Rampaging Vikings were fuelled by herbal tea

[Still Waters]

Quote

Viking warriors were fuelled by a hallucinogenic herbal tea as they went on blood-thirsty raids across northern Europe, scientists claim.

The warrior culture of the Scandinavian Middle Ages was marked by Norse skirmishes with their neighbouring communities, that often involved looting and pillaging. 

Elite fighters, known as berserkers who went into battle without traditional armour, entered into a state of animalistic frenzy before fighting, according to historians. 

It is said that after the battles finished their anger subsided. Now scientists believe the secret behind their fearless rampages were mind-bending hallucinogens. 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8014713/Rampaging-Vikings-fuelled-hallucinogenic-herbal-tea-feel-pain.html

The original source is 'The Times' which requires a subscription to read in full.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rampaging-vikings-were-fuelled-by-herbal-tea-3mnpqq307

[Wistman]

The herb is Hyoscyamus niger, or Stinking Henbane, one of the nightshades.  From Wikipedia:

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Henbane seeds have been found in a Viking grave that near Fyrkat, Denmark in, that was first described in 1977.^[16][17][17] This and other archaeological finds show that H. niger was known to the Vikings. Analysis of the symptoms caused by intoxication of this plant suggest that it may have been used by berserkers to induce the rage state that they used in war

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyoscyamus_niger

[XenoFish]

Red Bull and LSD, not even once.

[Nnicolette]

Ive heard that they would eat psilocybin mushrooms an run into battle naked that would be scary being attacked by naked ravenous vikings.

[AstralHorus]

General butt naked, a warlord out of Africa. would go into battle butt naked except for his boots and machine guns, with his child soldier army... but hes a Christian now so its ok

Edited February 19, 2020 by AstralHorus

[Seti42]

59 minutes ago, Nnicolette said:

Ive heard that they would eat psilocybin mushrooms an run into battle naked that would be scary being attacked by naked ravenous vikings.

I doubt it was shrooms. As someone who's taken them several times, extra aggression/rage, losing one's moral center, etc. wouldn't happen. Now, there are plenty of hallucinogens that could cause one to go violent, but not shrooms, IMO. They're quite mellow. At least in typical trip-out doses. I've never taken handfuls of them at once, so...I dunno.

[AstralHorus]

19 minutes ago, Seti42 said:

I doubt it was shrooms. As someone who's taken them several times, extra aggression/rage, losing one's moral center, etc. wouldn't happen. Now, there are plenty of hallucinogens that could cause one to go violent, but not shrooms, IMO. They're quite mellow. At least in typical trip-out doses. I've never taken handfuls of them at once, so...I dunno.

Everyone’s different, especially while being in a different society. I have seen people get quite violent and agitated while on shrooms. 

[Ell]

Them scientists must have overdozed on henbane themselves, considering their absurd notion.

[Seti42]

55 minutes ago, AstralHorus said:

Everyone’s different, especially while being in a different society. I have seen people get quite violent and agitated while on shrooms. 

True, and I could see how if someone was already primed to rage out, tripping could intensify it. I've never taken a psychedelic substance (or any drug, including alcohol) with the intent to rage, though. I go into such things with the intent to relax, enjoy myself, be calm/cool, etc.

[Aardvark-DK]

Ahhh that explains my behavior...it's my ancestery...

[AstralHorus]

21 hours ago, Seti42 said:

True, and I could see how if someone was already primed to rage out, tripping could intensify it. I've never taken a psychedelic substance (or any drug, including alcohol) with the intent to rage, though. I go into such things with the intent to relax, enjoy myself, be calm/cool, etc.

Dont believe its anyone intentions unless theyre psychotic. Psychedelics love to tap into and magnify those darker aspects of ourselves we like to deny and hide. Ive had people I knew attack random bystanders and police, or attempt to harm them selves by throwing themselves down stairs due to unseen reptilians. People who where all “psychologically normal” prior to ingesting 

[DodgyDaoist]

2 hours ago, AstralHorus said:

Dont believe its anyone intentions unless theyre psychotic. Psychedelics love to tap into and magnify those darker aspects of ourselves we like to deny and hide. Ive had people I knew attack random bystanders and police, or attempt to harm them selves by throwing themselves down stairs due to unseen reptilians. People who where all “psychologically normal” prior to ingesting 

As individuals , maybe not, as a mob, a different thing. All you need is 1 or 2 to psych up the group.