The direct sequel to 2018’sGod of War,God of War Ragnarokis set in ancient Scandinavia, and tasks players with exploring the nine realms of Norse mythology. Like the original run ofGod of Wargames, which were set in Ancient Greece,God of War Ragnarokcenters on Kratos, the former Greek God of War, and his son, Atreus. On the surface, the epic action-adventure game recalls many big-budget, historical flicks that put warfare and bloodshed center stage.
ButGod of War Ragnarok, with its gripping story and fresh world-building, stands apart from most genre fare, with one glaring exception. Fans ofGod of War Ragnarokwho are craving more Nordic tales should watch Robert Eggers’ epic historical action thriller film,The Northman(2022). Starring Alexander Skarsgård as Amleth, a Viking warrior prince,The Northmanbalances the familiar and the fresh expertly,much likeGod of War Ragnarok.
RELATED:Red Dead Redemption 3’s Protagonist Might Want to Take Some Cues from God of War’s Kratos
How Accurate Was “God Of War Ragnarok”?
Much like theoriginal run ofGod of Wargames, which focused on Kratos’ journey from Ghost of Sparta (and pawn) to god-slayer to the new Ares,God of War Ragnarokis only loosely based on Norse mythology. Instead of following the Edda — the medieval Icelandic works from which scholars learned about the Norse gods and their exploits — to a “T,”Ragnarokuses the ideas, characters, and settings that are familiar to gamers and puts a new spin on them.
In the first Norse mythology-inspired game, Kratos, the former Greek God of War, and his son, Atreus, embark on a quest to fulfill the late Faye’s (Atreus’ mother, and Kratos’ second wife) dying request. That request involves spreading her ashes from the highest peak of the nine realms — something treacherous even for a protagonist with a godly past. Kratos keeps his divine nature a secret from his son, even as they clash with monsters and deities from Nordic lore andwield impressive weapons. As the title suggests, the sequel covers Ragnarok, the eschatological event that’s been looming since the end of the first game, in which Kratos kills the god Baldur.
Kratos and Atreus — the part god, part mortal, and half-giant sometimes referred to as Loki — hide out in Midgard andprepare for the impending battle. Freya, a goddess, former Valkyries queen, and Odin’s ex, seeks to avenge her son, Baldur. Meanwhile, Odin, a master manipulator and pathological liar, becomes obsessed with preventing his foretold death during Ragnarok. Much like in the Greek myth-inspiredGod of Wargames, the characters inGod of WarRagnarokare riffs on their mythological personas, often taken to a brutal extreme, or looked at in a more honest light.
Players who are familiar with Norse mythology will recognize names, weapons, and places, though the developers certainly take creative liberties. After all, they have to includeKratos, an original character, in these legends they’re retelling. WhileGod of War Ragnarokisn’t the most faithful adaptation of Norse mythology in a one-to-one way, it’s clear that the game’s creators are well-versed in the subject, and are reinventing these enduring tales to best suit the story they want to tell about Kratos and Atreus.
Is “The Northman” Based On Norse Mythology?
Based on the story of Amleth, a figure in medieval Scandinavian legend that inspired the titular character in William Shakespeare’sHamlet,The Northmancertainly borrows from Norse mythology. Still, most of its story comes from the Amleth legend as written by Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus. Director and co-writer Robert Eggers, who penned the story alongside Icelandic poet Sjón, has cited the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda asinspirationfor the film.
Those texts serve as the primary source for all things Norse mythology, though the writers also consulted with folklorists and experts in Viking history. Additionally, Eggers incorporated elements from works such asEgil’s Saga,Grettir’s Saga,TheEyrbyggja Saga, andTheSaga of Hrolfr Kraki— all of which cover historical events that took place in Iceland. On the film history side of things, Eggers took cues from the epic sword-and-sorcery filmConan the Barbarian(1982).
What Is “The Northman” About?
Set in 895 AD,The Northmanopens with King Aurvandill’s return to the island of Hrafnsey, where he reunites with his family, Queen Gudrún and Prince Amleth. The king’s jester, Heimir, warns Amleth thathe cannot escape destiny. The heir to the throne makes a vow: if anything happens to his father, he will avenge the fallen king. The very next morning, Amleth’s uncle, Fjölnir, stages a coup, kidnaps the queen, and beheads the king, while Amleth flees the island.
Years later, an adult Amleth belongs to a band ofVikings, and, after a raid, encounters a seeress, who not only tells him to remember the vow he made, but that his destiny is intertwined with a Maiden-King. After learning that his uncle lost his throne and lives as a farmer in Iceland, Amleth poses as an enslaved person and heads to his uncle’s farm.
There, he meets an enslaved woman, Olga, who claims to be a witch, and the two grow close. Amleth also learns that his kidnapped mother, the former queen, is now married to his uncle Fjölnir, and the two have a son, Gunnar. Given all that Fjölnir has done, Amleth and Olga swear to take him down. But, in true epic fashion, allegiances and motives are never quite as they seem. Amleth’s path to avenge his father is littered with secrets, just waiting to be unearthed,and blood, just waiting to be spilled.
“God Of War” And “The Northman”: Why Is Nordic Mythology So Popular?
God of War RagnarokandThe Northmanfeel like spiritual siblings in many ways. Inspired by the same source material, the game and film relish in the tropes of epic stories and myths — both the great and upsetting aspects. In doing so,God of War RagnarokandThe Northmanprove that reinventing the familiar is not only possible, but, when done well,anything but run-of-the-mill.
It’s easy to overwork an epic historical drama, especially one dressed in the trappings of mythology made real. WhileGod of War Ragnarokdoes just enough,The Northmanmight be too visionary without enough substance. But, apart from those Nordic roots, what makes Eggers’ film feel like aGod of Warentry is that primal element;the violence is brutal, and the humanity is raw and, at times, grotesque.IndieWire’s reviewer described the film as “grab-you-by-the-throat intense,” which feels akin toGod of War’s gameplay (both literally and metaphorically).
BetweenVikings,God of War,Assassin’s Creed Valhalla,The Northman, and even the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) comic-booktake on Thorand Loki, it’s clear that Norse mythology is having a moment. Why now? Maybe for the same reasonsGod of War RagnarokandThe Northmanexcel. Norse mythology delivers familiar tropes, stories audiences have seen mimicked in high fantasy, but they don’t yet knoweverything— and there’s still plenty of room for storytellers to innovate.
More:Like The Last of Us HBO, The Best Content in God of War’s Amazon Series May Not Come From The Games
