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: ruclips.net/p/PLUyGT3KDxwC8xD2S2Q1IqH_S_ocWwXWHv The Koryos: ruclips.net/video/LbIwi1HxmpE/видео.html Trepanation: ruclips.net/video/ic8jxFYIV6g/видео.html Indra's Cudgel: ruclips.net/video/cYEBxo6ZEy4/видео.html Thor's Hammer: ruclips.net/video/X1PduS2ocl8/видео.html First Berserkers: ruclips.net/video/zEXXA0naXkk/видео.html Army of the Dead: ruclips.net/video/oqOp81KQO4A/видео.html
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
@@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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
@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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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'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!
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
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.
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.
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.
@@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.
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
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).
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.
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.
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.
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
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
What sources were used to gather such specific information on the koryos and other proto indo-european practices? I didn't think there were any written sources about them from this time period.
They look at evidence from a huge range of descendant cultures and use comparative mythology, linguistics, folklore, genetics, archeology, history, and other disciplines to reconstruct prehistoric societies.
@@grahamgreene4141 I certainly agree. Getting that specific about a culture about whom there are no written sources, and ambiguous archeological evidence, requires a certain amount of fiction writing.
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!
Well done artist/historian. Animal skins are excellent protection in the wild as well as battle. Thanks for the book recommendations. Looking forward to your next novel.
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.
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.
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 !
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.
@@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" 😉
Hi Dan interesting hypothesis, have you tried to have a meta look on the Indo-Europeans early pratices in their migrations? Do you find similar pratices in say northern Indian, Caucasus, or Scandinavia? The subject of social structure And early gods transcending to germanic Pantheon has always been Alluring to me, trying to trace that spark from a possible urheimat. Thank you for your great content👍
Thank you. The use of an attitude toward horses by these various cultures is explored by these hippologists. Horse gods are important to different extents. Often amongst Iron Age cultures of Europe and India it's the chariot more than horse riding that is emphasised, from Greece to India. It's a very interesting question.
@@DanDavisHistory the horse had a very mythological status in iron age Scandinavia, what most people do not know is, that germanic Scandinavian tribes and later medival Scandinavian Steel age ( Vikings, i do not like that name since its meaning are not a people or tribe) where very good horsemen and breded horses. Odins horse Sleipnir and other Norse mythology horses Play an important part in their mythology. At the great blot sites (sacrifice sites) in lejre Denmark and Uppsala sweden, they hanged horses in honour of the gods in trees. Many ironage gravesites have horses in them. I come from Odense (Odins vig, Odins Bay) in Denmark, we have a great deal of iron age findings. Some are with Roman stirrups and horse garments, the hypothesis is that Young iron age men where foederati along the Roman Limes and even in the Marcoman wars. There are findings with roman cavelry swords and armor. I am more and more convinced that the germanic tribes hail from somehwere on the pontic steppe, they brought horseman ship and new gods with them, maybe the Asir and vanir war, was a real thing, a social upheavel in Europe.
Yay, new video! Been interested in them since the OSP video on it Edit: Sounds like the kronos knew how to rave Edit again: what a wonderful video, one of my favourites so far!
@@DanDavisHistory Overly Sarcastic Productions, an amazing RUclips channel about history, mythology and storytelling/tropes/media. I think it might right up you alley and i firmly recommend to first check out some short "OSP out of context" clips before maybe giving it a shot. As for actual content I highly recommend the video on Aphrodite and on the Codiac signs... Those made me fully realise how much of modern culture can be traced back to the first civilisations, how deep those connection to our people who lived all-but inconceivably long ago, yet still the same...
Oh wow, it's a totally huge channel. I can't believe how many channels people recommend to me and I've never heard of any of them. Thank you I will watch that video.
Nice one again. This reminds me of a video by Arith Harger I saw. You ever wonder if there is a entomological connection between Koryos and the Corybantes? Cheers.
I never heard of Arith Harger, thank you I will check him out. As for the korybantes you're absolutely right, Kris Kershaw uses them as part of the evidence in The One-eyed God: Odin and the (Indo-)Germanic Männerbünde, talking about weapon dances and ecstatic bands of youths.
@@DanDavisHistory Search; " Indo-European Wolf Rites " by Arith Harger. I think the Phoenicians and their bronze age interactions with "Celts" might explain the Kory's issue. And it might be related to an older notion of sacrifice. But this is my own personal Theory. Cheers.
Since I got some patrons I've been able to subscribe to a video footage site. It's made a huge difference, I think. Thank you very much, I appreciate it.
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.
Sounds a lot like what happens with young male lions who band together once they reach a certain age, by themselves until they finally form their own prides
If the mushroom mentioned is supposed to be fly agar it's a dead end. Alcohol and rituals are the best explanation for berserkergang/warp spasm/battle rage. With practice you can spike yourself with shots of adrenaline. This, coupled with armor, is the best explanation for berserker I've ever come across. The ritual and booze also lines up with the records of what happens to the berserker after the rage has passed. Especially if you factor huge adrenaline hits in. Enjoyed the book segment.
This has completely transformed my understanding of what “war bands” were all about . until Now I had always connected them in my mind with Glen Miller.
Great informative and well presented video Dan Davis. Could you please tell me where the mountain and forest scenery are from? I cannot tell if its Scandinavia or the Alps. Thanks
Could you please explain the IE/PIE entomology of the word Koryos and what cognates it had in various other ancient tongues such as Semitic or Coptic? I love word history. Thanks
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: ruclips.net/p/PLUyGT3KDxwC8xD2S2Q1IqH_S_ocWwXWHv
The Koryos: ruclips.net/video/LbIwi1HxmpE/видео.html
Trepanation: ruclips.net/video/ic8jxFYIV6g/видео.html
Indra's Cudgel: ruclips.net/video/cYEBxo6ZEy4/видео.html
Thor's Hammer: ruclips.net/video/X1PduS2ocl8/видео.html
First Berserkers: ruclips.net/video/zEXXA0naXkk/видео.html
Army of the Dead: ruclips.net/video/oqOp81KQO4A/видео.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...
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.
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
@@Thekoryosmenstribepodcast Do you act in service of the state? How do you organise and what do you do?
@@Thekoryosmenstribepodcast 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.
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*
Bro this was absolutely a work of art. This episode here has convinced me to go buy your novels. This was sooo awesome.
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
Kurja XD oisko suomalaiset käyny retuuttaa niitä joskus
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...
Start as a bear cub, and work your way up to eagle scout.
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!
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).
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.
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.
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.
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
Reading Godborn currently..great work sir..
Wonderful! Thank you.
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.
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?
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
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
after patch 5.0 their passive berserker aggro skills were nerfed and only did colonial raiding with guns
I was always fascinated by the berserker since the first time I play “For Honor”.. I understand now .. great video!
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.
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
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.
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!
This was an amazingly terrific video. Thank you very much.
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
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
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).
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.
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.
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
Just discovered your channel a few days ago. Latest few months is top notch content.
Thanks very much, great that you found us.
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.
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!
Churning out the quality content. Awesome stuff!
Thank you!
One of the best channels with Indo European content
Thank you, appreciate that.
This was absolutely fascinating. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching Eric.
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
The recent film, "The Northman" has an interesting parallel
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
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 discovered you yestarday and im on the watching spree right now. Amazing channel. Please can u make something about early Slavs.
Great vid, as always. Superb content. Absolutely love it!
Thank you, Bro! Appreciate it, man.
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.
What sources were used to gather such specific information on the koryos and other proto indo-european practices? I didn't think there were any written sources about them from this time period.
They look at evidence from a huge range of descendant cultures and use comparative mythology, linguistics, folklore, genetics, archeology, history, and other disciplines to reconstruct prehistoric societies.
Exactly, this stuff is impossible to know. They didn't write.
@@grahamgreene4141 I certainly agree. Getting that specific about a culture about whom there are no written sources, and ambiguous archeological evidence, requires a certain amount of fiction writing.
@@grahamgreene4141 Oral history exists.
@@matthewwhite3444 Oral histories exist. Aboriginal Oral histories going back thousands of years have been proven to be accurate.
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.
This channel just gets better and better.
Thank you, great to hear.
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
I found your videos recently and I gotta say they are amazing inspiration for illustrations
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.
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.
I always learn something new. Thank you for the video.
Well done artist/historian. Animal skins are excellent protection in the wild as well as battle. Thanks for the book recommendations. Looking forward to your next novel.
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
It’s been so long since I’ve found a history channel I enjoy. Thanks for the great videos!
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 !
Underated channel. Found it today. You got a sub.
Thank you, welcome to the channel.
Once again, great content! Please keep them coming. Definitely interested in your stories
Thank you, I appreciate that.
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 is great..I love all your content bud.. it's really good !!
holy crap - yet another amazing video! I gotta get around reading your books now!
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
Love your channel and books. Reading vampire crusader now
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" 😉
I just finished the audio-book version of Vampire Khan. It was awesome and I can't wait for the 4th audio-book of the series to come out.
Awesome, so happy you enjoyed it. They're recording the 4th and 5th now so it shouldn't be too long before you can continue!
@@DanDavisHistory Nice. Thanks. I really liked Richard as a character. Very believable. Not perfect but strives for good. He's great.
@@CosmicG777 thank you, I'm so glad you think so. I love Richard.
Fascinating stuff! Always wonder what it means “Go berserk!”
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.
All right. Another Dan Davis video. Just keep em coming.
Cheers, will do.
Always a pleasure to see a video from you in my subs.
Thank you!
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!
Dan I love your content. Thank you.
Well done. Great narration and tone.
Thank you.
Nice to see you quote Mircea Eliade!
Timeless, thank you.
Hi Dan interesting hypothesis, have you tried to have a meta look on the Indo-Europeans early pratices in their migrations? Do you find similar pratices in say northern Indian, Caucasus, or Scandinavia? The subject of social structure And early gods transcending to germanic Pantheon has always been Alluring to me, trying to trace that spark from a possible urheimat. Thank you for your great content👍
Thank you. The use of an attitude toward horses by these various cultures is explored by these hippologists. Horse gods are important to different extents. Often amongst Iron Age cultures of Europe and India it's the chariot more than horse riding that is emphasised, from Greece to India. It's a very interesting question.
@@DanDavisHistory the horse had a very mythological status in iron age Scandinavia, what most people do not know is, that germanic Scandinavian tribes and later medival Scandinavian Steel age ( Vikings, i do not like that name since its meaning are not a people or tribe) where very good horsemen and breded horses. Odins horse Sleipnir and other Norse mythology horses Play an important part in their mythology. At the great blot sites (sacrifice sites) in lejre Denmark and Uppsala sweden, they hanged horses in honour of the gods in trees. Many ironage gravesites have horses in them. I come from Odense (Odins vig, Odins Bay) in Denmark, we have a great deal of iron age findings. Some are with Roman stirrups and horse garments, the hypothesis is that Young iron age men where foederati along the Roman Limes and even in the Marcoman wars. There are findings with roman cavelry swords and armor. I am more and more convinced that the germanic tribes hail from somehwere on the pontic steppe, they brought horseman ship and new gods with them, maybe the Asir and vanir war, was a real thing, a social upheavel in Europe.
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
Excellent 🤩!! Thank you, enjoyable & learned a lot!
Thank you.
This channel is gold. Subscribed and clicked on the bell icon. ;)
Thank you. Welcome to the channel.
Great piece. Reading Godborn now. Fun stuff.
Wonderful, thank you very much.
This channel is pure badassery.
Fantastic, Dan
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it.
Yay, new video! Been interested in them since the OSP video on it
Edit: Sounds like the kronos knew how to rave
Edit again: what a wonderful video, one of my favourites so far!
Thank you! Great to know.
What's OSP?
@@DanDavisHistory Overly Sarcastic Productions, an amazing RUclips channel about history, mythology and storytelling/tropes/media.
I think it might right up you alley and i firmly recommend to first check out some short "OSP out of context" clips before maybe giving it a shot. As for actual content I highly recommend the video on Aphrodite and on the Codiac signs... Those made me fully realise how much of modern culture can be traced back to the first civilisations, how deep those connection to our people who lived all-but inconceivably long ago, yet still the same...
Oh wow, it's a totally huge channel. I can't believe how many channels people recommend to me and I've never heard of any of them. Thank you I will watch that video.
@@DanDavisHistory RUclips is biiiiiiig
I need to read your series now.
Nice one again. This reminds me of a video by Arith Harger I saw. You ever wonder if there is a entomological connection between Koryos and the Corybantes? Cheers.
I never heard of Arith Harger, thank you I will check him out. As for the korybantes you're absolutely right, Kris Kershaw uses them as part of the evidence in The One-eyed God: Odin and the (Indo-)Germanic Männerbünde, talking about weapon dances and ecstatic bands of youths.
@@DanDavisHistory Search; " Indo-European Wolf Rites " by Arith Harger. I think the Phoenicians and their bronze age interactions with "Celts" might explain the Kory's issue. And it might be related to an older notion of sacrifice. But this is my own personal Theory. Cheers.
Nice format, great information.
Kinda unrelated but just wondering where you get the footage from, its gorgeous. And as always amazing video bro
Since I got some patrons I've been able to subscribe to a video footage site. It's made a huge difference, I think. Thank you very much, I appreciate it.
I love your videos! I'm going to look up your novels after work.
Thank you, I hope you like the stories.
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.
How do we know all this? Did it come down through oral tradition before being recorded? It’s fascinating.
Linguistics, folklore studies, comparative mythology, ancient history, archeology etc.
Good video thank you👍
This is a great video, very well done!
Thank you, glad you think so.
Sounds a lot like what happens with young male lions who band together once they reach a certain age, by themselves until they finally form their own prides
You're right!
If the mushroom mentioned is supposed to be fly agar it's a dead end. Alcohol and rituals are the best explanation for berserkergang/warp spasm/battle rage. With practice you can spike yourself with shots of adrenaline. This, coupled with armor, is the best explanation for berserker I've ever come across. The ritual and booze also lines up with the records of what happens to the berserker after the rage has passed. Especially if you factor huge adrenaline hits in.
Enjoyed the book segment.
This has completely transformed my understanding of what “war bands” were all about . until Now I had always connected them in my mind with Glen Miller.
I enjoy your subject matter a lot !
Great informative and well presented video Dan Davis. Could you please tell me where the mountain and forest scenery are from? I cannot tell if its Scandinavia or the Alps. Thanks
Thank you. It's from all different places, Scandinavia, North America, and the Caucasus.
@@DanDavisHistory Thanks Dan. Looking forward to more of your videos.
Thanks, I hope you enjoy them.
Could you please explain the IE/PIE entomology of the word Koryos and what cognates it had in various other ancient tongues such as Semitic or Coptic? I love word history. Thanks
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...