bronze Age.
Since then, the ancient, predatory form of initiation became the privilege of small class of warriors only, especially elite, and in the most valiant cultures only (Spartans, Germans, Vikings, etc).
Totally Wild. I've slipped into that state in combat, it didn't happen to me until I'd been on a LOT of missions one after another. I hit a state where I just didn't care at all about the danger and just wanted to destroy. It was a very weird and amazing in a way to know that it's inside of you. I never ran from a battle even without being in this state, but once in it, well it was just different. I don't know how to explain it any better than that. It's also why I hold the Brass and Politicians who send us to war for all of the deaths. They scapegoat a few guys who go Berserk in every single conflict. I know two people who became their scapegoat after losing it. But they can't send men to battle and not expect the wolf to come out, because it will, at least in some of them, if they have seen enough.
Old men who send young men off to kill and die ought to be the ones doing the dying. The audacity to blame the warrior for his warrior deeds--shameful.
Cool story
Yes. And I always wonder if the berserkers of this age weren't just what we would call people with ADD going into battle. Most of my family have this, and either we learn how to think through our hyper lives, or end up in trouble a lot. I have seen guys who got in a street fight and just take out a gang full of people like a machine. That was just how they rolled when they got going. I've seen people act like what you're talking about, and it's what kept people alive for a long time. Love and light to you.
i h8 muriKKKa
Lol obviously full of shit
Fantastic as always. Makes me think of a small handful of men I grew up with who just seem dispossessed by modern society. In another time there may have been a marginally productive role for them. Today it’s a sad life of conflict and recidivism.
Yes there are some men who are drawn to live beyond normal society. Hobos, vagrants, homeless as well as certain types of criminals.
The world has gotten boring from the means of computers and gadgets to make everything easy.
@@micahdixson7764 I don’t find it boring. People let themselves get sidetracked spiritually.
@@Tarteh everything is concerning to a pearl clutching coward.
@@Tarteh how profoundly insightful, you must be very important having such a way with words.
In essence, the trick was to induce an adrenaline rush, which can make you stronger than you normally are. It can happen automatically, or artificially induced. The change in strength, speed and control is significant, which makes me think that the stories about the berserkers who lost control and attacked their own had induced the adrenaline rush with shrooms or something that took the control away.
Reading Godborn currently..great work sir..
Wonderful! Thank you.
13:45 "They are also shown as violent boasters and bullies". Just a note: for example icelandic Grettis saga (written in age of christianity) berserks were said to be bullies, and they were outlawed in Norway in 1015. Whether it had anything to do with christianity (and christian politics) or not, is up to debate (according to my memory/knowledge).
This video is giving me Robert E. Howard vibes especially when Conan or Brule the Spear slayer talk about their homelands and how they used to hunt. Great job!
A video on how the koryos tradition evolved in later ages as indo european split into different cultures would be most interesting. Great channel!
Thank you. That's a great idea - quite a big project, I expect to be manageable I would have to break it down with one video per culture. But yes that's a great idea, I will add it to the list, thank you.
I would endorse a book series, or short stories anthology. Snapshots of the evolution of the koryos...
wow, you quoted Mircea Eliade! And I thought only the old ones like me still know his work :))) Beautiful content, btw, thanks!
Thank you so much.
Eliade is a classic, an authoritative voice, even in these corrupted times.
The recent film, "The Northman" has an interesting parallel
Very cool paper on the subject of berserker as a fighting style from Indo-European tradition in 2002 paper:
Berserks: A History of Indo-European "Mad Warriors"
September 2002, Journal of World History
Michael Speidal
Reminds me of the young Spartans tasked with harassing the Helots.
Explains why car ins costs our young males the most money also!
These younger warriors might also be merely Cannon fodder.
The Koryos was a way to get young males who were at their most violent and reckless state of development the hell out of the village so they didn't disturb the adults and children.
Read about Roman Velites or Greek Peltasts. Unarmored but fast running soldiers tasked at shooting javelines at heavily armed phalanx. And steppe armies were mostly about mounted archers, where less experienced ones were used to draw attention while best shooters prepare truly damaging attack.
@@mladenmatosevic4591 Peltasts originated in Thrace. And the thracians were hellish warriors. They left nothing alive after a raid. Not even children or dogs. They fought in a frenzied state as well, it's described how, by means of battle cries and fury, they managed to throw even the most experienced cavalry troops of the roman empire into confusion and panic. It's also described that for them living out of looting and raiding was seen as noble and brave, while living out of farming was somewhat frowned upon.
Ottomans also had these conscripted, but doomed troops
Aski-kurt they called them, horse levy. Literal translation, four-legged soldiers, or wolves
That was the canon fodder, intended to provoke the opponent to attack, and smash against the janissary center
Reminds me a lot of Plains Nations warrior traditions like the Lakota Dog Soldiers.
Yeah it seems to be a recurring pattern. Anthropologists also studied African herding societies like the Maasai in the 20th century to help inform some of their theories about the koryos.
That is absolutely fascinating
@@DanDavisHistory please do one on north india
@@DanDavisHistory Even the Hebrews had something similar with the Nazirites like Samson who took vows not to cut their hair and to remain ritually pure. Samson also fights naked, except for his lion skin, performs feats of strength, and is depicted as an unstoppable warrior.
@@DanDavisHistory lol
Fighting in a frenzied state is seen in all indo-european cultures and beyond. In antiquity, the germanic tribes, celts, and thracians are all described as being hellish warriors. In the early medieval period, viking berserkers made their living out of duels and were known for outlandish acts of violence.
More on this subject can be found in the book "Ancient germanic warriors: warrior styles from Trajan's Column to Icelandic Sagas" by Michael P. Speidel.
Same in malayan cultures hence the word, amok - running amok
This is hands down, in my own opinion, the single greatest historical research channel on this platform. Instantly liked, subscribed, and had to leave a comment for the algorithm. I will be here when you hit one hundred thousand subscribers and I don't think it'll be long.
Thank you very much, I appreciate it. And let's hope so! Cheers.
207,000 subs as of 09/23 I love this channel!
Tfw you'll never trip on shrooms and perform war chants before battle with your homies and other members of your raiding party.
Unless you're in Seattle or Portland
@@ericsnow3663 lmao
I'm sure there's many a community which would appreciate an opportunity to banish their young men for a while until they chill out.
In South East Asian, they send the late teenage males to a Buddhist temple for around three to five years. Their society is more or less set up where no woman will talk to or deal with a young man/ male till he has been mellow out at the local temple. It is not unknown that some husbands .. still .. sleep four nights a week at the local temple after they are done helping their children with their home work and eating dinner with their wife.
Like university.
It's quite natural. Older men with young wifes wouldn't want them around.
Found this channel a few days ago and I’ve already picked up Godborn on audible. Love it I’m about an eighth of the way through listening to it.
This is also exactly like roman velites. youths who skirmish before the battle lines, occasionally while wearing wolf skins
Not exactly the youths are always expelled to the forest until they prove themselves, also the romans drank piss so
@@CelticAugur not every aspect is the same but the koryos tradition clearly stuck around in some aspects
It reminds me of the maruts mentioned in the rgveda 1.64. Do you know if there is any correlation?
Some nations called the Romans "Volsci", wolves
Because of the velites in front lines
Try uck utube
One of the best channels with Indo European content
Thank you, appreciate that.
Great video! I learned a lot and it gave me the chills to see how deep this ancient tradition truly was. Thank you for the upload
This was an amazingly terrific video. Thank you very much.
True berserking have someting to do with elevated level of adrenaline. This pushes pain and fear aside, gives additional strength and makes time go slower.
It is exactly that
Wonderful thing they don't bother to mention during bouts of " fight or flight " rush moments, your muscles tighten up to the point they slowly pull your back out of place. Panic attacks are fun to live with, not forgetting all the joint and nerve damage for beating the .. F .. out of the smart azzes that provoke them.
@@krispalermo8133 Panic? Not really... It is like geysir of liquid oxygen going up spine and hitting tiop of the skull. Mad anger cooled and rationalized while brain works accelerated but with simpler algorythm. More like contemplating assault with serious bodily harm since no human or gods law is considered important. Then you perhaps leave fist-print on brick wall even after depowering swing in half move, while brain detects not real pain, but damage report. Of course, to make it battle effective you need to keep it for few minutes, but many soldiers, past and modern, who kept fighting while seriously wounded had to be in such state. And their capacity to think and act was not diminished at all.
@@gauravtejpal8901 Rationalization is easy. Hard part is to create burst of adrenaline when you want it and then keep it high for 15min.
@@mladenmatosevic4591 no one is inherently superior. It is all a result of training
I'm always interested in the Yamnaya era! Also I downloaded your short prequel, gonna read it this weekend and hopefully start the proper series after!
Wonderful, I hope you enjoy the stories.
what's the prequel?
This was absolutely fascinating. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching Eric.
I always learn something new. Thank you for the video.
I try to learn something new every day. I learned more than I thought I would on this one. Thank you for the multiple new rabbit holes to dive down!
4:29 Seeing a Yurt on the Steppe in the middle of nowhere with a Solar Panel and Satellite Dish cracks me up!
Your in-depth research into historic topics is astounding, I really feel you should delve into it as a serious Historian.
I'm happy that I found this page. I saw it in my Asha Logos and Robert Sepehr feed and thought it would just be okay stuff but then the Golden One recommended you and your videos are bringing me to tears. It's good to see people trying to hold on to our history
Your work and transition of it are appreciated. What You do is so much more vital than You might know - or do ;)
Thank You, Dan
Thank you!
Nice format, great information.
Churning out the quality content. Awesome stuff!
Thank you!
It’s been so long since I’ve found a history channel I enjoy. Thanks for the great videos!
Great vid, as always. Superb content. Absolutely love it!
Thank you, Bro! Appreciate it, man.
Fantastic, Dan
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it.
Recently found your content and by extension your books. Really enjoying it all round. Niche of history that doesn't get near enough attention in media.
Thank you very much, I appreciate it
Great content 👌
I can't believe YT just now placed one of your videos. Great channel, content and narration. I also imagine a heck of a lot of research. I'm happy I've subscribed and ready to peruse the already made while looking forward to the next. Thanks !
Started watching your videos yesterday, I’m already hooked. Just bought your book on Audible.
Thank you Matthew, glad you enjoying the channel. And I hope you enjoy the story.
Good video thank you👍
I am of swedish and finnish lineage, we have clear documented roots to the year 1400 with my clan existing on both swedish and finnish grounds, and there is some evidence of ancient viking involvment that my grandfather has dug up. The end of this video made me tear up and i cant really explain it, growing up without a father i can really feel the pain of the scandinavian soul crying out from within me, that growing up without a primal connection to nature, to beast, to have a strong male teacher that i think all men from the north needs. I will become what my father never was, and i will revive the soul of my ancestors. Love you all.
I was always fascinated by the berserker since the first time I play “For Honor”.. I understand now .. great video!
thanks for this, fascinating .
holy crap - yet another amazing video! I gotta get around reading your books now!
Once again, great content! Please keep them coming. Definitely interested in your stories
Thank you, I appreciate that.
I found your videos recently and I gotta say they are amazing inspiration for illustrations
Timeless, thank you.
Dan, I don't know why it took so long to discover your channel....watching back to back. So polished!
Thank you, welcome to the channel.
This is great..I love all your content bud.. it's really good !!
This should be made into a well-funded film series.
I agree with you completely. Someone call Christopher Nolan.
@@DanDavisHistory please do one on indio european culture in north india
@@DanDavisHistory please do ooe on north indian indo European punjabi jatt culture
@@DanDavisHistory on culture ,warfare
Excellent 🤩!! Thank you, enjoyable & learned a lot!
Thank you.
Dan I love your content. Thank you.
Wow what a great channel I stumbled across. Oddly enough, This is a timely video for my family. Watched a couple of your other great vids.. Cheers mate.
This channel just gets better and better.
Thank you, great to hear.
Going to have to look for your books now, thank you, enjoyed this
Wonderful, I hope you enjoy the stories too.
@@DanDavisHistory I believe I will Loved the Grears books on prehistoric fiction of native American tribes. Yours sound similar just about people on the other side of the "Big Water" 😉
Just discovered your channel a few days ago. Latest few months is top notch content.
Thanks very much, great that you found us.
Wonderful!
I need to read your series now.
I really love this video, I'm not sure about the story you read from in the middle but overall this was very very informative, thank you!
Thank you. It wasn't me reading, it was one of my audiobooks read by an actor.
Really great job!!! Some ancient native american tribes also had this kind of practices, as ritual initiation into adulthood. Thank you once again!
Thanks for watching.
Like Aztec toltec chichimeceas
I've been thinking maybe the Kóryos tradition in some form dates back to the ANE (Ancient North Eurasians), when the IE and Natives were one people. I don't have good evidence, but it makes sense to me.
Well done. Great narration and tone.
Thank you.
Fun Fact, there is still a saying in Icelandic "Að bíta í skjaldarendurnar". Which is biting ones sheild or hunkering down or getting things done, timecode 14:55
Thankyou that was interesting
Hey man, thanks so much. Great videos. I sit with my young boys and watch your videos of an evening. Better than history at school sadly which often substitutes ideaology for evidence.
Love your channel and books. Reading vampire crusader now
This is most interesting and educational. I am currently doing research for my first attempt at writing a novel, and your video helped me so much. Thanks!
Awesome, good luck with your writing.
This is a great video, very well done!
Thank you, glad you think so.
Fascinating story Dan.
Cheers Pat.
@@DanDavisHistory The teen years in that time and place were brutal... how wimpy we (as a society) are nowadays...
Our ancestors - all of us living today around the world I mean - are all the survivors of unbelievable hardships.
@@DanDavisHistory It's humbling . We are living in fortunate times , for now...
I enjoy your subject matter a lot !
Terrific video. Are you visiting my mind while I'm sleeping and plucking topics from my dreams? You're a dream-walking shaman, I know it. Haha great video my friend. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Great piece. Reading Godborn now. Fun stuff.
Wonderful, thank you very much.
That reading was outstanding, writing from experience of milk and mushroom, the warmth of belly to limbs and eyes.
Going to have too get a copy👍
I love your videos! I'm going to look up your novels after work.
Thank you, I hope you like the stories.
Always a pleasure to see a video from you in my subs.
Thank you!
I discovered you yestarday and im on the watching spree right now. Amazing channel. Please can u make something about early Slavs.
I recognized Alex Wyndham's voice right away. One of the best.
Yeah I've had a few people tell me they love him. One said it's also because he's an absolute dreamboat.
Very interesting fakts. Thx
This channel is gold. Subscribed and clicked on the bell icon. ;)
Thank you. Welcome to the channel.
Really enjoyed this. Listening to this stories about werewolves and other shapeshifters take on a new significance.
Thank you. Yeah for sure.
Shape-strong…. Have written about this in a fictional context.
Well now after this, which was as interesting as it was well-told, I have to track down your books to get another fix. Thank you!
Excellent!!
Glad you thought so, cheers.
Great video! im working on one with the exact same connection now
Thank you! I've just subbed to your channel, I can't wait to see the video. Cheers.
Fascinating stuff! Always wonder what it means “Go berserk!”
All right. Another Dan Davis video. Just keep em coming.
Cheers, will do.
Underated channel. Found it today. You got a sub.
Thank you, welcome to the channel.
Cheers mate i like your stuff
Thank you.
terrific story
This channel is pure badassery.
keep up good work! you re the best on youtube!
Fantastic
Thanks
Nice to see you quote Mircea Eliade!
Good video
Thank you.
Great narration and background music.