Myths Of Great Britain.

[Ninurta]

Clearly, he found what he was looking for, much to his chagrin.

What he unearthed was an "Ulfhednar" - a "Wolfskins" - a Viking warrior similar to a Berserker, but one that transforms into a wolf rather than a bear...

Interesting, I've never heard of a Ulfhednar.

First, some mood music to set the stage:

Úlfhéðnar are well beyond Berserkir. They are known as Óðinn's special warriors, and elite Viking forces. They are metaphorically associated with wolf pelts (in contrast to regular Berserkir who are associated with bear pelts), as they are known to be inhabited by the spirit of wolves. Úlfhéðnar are capable of performing feats far beyond the abilities of other warriors. Úlfhéðnar are hamrammir (shape shifters). They don't wear a helmet or a mailcoat, bit their shield in a rage prior to each battle, kill enemies with just one blow, and are immune to fire or iron. Úlfhéðnar are exclusively males.

Source-01

Ulfheðnar – wolf warriors

Wolf warriors appear among the legends of the Indo-Europeans, Turks, Mongols, and Native American cultures.[18] The Germanic wolf-warriors have left their trace through shields and standards that were captured by the Romans and displayed in the armilustrium in Rome.[19][20]
 


Wolf warrior from Migration Age Germany that was part of the same tradition[21]

The frenzy warriors wearing the skins of wolves were called Ulfheðnar ("wolf coat"; singular Ulfheðinn), another term associated with berserkers, mentioned in the Vatnsdæla saga, the Haraldskvæði and the Völsunga saga and are consistently referred to in the sagas as a type of berserkers. The first Norwegian king Harald Fairhair is mentioned in several sagas as followed by an elite guard of ulfheðnar. They were said to wear the pelt of a wolf when they entered battle.[20][22] Ulfheðnar are sometimes described as Odin's special warriors: "[Odin's] men went without their mailcoats and were mad as hounds or wolves, bit their shields...they slew men, but neither fire nor iron had effect upon them. This is called 'going berserk'."[14]: 132  In addition, the helm-plate press from Torslunda depicts a scene of Odin with a berserker with a wolf pelt and a spear as distinguishing features: "a wolf skinned warrior with the apparently one-eyed dancer in the bird-horned helm, which is generally interpreted as showing a scene indicative of a relationship between berserkgang ... and the god Odin".[23][24]

Source-02

Note how the Ulfhedinn or "Wolfskreiger" in the above image from back in the day has a wolf's head, but a human body, just as your story describes -



Another version:



Value-added bonus reel - an explanation from Norse mythology of how an Ulfhedinn might be expected to rise from his bones and walk again among the living - the Draugr:

Draugar live in their graves or royal palaces, often guarding treasure buried with them in their burial mound. They are revenants, or animated corpses with a corporeal body, rather than ghosts which possess intangible spiritual bodies. 

Source-03

So, yeah, I'm gonna go with "he found the Viking he was looking for".


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