2018’s God of War is a very sophisticated video game. Although it is a franchise with a protagonist that a vast majority knows and loves, this soft reboot title offered a fresh perspective to the world of God of War. Both newcomers and old fans of the franchise were able to fully appreciate this game for what it brought to the table.
The biggest difference between this God of War title and the older ones is that it is now set in Norse mythology. Like Greek mythology, the story and lore of Norse mythology are breathtakingly comprehensive, and this game completely respects that. The backstory of this world is told in the game through stories and lost pages and learning about them is just as interesting as knowing the main plot of the game itself.
10 The Creation Of The Norse World
In the beginning, there was nothing. In the Norse world, this nothingness was called Ginnungagap, or the great void. Around this time, there were no gods, giants, mortals, nor realms. There were only primordial forces like fire, ice, and the void. When they met, they produced mystic lifeblood upon which the first creature would rise: Ymir.
Ymir is a being of pure creation and chaos. Every single creature that would follow, the Aesir, Jotnar, Vanir, dwarves, and humans are all Ymir’s descendants.
9 How Odin Became All-Father
Though every single race and beings came from Ymir, which links all of them together, the Aesir believed they were the superior ones. Desperate to prove this, the Aesir would go to war on their creature, with Odin at the spearhead of it all.
Eventually, Odin and the Aesir succeeded. Odin managed to land a deathly blow on Ymir with his spear, which spilled Ymir’s lifeblood. Odin would then use Ymir’s torn flesh to create Midgard as a realm of his own. After the fact, Odin called himself “Allfather”.
8 The Eradication And Repopulation Of The Jotnar
When Odin struck Ymir with his spear, thus killing him, his lifeblood poured so greatly that it drowned and killed all living Jotnar except for two: Bergelmir and Nal. The two giants were the only ones who survived the unfortunate event by relentlessly staying afloat in a hollowed tree husk.
They searched for a realm to inhabit, eventually happening upon one they would later call Jotunheim. Bergelmir and Nal would then populate Jotunheim, thus repopulating their race. They also served as the realm’s first King and Queen.
7 The First Humans
After Odin fashioned Midgard from the flesh of the fallen Ymir, he would later create the first humans. While walking the realm he created, he happened upon two trees. He then took wood from these trees and gave them life, creating the first humans. He named them Ask and Embla.
Although it was Odin who gave life to the first humans, they are still descendants of Ymir considering the trees they were fashioned from came from Ymir’s torn flesh.
6 The Aesir-Vanir War
After the death of Ymir, the Vanir gods distanced themselves from the Aesir and found their home in Vanaheim. For years, hostilities between the two factions would grow. One day, the Vanir decided to broker peace between the two groups. Freyr, a leader of the Vanir, traveled to Asgard to teach them magic.
The Aesir would prove to be unbending, however. They saw Freyr’s magic as unpredictable, thus they tortured him. After he managed to escape and return to Vanaheim, an angered and vengeful Freyr swore revenge against the Aesir, and the Vanir followed him.
5 How The War Ended
The war between the Aesir and the Vanir lasted for centuries. Though the Aesir were stronger and more skilled in combat, the Vanir’s mastery of magic proved enough to keep the Aesir at bay.
In hopes of ending the everlasting war, Mimir proposed that Odin, the leader of the Aesir, and Freya, the leader of the Vanir, be wedded to broker peace. Freya was initially adamant, but seeing that it would stop the bloodshed, she later gave in and married Odin, which ended the war between the two factions.
4 The Creation Of Mjolnir
Before Brok and Sindri became household names, they were simply another dwarf smiths. They were young, skilled, and hungry for recognition. Desperate to attain success, they crafted Mjolnir and presented it to the Aesir. Odin decided to give the hammer to Thor, which he would then use to create atrocious deeds.
Although Brok and Sindri’s dreams of becoming successful and famous came to be, the events that followed Mjolnir’s creation led them to a downward spiral. In hopes of balancing the scales of power, they crafted another weapon that would rival Mjolnir and called it the Leviathan. They later entrusted this weapon to a Jotnar woman named Faye.
3 Freya’s Exile
While there was a time when Odin and Freya’s marriage seems to have worked out perfectly, Odin later resumed to his destructive obsessions. Once Thor was given the Mjolnir, Odin then tasked him to get rid of as many giants as he could, fearing they would be his end come Ragnarok.
Freya eventually learned of all this, despite Odin’s assurances that Thor was acting out of his own volition. Unable to take it any longer, Freya broke off her marriage with Odin. Seeing this as an act of betrayal, Odin cursed Freya, banished her to Midgard, and stripped her of her warrior spirit.
2 Tyr’s Temple And The Desire For Peace
Tyr is the Norse god of war and justice. Unlike the other Aesir, however, Tyr was delightful, insightful, and he sought peace. To further the cooperation between all creatures, Tyr oversaw the construction of a temple, which was assisted by dwarves, elves, men, and giants alike.
Tyr’s purpose for creating this temple was to provide easy access when traveling between realms. He hoped this would bring all the races closer together. When the temple was completed, the giants hoped Tyr would finally convince Odin to broker peace with Jotunheim. As it happens, Tyr’s efforts would be fruitless as Odin simply used this opportunity to learn more about the Jotnar and their power of foresight.
1 The Mysterious Appearance Of The World Serpent
The World Serpent is one of the most recognizable creatures in the nine realms, and that’s not just because of its enormous size. According to many, the World Serpent simply appeared in the Lake of Nine from out of nowhere.
Mimir explains that Jörmungandr is from the future sent back in time after being hit by Thor so hard that it literally splinters the World Tree, thus sending him to the past.
NEXT: 10 Gods Who Still Haven’t Appeared In God Of War (Who Could Show Up In Ragnarok)
