[split]Berserker Fitz (spoilers all Hobb books)

[Farseer]

actually, berserk isn't a state triggered as a result of heightened emotional sensitivity.

It is for Fitz. Or so Verity theorised, as I recall, after losing his Skill-link with Fitz during moments of heightened emotion/sensitivity/berserker phases in combat?

True berserkers had no concept of friend or foe. They were oblivious to everything except the need to fight/kill. It was a mindless rage. If anything, emotions were inconvenient to them.

Rage, mindless or otherwise, is violent, uncontrollable anger or fury. Anger is an emotion. Without rage, without anger or fury, or without emotion, there is no berserker state.

EDIT: One thing that I have forgotten to re-mention in all of this is my appreciation of the fact that Fitz shares a Wit bond with a wolf (and in some ways even wears his pelt)...an animal which is, like the bear (I think), sometimes associated with the origins of the term berserker. Ah, yup, here's my old comment from the Elderlings Creation Theory thread regarding that:

As an aside, the background on the word 'berserker' is interesting in that it apparently arose from the habit of Norsemen wearing pelts into battle eg that of a bear or even a wolf etc...isn't it an amazing connection that Fitz almost literally wore the pelt of a wolf into his battles ?! I wonder if Robin knew of this possible background?!