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SEBeSBKBaAKO. 255
a great stupor and weakness, which often lasted
many days.
In some, who in other respects were peaceable
men, the Berserksgang was an actual disease, that
came upon them at certain times without any
known cause. It is said to have begun with a tremb-
ling, a chattering of the teeth, and a coldness of the
body, followed by a great heat, which finally passed
over into a perfect frenzy, during^which the patient
showed no mercy to anything whatever that came
near him. "When the disease left him, he again
became as peaceable as before. Thus it is said of
of the Icelander Thrymketill "that there was a
great defect in his mind, and some looked upon it
as a disease. It came over him every fortnight ; a
trembling seized upon his body so that every tooth
in his head chattered, although his friends sought
for him every alleviation possible. After this
trembling and coldness followed a great heat ; he
then spared nothing about him, neither wall, stick,
staff, nor man ; even if there was a fire in his way-
he would go right through it. He tore off the
table-covers and the door-casings from the house,
whenever he could get at them. But when the
frenzy left him he was again gentle and peace-
able."* It is no wonder that in such cases the
Berserksgang was considered a gi'eat defect ; we
find even that those who were possessed by it made
vows to the Gods for the sake of being delivered
from the plague.
« Dropl. Son. S. 3.