| “ | Kratos: Ragnarök. From snow. Mimir: Aye. Snow, lots more snow, and then the end of the bloody world, in that approximate order. |
” |
Fimbulwinter or Fimbulvetr (mighty winter in Old Norse) is a prophesied event affecting several realms such as Midgard, Svartalfheim, Vanaheim, Alfheim, and possibly others.
It is a three-year long period of extreme environmental change (e.g., heavy snow and blizzards in Midgard, increased humidity in Svartalfheim and Vanaheim) which serves as a foreboding occurrence for Ragnarök, the total annihilation of all the Nine Realms.
Norse Mythology[]
Fimbulvetr is the harsh winter that precedes the end of the world and puts an end to all life on Earth. Fimbulvetr is three successive winters, when snow comes in from all directions, without any intervening summer, and Innumerable wars follow. After the Fimbulvetr, the events of Ragnarök begins.
The event is described primarily in the Poetic Edda. In the poem Vafþrúðnismál, Odin poses the question to Vafþrúðnir as to who of mankind will survive the Fimbulvetr. Vafþrúðnir responds that Líf and Lífþrasir will survive and that they will live in the forest of Hoddmímis holt.
In Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and other Nordic countries, the term Fimbulvetr has been borrowed from Old Norse to refer to an unusually cold and harsh winter. However, in Sweden, another common word is 'Vargavinter', which means 'wolf winter'.
In the God of War Series[]
In the wake of Baldur's death, the heavy winter had slowly taken course, with Brok noting its presence while Sindri tries to not believe it. In the secret ending, Fimbulwinter was coming to an end when Kratos and Atreus encountered Thor at their house.
After Baldur's death, the snowfall continues to worsen with each passing day, with blizzards becoming a regular occurrence. The Lake of Nine was also frozen over completely, effectively locking down Tyr's Temple and preventing any travel between the realms. Hel-Walkers and strange new beasts are noted by Sindri to be roaming about the land.
Because of it being magical in nature, Fimbulwinter over time caused curses, magical items/weapons, and other blessings to weaken across the Nine Realms, some more than others, or disappear entirely. As a result, this was seen as either a boon or inconvenience. Examples being the improvements made to Kratos' weapons would eventually disappear and they would return to their base forms, and allowing Freya to visit the other realms without being forcibly ejected, albeit at a limited capacity, and allowing her to undo the spell Odin created that kept her in Midgard.
Aside from Midgard has heavy snow and blizzards, all the realms also affected the Fimbulwinter, Svartalfheim, has random and intense earthquake as well as humid aroma, Vanaheim has also extreme humidity in the jungle, Alfheim has violent flashes of Light in the Lake of Souls, and Helheim has also colder and darker places which Hel-Walkers are more over-populated. Niflheim appears to be a frozen land again and no longer just a realm of toxic mist. As for Asgard, Jotunheim, and Muspelheim, it seems to have little to no effect from Fimbulwinter.
After the Ragnarök, The nine realms finally begin to thrive and be at peace.