Beyla

Beyla is a Dark Elf Warrior. She is the wife of Byggvir and ally to Freyr.

Norse Mythology[]

Beyla (Old Norse: [ˈbœylɑ]) is one of Freyr's servants along with her husband, Byggvir, in Norse mythology. Beyla is mentioned in stanzas 55, 66, and the prose introduction to the Poetic Edda poem Lokasenna. Since this is the only mention of Beyla, scholars have turned to the etymology of Beyla's name for additional information about her. However, the meaning of her name is unclear and her name has been proposed as related to "cow," "bean," or "bee".

Beyla was a servant of Freyr. She and her husband Byggvir attended the banquet of the gods (as portrayed in the Lokasenna), hosted by Ægir. There, she exchanges insults with Loki, who had recently insulted Sif.

In the prose introduction to Lokasenna, Beyla and Byggvir are cited as attending In stanza 55 of Lokasenna, after his verses with Sif, Loki accuses Beyla of being filthy but the reason for this is unclear.

In relation to Loki's comments in Lokasenna, proposals have been made that Beyla and her husband are personifications of agriculture associated with Freyr: Beyla as the manure that softens the earth and develops the seed, Byggvir as the refuse of the mill, chaff.

In the God of War Series[]

Backstory[]

Beyla was one of the Dark Elf Warriors from Alfheim, who are constantly at war with the Light Elves, fighting over control of the Light. At some point, she was imprisoned along with Byggvir, a Light Elf who had been trying to spread and uncover taboo information about the history of the Elves and their division in an attempt to form peace between the two factions. During their time in prison, they eventually grew close to each other, and by the time they escaped, they had become lovers, despite being from opposing sides.

With the never-ending war raging in Alfheim and little chance of peace between the two sides, Beyla and Byggvir eventually left Alfheim and joined Freyr's resistance group in Vanaheim.

God of War Ragnarök[]

Beyla is first seen shorty after Kratos, Freya and Mimir arrive in Vanaheim. She is a member of Freyr's resistance alongside Byggvir, Lúnda, and Birgir, all of whom ambush and surround Kratos when he first enters Freyr's encampment, only standing down when Freyr orders them to. After Kratos and Freya reconcile and return to Freyr's camp, Beyla and Byggvir ask Kratos to acquire a book from a restricted library in Alfheim's Forbidden Sands, believing that it holds taboo information on the history of the Light and Dark Elves, and that it may be a first step in promoting peace between the two sides. They both thank Kratos once he returns with the book.

Byggvir is later captured by Heimdall and his Einhenjar forces, but manages to escape, using the eclipse created by Kratos and Atreus once they return the moon to Sköll and Hati as a distraction. Both Beyla and Byggvir are later seen aiding Freyr's rescue alongside Kratos, Freya and Atreus. Once safely returned, Beyla asks Byggvir to promise to not let himself get captured again.

The two are present at Týr's Temple the night before Kratos' attack on Asgard, and are also present in the Realm Travel room during Kratos' final speech. During the battle, they are seen coming to Kratos' aid once he signals for them to regroup, and he orders them to help the Midgardian refugees get to safety. They are last seen resting with the survivors in Hoddmímis Holt, where they share their fond memories of Freyr. They raise a drink to Atreus and Kratos once they pass.

Appearance[]

Beyla's skin is a deep, almost violet-blue, with visible muscle structure, accented with pinkish-purple lines and details along her face. Her lips are a muted reddish-purple hue and her eyes are dark blue while being almond-shaped. She has high cheekbones and sharp angles on her jawline. Her head is adorned with large, dark-brown horns that extend outward in a crown-like fashion. A pale beige cloth wraps around her head and neck. Hanging from this cloth is two bright blue crystals, worn like jewelry. Her upper torso and chest is also covered in strips of the cloth, looking like bandages or wrappings, crisscrossing over a deep blue garment that appears to be the shape of a sports bra as it only covers her chest. Ornate, crescent-shaped, bone ornaments, with decorative banding, are attached to the cloth strips that cross the chest area. Her arms and portions of her torso are wrapped in these bandages as well. She wears a decorative piece on her chest that resembles a wooden plating, this plating is also seen on her hips. She also has a layered, skirt-like cloth that is a combination of dark browns, grays, and muted blues on her waist. Ornately patterned armor/adornments are visible on her torso and lower skirt, either from her warrior background or dark elf culture. From behind her attire is tattered, the greyish-white skirt-like garment falls below her waist, with visible fraying and damage at the edges. A greenish vegetation is depicted on top of her head/shoulders, possibly simulating her hair. Her nails appear to be a light goldish color, they are short in length. Her toenails in comparison are the same color but sharp and somewhat long, additionally her feet are bug-like in shape. Beyla also has large iridescent, reddish-brown wings that look bug-like and reach far from her body. The wings have intricate, detailed veining, much like an insects. The edging/spine of her wings almost look wooden as if they are branches.

Personality[]

Whilst Byggvir is polite and chatty, Beyla is stoic and blunt. Byggvir notes that she is usually not very talkative with others. If the player approaches her before breaking Freya's curse, she tells off Byggvir for saying hello, and rudely whispers that Kratos shouldn't be talking to them, and that he should leave. After breaking Freya's curse, Beyla accepts him as an ally, but is still reserved, telling Byggvir not to ask Kratos and Freya for help as it's 'rude,' which Byggvir disagrees with. She does feel slightly abashed when Freya doesn't ask about her feelings on the Light of Alfheim, and volunteers to share her thoughts. Like her husband, Beyla is critical of the war in Alfheim and the Light, believing that what she had been taught about the Light being everything that mattered was 'shit,' and that all Elves are stubborn and too stuck in their ways to stop their war, comparing them to brainless moths blinded by their constant devotion to the Light.

Despite her stoicism, she is open and affectionate with her husband, and playfully tells him not to share too much of their relationship with others.