This article contains lore based on real-life sources from Norse mythology as introduced from the God of War Norse era.
The Einherjar are Norse warriors who had died an honorable death. Their home is Valhalla, which is what they are linked to in Asgard. The Einherjar were created by Odin in order to prepare against Ragnarök.
Norse Mythology[]
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The Einherjar as depicted in Norse Mythology.
The Einherjar (which means "Army of one" and "Those who fight alone") are warriors who have been admitted by the Valkyries into Valhalla after they die in combat. Aside from warriors who died an honorable death, the Einherjar also consists of legendary heroes and kings.
Once there in Valhalla, a majestic hall in Asgard, they will eat their fill of meat from the nightly-resurrecting beast Sæhrímnir and wash it down with mead brought to them by the Valkyries. The mead came from the udder of the goat Heiðrún. Aside from feasting and drinking, the Einherjar train daily for the coming of the apocalyptic event known as Ragnarök, where they will battle at the field of Vígríðr, which is where the final battle between the Gods and their enemies take place.
Appearance[]
The Einherjar are dead warriors who have pale white skin and have black marks over their eyes as a result of receiving the All-father's blessings. In addition, their eyes are violet pink. Some einherjar are shown to wear armor pieces on random parts of their upper body while others wore full-body armor with helmets that completely covers their faces, save for their eyes.
In God of War Series[]
God of War Ragnarök[]
The Einherjar serve as a military force for Asgard and the Aesir and are an antagonistic faction all throughout the Nine Realms. When Atreus was taking the tour with Odin in Asgard, he witnesses the Valkyries Hrist and Mist training Einherjar in the art of combat and Odin giving his blessings to new Einherjar. Later, in the Black Thunder pub, many Einherjar were seen drinking and chatting with each other. When Thor unknowingly starts a fight with a drunken Einherjar, the latter falsely believed that it was Atreus and the fight immediately erupted into a full-on brawl. In the aftermath, many Einherjar were killed while some of them were left injured. Whenever they fall in battle, they return to Valhalla, allowing them to be reborn in an endless cycle, giving the Aesir an endless army to fight for them. In the aftermath of Ragnarök, most of the Einherjar were killed at the hands of the armies of the other realms. In the aftermath of Ragnarök, some Einherjar were able to survive and on the orders of Gná, went to Niflheim to guard a large prison, which is where Týr has been imprisoned.
Description[]
Asgard's finest. A warrior of Midgard wants nothing more than to fall in battle. It would ensure passage to Valhalla, a promised land where the honorable and wretched alike are sent. There, Odin selected the best and gave them another chance to die for him. Thus, creating the Einherjar.
It's diabolically genius if one would like to view it that way-instill enough devotion within a bloodthirsty group of undead killers, and you guarantee yourself a near endless supply of fodder for your war.
Einherjar Warrior[]
One might look at this and think it's a bit repetitive in nature-we already know Einherjar were warriors during their lifetimes. But I can assure you the distinction is quite keen. Just as one rises in rank in an army, so too the Einherjar. Odin may have changed the qualification since my days in Asgard, but the title of Warrior used to be awarded around the third of fourth resurrection, depending on how glorious the previous death was deemed. Didn't count if you offered yourself on purpose, of course. I wonder if any other contingencies were added when he found out they were staging battles for sport in Svartfalfheim...
Einherjar Archer[]
Odin's experimentation with Bifröst energy continues to cause us trouble. This time it's in the form of long-range bolts shot from his Einherjar Archers. Not that I like to give him credit for anything, but it only makes tactical sense-imbue the beasts, imbue the short-range weapons, imbue the arrows. Though it does present a break with tradition-previously, Einherjar manifested their weapons according to their choices in life. Now that Odin removed that limitation from the afterlife, where do his ambitions cease?
Einherjar Tamer[]
These members of Odin's army specialize in wrangling fearsome beasts to their will and can summon them to their aid in combat-never a welcome complication.
Einherjar Rider[]
At one point, Odin found it worthwhile to train Einherjar to ride Graðunger into battle-or perhaps it was the other way around, training Graðunger to be ridden by Einherjar. Either way, some training was involved. Quite a bit, if Graðunger are as wild as they've always been. Mistrustful creatures, and rightfully so, given that they've been all but forced into servitude by Odin.
Einherjar Brute[]
Hardly a more fitting title than Brute, although perhaps applicable to more than one rank of Odin's soldiers. If memory serves, this title was granted if a newly- incarnate Einherjar completed some feat or other. Last I heard, it was accomplished by wearing the jaws of ten enemies that had been ripped from their owners' heads with their bare hands.
Einherjar Captain[]
I understand you encountered your first Einherjar Captain while alone in Vanaheim with Lady Freya. You'll never see these aggressive individuals without their Asgard-forged weapon-of-choice: the scythe. Primitive weapon if you ask me, but they've made up for it with the rather annoying addition of Bifröst energy. Carrying the weight of such a cumbersome weapon, they move a bit slower, but once in range of that blade, one may find themselves without a head a bit sooner than expected.
Know Einherjar[]
Gallery[]
Concept Art[]
Male Einherjar[]
Female Einherjar[]
Einherjar Brute[]
Einherjar Captain[]
Paranormas[]
Trivia[]
- The Einherjar are the Norse equivalent of the Olympus Sentry, both of them being the undead main forces of the Gods.
- The names of three Einherjar were mentioned when Odin was giving them his blessings. Two male Einherjar are known by the names Hrothgar and Gorm while a female Einherjar is known by the name Jaana.
- The Einherjar for the most part have a resemblance to the "War Boys" from Max Max: Fury Road and Mad Max: The Game.
- Both have pale skin with black marking around the eye.
- Both are "dead", with the War Boys believing in "half-lives" due to the conditions of The Wasteland set after the aftermath of "The Poxy-eclipse" in the Mad Max Universe, meanwhile the Einherjar are reanimated soldiers who died an honorable death and granted access to Valhalla.
- Both are related to the concept of Valhalla, with the War Boys believing that being loyal to Immortan Joe and dying in combat will grant them access to the gates of Valhalla where they will "McFeast" with the gods, meanwhile the Einherjar are the result of being granted access to Valhalla proper per a worthy death.