The story of God of War is rich, engaging and has plenty of elements from Norse Mythology. While the studio took some liberties with the characters and stories, there are plenty of connections between the real-life mythology and what plays out during the game's end.
From who Atreus' mom is, what the deal is with the giant snake thing and even secrets about Atreus' true identity have roots in Norse Mythology We explain it all to hopefully learn more about where the story of God of War could go next.
SPOILER ALERT! The following will spoil a lot of God of War 's story. If you haven't completed the journey you'll want to turn back.
ATREUS' MOTHER
One of the big surprises at the end of God of War was finding out the true identity of Atreus' mother. Her name was Faye and she wasn't a mere mortal as Kratos and Atreus thought, but actually a giant from Jotunheim. (Remember, giants are a mythic Norse race and don't necessarily have to be large in size).
Faye had the power to prophesize and she carved many murals on the walls of the temple in Jotunheim that depicted the journey of Kratos and Atreus. This is when we find out Atreus' true identity.
ATREUS' TRUE IDENTITY
It was revealed that Atreus is actually part giant, but the surprises didn't stop there. The wall murals that Faye created in the temple spoke about a boy named Lok, notAtreus. Kratos is amused and confirms that is the name Faye wanted to call Atreus, actually t named after a well-known Spartan warrior who once fought alongside Kratos.
Of course, Loki is the very well-known trickster god of Norse Mythology and it makes sense that his mother would be a giant as Loki was also a part of that same race. Loki is responsible for the death of Baldur, son of Odin and Freya, in Norse Mythology just as Atreus had a hand in his death in God of War . Atreus' being Loki brings up a lot of questions that will hopefully be answered in the next game. Kratos catches a glimpse of a part of the mural Atreus' doesn't see that seems to depict Kratos' death at the hands of his son. Knowing Atreus is Loki, and knowing Loki's unsavory reputation, makes this scenario seem all the more likely.
CONNECTION TO THE SERPENT
The World Serpent (Jörmungandr) that you encounter in the Lake of Nine has a big connection to Atreus in Norse Mythology. During the quest to collect Mimir's second eye from the stomach of the Serpent, Atreus asks why the giant reptile looked at him in a peculiar way.
Mimir explains that the Serpent felt it knew Atreus before even though they never met, likely a result of a time travel event described inthe story of Ragnarok. One specific tale speaks of the battle between Thor and the Serpent, which led to a cataclysmic fight that sent Jörmungandr back to the time period of God of War.
The Serpent is a part of the giant race as well, and it may recognize Atreus because the young god was a part of its future. Or it could be that they are related. In Norse Mythology, Loki is Jörmungandr's father. Perhaps the Serpent is actually Atreus' child from the future?
Well, since Kratos and Atreus' journey pushed up the date of Ragnarok it seems these questions will be answered in the next game, especially if you take the secret ending into account.
So what do you think of the ending of God of War? Did you like the twist that Atreus is actually Loki? Let us know in the comments section below.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Phillip Martinez is a game and culture reporter for Newsweek. Prior to joining Newsweek in 2018, he was a reporter ... Read more
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