Professor Natalie Reacts to God of War Ragnarok: Episode 4 - To Svartálfheim!
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- Onward and into new realms! In this episode, which features gameplay by the amazing @Theburnedmanwalks, we pay a visit to Sindri and Brok, then make our way into Svartálfheim.
#godofwar #godofwarreaction #kratos #expertsreact #godofwarragnarok #gaming #norsemythology
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I really like the pause/explanations a lot more and then the overall extra thoughts and "things missed" at the end
Interesting thing about Kvasir poems, they're all easter eggs referencing other PlayStation games in poems, suggesting that Kvasir might be some kind of world hopping being or a prophet. Also kinda funny how they reinterpret names of the games. Horizon: Zero Dawn -> The Sunrise of Nothingness; The Last of Us -> We Who Remain; Ratchet & Clank -> Tool and Bang; Dreams -> Visions After Rest
I really appreciated the tidbits you paused the game to give this time around. I have to admit I found it easier to pay attention and absorb it (part of which could be not trying to hear over combat). Based on your insights, I have to say I think you are absolutely going to LOVE where this story takes us, even more than I did, which is saying something.
One thing I appreciate about this game is how much Kratos and Mimir’s friendship has developed. In the first game, Kratos only ever called him “head”, and had little patience for his stories. Fast forward to Ragnarok, and Mimir is the closest thing Kratos has ever had to a best friend, and finds his insight invaluable. Really great stuff.
19:46 cool how you mentioned Thiazi because later he is mentioned in the game but it's just a name drop. It's good to know the story behind each name they mention and it's just not something random. This channel itself feels like side quest for more lore. Thank you professor
Little bit of dialogue cut out: According to Brok, Svartalfeim is apparently the inaccurate Aesir conquerors’ name for the Dwarves’ homeland. The Dwarves themselves call the realm Nidavellir after their capital city.
One of the cool little details about the Nornir chests of this game is that the totems Kratos needs to break to unlock uniquely represent each of the norns.. it's tough to see but if you see them up close you'll see they're different
You’re the second English speaking person I’ve seen in my entire life pronounce the double LL correctly in Nidavellier, Gjallarhorn and Heimdall!
Much love, great Video 🎉
Thank you! That means a lot to hear!
The games never explained why Brok and Sindri are named after the huldrafolk despite not being huldrafolk, Mimir explained to Atreus that huldrafolk are known for being very sensual creatures, so it's implied that Brok and Sindri have a naughty past...
A quote from the official lore book God of War: Lore and Legends:
"One last thing: Mother always told me that Huldra were sprites of the forest. Mimir confirms this, saying Huldra sprites are "beautiful and seductive". But when I asked why Brok and Sindri are called Huldra then, Mimir told me that my ears are too young and innocent to hear!
I don't get it..."
I love our planet’s history. Thank you for your knowledge
I’ve never played this game before and don’t know much about Norse mythology, but I love what I am learning through your videos! It makes me want to read more. The stories and characters you reference sound so vibrant and interesting! Thanks for inspiring my curiosity!
Just as I was finishing up your 2018 playthrough! Nice timing
1:43 Small thing, doesn’t really matter, they were at this point discussing the possibility of Atreus withholding information.
Ahhhhhhhh ok. Well, Loki and Odin are two sides of the same coin….
There is a theory in the community that the dwarf at the top of the bridge that spits at them when he sees our heroes at 28:37 is actually Odin disguised as a dwarf. Which, from your explanations, is quite possible.
I think it's hard confirmed, given when and where you see that exact character model used again.
Your enthusiasm makes this so much better. I know you love what you know and do. Thank you Professor 🖤
Just found your channel and I'm loving it! I was an archaeologist for a while and absolutely love picking videogames apart for their historical inspirations and accuracy - the length and nature of the medium means that the creators have the chance to bring so much more nuance and detail to bear when compared to something like a two hour film. I really hope you're getting to read the codex entries off-screen (if I remember correctly they are from Kratos' perspective this time around) as you would find them fascinating - this game is absolutely full of interesting written descriptions, theories and stories that get added as the player meets characters and explores the world. Perhaps you could ask the person doing the gameplay for you to make sure to bring up the codex when they get a new entry so you can read it in context?
The lore in this game draws a lot from later northern european folktales to flesh out the world as well as the edda and saga material that makes up the core story. A couple things introduced so far that might slip by without notice:
Svartálfheimr is presented as a colonial misnomer by the Æsir - dark elves have nothing to do with the home of the dwarves and the dwarves themselves appear to vaguely resent the insinuation. They just name their realm after their capital city (or vice-versa).
The Stalker creature that looked a bit like a centaur is actually half-deer rather than horse, and they are described as being worshippers or companions of Skaði - hence their hunter nature. It's implied that they were peaceful until the arrival of Fimbulwinter alongside the extermination of their patron along with the rest of the jötnar drove them over the edge and made them into the vengeful killers we see here. They are likely inspired by or somehow related to Elgfróði from the saga of Hrólfr Kraki.
Grim is short for fossegrim! Here they're interpreted as a fast-breeding nuisance infesting dank corners of the more temperate realms. Their life cycle reflects their semi-amphibious nature. They start as the tadpole-like 'wretches', grow into fossegrim, then the ones that get large enough become the hulking bergsrå (or bergakungen) which rule the colony from their caves and eventually begin to produce more tadpoles. They live in river tunnel systems in extensive family groups and steal victims from the surface - Hall of the Mountain King much?
There are also the mischevous Ormr with their magpie-tendencies hanging around (Mimir gives some background to these little dragon relatives later) along with lots of other interesting wee beasties as we go forwards! The game needs a lot of distinct enemies for the player to face but even if a creature or being is not directly out of norse myth, they are almost always presented as being the inspiration for a later folktale or an extension of an existing one.
Enjoy the game, looking forward to the next episode!
Thank you for all of this! I had asked Cleansed in Fire for pretty straightforward gameplay, for the sake of time, so it's my fault if some things end up getting skipped I'm afraid. I appreciate all of this information--I love how it draws from both mythology and folklore!
Por fin un nuevo video :)
There is a little interaction that Cleansed in Fire missed; it's an optional dialogue one could get by talking to the brothers again before leaving Sindri's house to -burn Mimir's eyes with a laser- unlock Realm travel with Mimir's help. Here is a full direct quotation of that dialogue:
Atreus: I've always wanted to see your home realm. Svartalfheim sounds... unique.
Brok: "Svartalfheim!" Phuh-- stupid Aesir name... we look like Dark Elves to you?
Atreus: Oh right... you call the realm something else...
Sindri: Niðavellir... which is also the name of the capital city, and where you should look for Durlin.
Brok: Damn city's so full of Odin-fuckers nowadays, it ain't hardly somewhere a self-respectin' Dwarf would show his face.
Sindri: Harsh! But accurate.
end of quote.
Just wanted to add to your experience. Cleansed in Fire still rocks, by the way.
Agree with the previous commenters: the format of "hear something worth discussing - pause - discuss - continue" flows better, imo, than two longer sections of just gameplay and just discussion. It's better for our poor short-form content rotted brains to break stuff up into smaller chunks 😂
Yay! New episode. So glad to see you enjoying the game's retelling and the wonderful acting just as much as I am enjoying learning all the references and inspirations from action mythos and history.
I just finished playing the main story of the game yesterday, looking forward to learning more of it's inspirations from your analysis!
I think the boat stories are much more interesting in this game than in 2018. Kratos in this game is way more open about his past, so he speaks on his history about his time in Greece and prophecy.
Atreus is very much a teenager now, he has really grown in the past 3 years and he really grows as a character into adulthood. It is very well done.
I will not say more but Brok and Sindri are a real treat in this game and are fantastic in their scenes. There is gonna be a dwarf you run into soon that plays music in his scenes, that is played ty the games music composer, bear mccreary. The soundtrack to this game is a 10/10 soundtrack and would highly recommend giving it a listen.
Great series to enjoy from an interesting perspective for these games.
I wouldn't necesarily say this game's boat stories are better, but you brought up a very good point. In 2018, the stories mainly served the purpose of world building - but in Ragnarok they lean more into character building, they get more personal. You are right, Kratos is more open here, and so are others, - that's because they've had spent some time together at this point, and feel more comfortable to share; the main trio were more like strangers to each other in the previous game.
@@EmeraldCrocodil I agree with your analysis of the differences. I think there is still some level of world building to some stories like Freya and the builder of the wall on asgard. But if there is world building there some character building purpose to them. which I love both 2018 and Ragnarok boat stories, but I like the characters so Ragnarok is my preference personally for that reason.
Love these videos so much favorite part of my lunch break!
Thanks for your support!!
Great videos, Prof. Natalie! Appreciate you sharing your expertise and insight into this interpretation of the Norse mythology. Can't wait to see what you make of the larger, more epic story of this game!
Wow, fore shadowing, props to the game devs for this one. Bog.
There was a missed interaction with Brokk in which they ask him about Svartalfheim and he remarks "Do i look like a dark elf to you?" Then goes on to state that the Aesir "stupidly" misnamed it and the dwarves refer to their home as Nidavelllir and their capitol city has the same name.
I do remember that in one of my previous playthroughs but you're right, I don't remember seeing it at all this time. Wonder what I missed
@@Theburnedmanwalks Dwarven blacksmiths provide additional dialogue if you talk to them again after their Main-quest-related dialogue. It's easy to miss; this one was right before the dwarves went to burn Mimir's eyes out.
Overall, you're doing a great job)
Notice the whole scene where Sindri welcomes Kratos and Atreus in his house. How _rude_ they both are, not saying "thank you", _refusing to wipe their feet._ Minor spoiler, that's going to be a reccurring theme in this story. Kratos was always an extremely ungrateful person, and for all his qualities, Atreus learned that flaw from his father. Like at 7:35, "Nice to have options if I wake up hungry", except if you wake up hungry in the pantry of someone who offered you shelter, _you don't help yourself to their supplies without asking first._
How important was hospitality to the old norse ? Was being a rude guest just seen as a nuisance, or was it like a more severe crime that deserved harsh punishment?
SUPER important! The duties of a host and a guest are detailed in Hávamál (Sayings of the High One), and you see it throughout the myths and the sagas how big of a taboo it is to not be a good host or act as a good guest should.
I'm told it was super important to the ancient Greeks, too. Which might be why Thor showed up at the cabin with a bottle of mead. From what I've heard, in ancient Greece, if someone showed up at your door with food or drink and asked for shelter, you were basically required to welcome them in. If that's true, Odin probably told Thor to bring mead to force Kratos' hand in accepting to speak with them.
So Thor was nice and Odin just barged in rudely with no food or drinks 😂
exactly 😂 and Odin supposedly is the one giving advice in Hávamál, making it even funnier!
@ysgramornorris2452 the laws of Xenia (hospitality) were very important to the Greeks, however, the god responsible for upholding them and passing judgment on those who break Xenia (and in general, but that especially) was Zeus. For whom, as I understand it, Kratos holds no love or respect.
funny enough Eric Williams ( the lead director of Ragnarok) mentions in an interview the apples in the game dont keep the godly immortality like they do in myths. (besides the ingame extending max life)
turns out the Norse gods just really enjoy apples as snacks.
Thanks for your great reaction and your teachings
Just found your channel a couple of days ago so I'm watching 2018 and Ragnarok simultaneously.
I didn't realize "huldra" meant something. Just assumed it was their last name. Thanks for sharing your knowledge! (I had the same reaction to the "azure vulgarian" part 😂). Looking forward to more!
man, same)))
Great. Now I have to check all your videos. Great insight, thank you.
Welcome!
@@ProfessorNatalie Getting the background of the mythology gives the entire story so much more depth, I like it. Going beyond the stereotypes of marvel Thor, Odin and get to know more of the old sagas and gods, like Bragi - I have to research that more.Thank you for inciting that need for knowledge. ;)
Add: Like the pronounciation of the phonems of old languages like the fa"ð"ir sound, kind of a predecessor of "th" of the germanic languages (been studying old german/old english/proto indoeuropean for a while at the university of Heidelberg). It is really amazing HEARING those sound, like the time when I first heard Quenya - old Elfish - from Professor Tolkien in the movies.
In god of War. Haesvelgr isn't at the top of Yggdrasil, actually Haesvelgr is that giant eagle we see in Helheim in the previous game, and is the one who closed the gates of Hel after it got full, which caused the creation of Helwalkers.
The story goes like this:
Odin bans Freya
Sigrun becomes the new Valkyrie Queen
Odin tries to control the Valkyries by putting them in mortal bodies.
The Valkyries' spirits are too strong for mortal bodies so they go crazy
Sigrun locks them and herself up in the chambers we find in the previous game
Now there is no Valkyrie to take people to Valhalla, that makes so that all the dead go directly to Hel
Hel gets full before it's supposed to, Hel's army which receives the dead in preparation for Ragnarok gets completed too early
Haesvelgr then closes the gates of Hel cause there is no more space
Now there is no Valhalla and no Hel, all the dead are forced to go back to their own bodies, which is why every human that dies comes back as Helwalkers.
At the beginning of the game of 2018, when Kratos and Atreus find some cannibals, one of them says something like "If we kill them, they'll come back, so we'll keep them alive, and eat them little by little", that's because of this entire lore about Hel being closed, if they killed Atreus and Kratos, they would come back frozen, and the cannibals would lose their food. And that's why the cannibals themselves come back frozen after Atreus and Kratos kill them.
that and the Draugr outside the fort the cannibals are hiding in are most likely previous victims who would not stand for being picked on.
also when going crazy, the Valkyries also went on killing sprees, which is part of why there arent many mortal people around in the two games.
@@TheSSBBfan666 many different things contributed for the near extinction of humans in Midgard. The 4 main causes are, Helwalkers, Valkyries, Draugr and the Flood.
Draugr are actually people who died in glory, were selected by the Valkyries, but fought the Valkyries and reanimated their own corpses with the fire of their rage.
Every Draugr we see in the games are 120 years old or more, since that's when the Valkyries were corrupted.
Helwalkers and the corrupted Valkyries were super aggressive and killed people left and right too.
The Flood was restricted to a specific area but killed a bunch of people. When Jormungandr was sent back in time from Ragnarok, he landed in the Lake of Nine 150 years ago, his size inside the water caused a flood that killed everybody around the lake. According to God of War: Lore and Legends, the Lake of Nine was the most active place of Midgard, a commercial center full or traders, and people buying stuff, so when Jormungandr appeared, a lot of people died, which is why there are a bunch of ghosts that give us side missions in God of War 2018.
@@TheSSBBfan666 what you said about Draugr being victims of the cannibals, that's not possible precisely because of the lore about the Draugr, all of them are at least 120 years old. They have nothing to do with recent history.
@ correction, Draugr are 120 years old+, 133 years ago was when Sindri and Brok finished the creation of the Leviathan Axe, sorry.
1:32 ahah I am pretty sure that Kratos and Mimir meant Areus and not Odin but I will take any insights you have :)
Whoops!!! Sorry about that!
Hi profesor, I have a crazy hypothesis about the Norse mythology cosmovition. Of course I may be biased as my area is nowhere near social sciences and I belong to a completely different culture. But, could it be that part of the concept of the Aesir has to do with *dominating* nature. Let me explain: According to the nordic creation myth, every living being came from Ymir, even Midgard itself is his body, and jötnar are direct descendants of him. Could it be that jötnar represent natural forces? and so the constant challenges of them to the Aesir and their overcoming (or not) are an analogy to the challenge that natural forces represent to humans. In this context, the attempt of Aesir to *dominate* the jötnar are the representation/incentive of humanity trying to dominate natural forces; whitch its ultimate goal is to eradicate all inconvenience that nature may present to humans. I remark the inconvenience part as in the myths there are many instances of Odin taking advantage of jötnar's capabilities and commanding Thor to kill them for any negatives the jötnar bring alongside with the deal. Following that line, the fact that male Aesir procreate with female jötnar (and keeping the offsprings) and not the other way around reinforces the *domination* of nature.
I am aware that the idea of nature as a resource to exploit is very representative of the Modern era and the Industrialization. But perhaps, nature was considered as ro be taken advantage of and not as a resource; because, they were still considered divine and, obviously, conscious.
This is a very farfetched theory, but I hope it is at least a interesting discussion point.
Love the in-depth commentary of an expert on one of my favourite games!
I really like this take!!! I think the jötnar are absolutely connected to nature and to the earth; they were there from the beginning, and the Æsir came in and put into place "law and order" and exploited the jötnar. The Vanir are associated with fertility, so the fact that they, too, were dominated by the Æsir (a warrior cult) is telling!
Fantastic episode! Again loving your reactions to the story especially the dynamic between the characters! I did have a question though I noticed you mentioned that Sindri is actually a name taken from the mythology but unless I missed it would that be the same for Brok? Is there a Brok in the mythology? Regardless I think we all love Brok and Sindri 😊
Brok (Brokkr) is definitely in the mythology, too! He and Sindri are listed in the mythology as brothers, and make some significant treasures for the gods (not least of which is Mjöllnir!).
Hi there. First time commenting here. I don't know if anyone has mentioned yet. They managed to sneak Kratos's character in by noting Fárbauti in some of the murals around the game.
❤
I enjoy these very much! I was wondering what other fictionalized old norse myth inspired stories you would recommend us to check out. For example I watched The Northman a while back and that is supposedly a very historically researched and time-period accurate film. I have ancestral ties to Denmark but have yet to research Scandinavian history/ mythology all too deeply. Per your recommendation I plan to pick up John Lindow’s 2001 book very soon.
Side note: I think it would be great if you did some film analysis/reactions on here pertaining to your expertise?! Just an idea :)
Thanks!
-Logan
Thank you! I really, really like the somewhat obscure show The Almighty Johnsons, which was out of New Zealand. I also love the Ragnarök series on Netflix. These are more contemporary adaptations than historical pieces, though. The Northman is supposed to be fantastic and I have colleagues who worked on it!
@ I’ll check them out!
I didn't know Tolkien inspired a lot from the Norse mythology. That's great to hear, thanks a lot. Also, i really like the pause/explanation this time, it feels better. Btw any chance can you tell us how accurate the realms in the game depicted as please? I really want to know what you think about Alfheim, Vanaheim, Jotunheim. Especially this 3 realm looked a bit off from the source material to me. Can't wait for your analysis!
Yes! He was a professor of Old Norse and Old English. If you read the Saga of the Volsungs, you really see the influence as well! I'll definitely speak to the depiction of the realms and how this lines up (or doesn't) with the sources in future videos :)
@@ProfessorNatalie No idea how i didn't know about that 😂 What is funny is, i am a fan of Tolkien and have limited special editions of the LOTR books.. There is definitely sagas that i should check. I really appreciate for your consideration of examination of the realms in your future videos! Have a good day Professor 🙏
So much of Norse comes back in my language witch is Dutch (the Netherlands). Swart = zwart and alf = elf. As an example. But there is so much more.
Whenever I am flying through Amsterdam I notice how familiar (and yet not familiar) Dutch is!
@@ProfessorNatalieHow nice! Vikings had a lot of influence here. Frisians (Friesen ) have an own language and province in the north of our country and is called Friesland. It has the most influence of the northmen.
sacrificing this comment to these mighty algorithm gods before watching ❤❤
Thank you!
Im always interested in how religions can affect and influence one another, is there any connection/influence with Idun and her apples and the Jewish/Christian mythos around Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden and the apple (and the apple's connection to immortality)? Or is it just a neat coincidence?
It might be Christian interference. The myths were written in the 13th century, and Christianity came to Iceland in 1000. It becomes impossible to tease out what is representative of the original mythology and what has been imposed onto the myths by the Christian authors and scribes who eventually wrote the myths down 200-300 years after the conversion :(
@@ProfessorNatalie Cool, thanks. Yeah a shame anytime we don't have access to older or even source material. Still neat tho how human culture is just this giant piece of fabric that is constantly weaving in the new with the old. Literature, food, clothing, architecture, language, and religions too. Everything is always in a state of change, even if the change is slow and hard to notice from the inside. Interesting stuff. 👍
Ayy :)
There's a video on UA-cam that shows you every conversation,story,riddles and jokes that happen on boat rides. Can you react to them? It has spoilers i think so maybe after you finish with the game.
For sure, once I’m done the main storyline!
Im loving this videos tho im scared that you will eventually get bored of going thorough all the gameplay since its takes hours maybe just search for all the cinematics?
I thought about that but there's some interesting side quests that really do flesh out the story of the side characters that I hope the player goes through. Cinematics may just cover the main stories so there may be a lot missed in between. There's also some interesting dialogue that occurs while traversing.
Brok and sindri story arc in this game is my favorite by far, especially sindri, I can’t wait to you get to the big plot twist, god I hope nobody spoils you on it
Well, you just told her there was one, so she’ll be watching for it now…
I would caution you from even mentioning it.
@ but did I spoil it? Mentioning there’s a plot twist isn’t spoiling the plot twist 🙄
@@Theburnedmanwalks y’all spoil her on everything last game all in the comments. Don’t tell me not to mention it when I didn’t even say ANYTHING related to the twist. Go somewhere
It’s all good, I think there are enough twists and turns in this game that it will still surprise me!
Dear Natalie, this gameplay is very straight and you are missing many interesting parts and optional dialogues, comments, funny inputs...
I had asked Cleansed in Fire for just the main storyline for now :)