This article contains lore based on real-life sources from Norse mythology as introduced from the God of War Norse era.
Valhalla is a famed location that was presided over by Odin. Half of the Norse warriors who die in combat are taken by the Valkyries to Valhalla, where they become Einherjar.
Norse Mythology[]
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Valhalla is a majestic and golden hall that is ruled over by Odin. It is located in Asgard, the fortified home of the Aesir. Those who live in Valhalla are the Einherjar, warriors who have been chosen by Odin, and the Valkyries, winged female figures who are tasked with taking the chosen warriors upon their death in battle. Valhalla is where the Einherjar would feast, drink, and train until Ragnarök, in which they would march out of the great hall's many doors to face against the giants of Jötunheim.
In the poem Grímnismál, in stanzas 8 to 10, Valhalla is proclaimed to be in the realm of Glaðsheimr and the hall is described as shining and golden and that it rises peacefully as seen from afar. Valhalla has spear-shafts for rafters, a roof thatched with shields, coats of chainmail strewn over its benches, a wolf hangs from its west doors while an eagle hangs above it. More details on Valhalla were revealed in stanzas 22 to 24; the great hall has over five hundred and forty doors where 800 Einherjar can pass through (from which they will march forth to engage the wolf giant Fenrir during Ragnarök).
Within Valhalla is Bilskirnir, the hall of the thunder god Thor, and within it there are five hundred and forty rooms. Out of all the halls in Valhalla, Odin states that his son's is the greatest.
Description[]
Valhalla was the home of fallen warriors who have been gathered by the Valkyries. While its exact location is a complete secret only to Odin and the Valkyries, Freya stated that Valhalla existed in Asgard, and outside of it, so that the souls returned to Helheim or Folkvangr can be disputed, though the exact meaning is currently unknown. There is a small part of Valhalla that is independent and unconnected to other parts of Valhalla and is where the chosen warriors train. The place also serves as a special gauntlet to help the dead process and resolve the lives they lived. Those who found themselves worthy and have some measure of closure, are capable of moving on, but for those who are unable to resolve their lives will become permanently trapped in their own personal Valhalla. However, according to Sigrún, some of the chosen prefer to keep fighting in the gauntlet.
According to Freya, Valhalla draws in the memories of the people who enter the gauntlet: this includes the places they visited in the past or past enemies. In order to enter appropriately, they first have to perform the Ritual of Selection, where they have to select what equipment and powers they want to use. Valhalla possesses a set of rules and values: it seeks to foster wholeness and balance within those that enter. In order to fully master themselves, warriors can't just rely on battle tactics that they are mostly familiar with and they have to adapt to their approach in order to fully master Valhalla and their abilities.
This will allow them to be rewarded for their demonstrations. For the challenge it is not just to overcome obstacles it's about the way warriors used to overcome them. While the valkyries can guide the warriors, Valhalla will be the one to judge the warriors' progress. While it is capable of restoring the lives of those who died an honorable death in combat, it makes its own rules. If they are violated/not followed, then the threat of death will become real. If anyone enters by force and having not performed the ritual of selection, then it is considered breaching. In addition, intruders will consequently be magically stripped off most of their equipment, magic, and strength, making them feel weaker. Furthermore, Valhalla will summon in enemies that are deadly and possess higher levels and health to kill off intruders.
As revealed by Sigrún, somewhere else, while the aforementioned gauntlet served as a small part of Valhalla, there are larger neighborhoods that served as the residence of the worthy dead. There, the chosen warriors socialize, play games, drink, and train until the day of Ragnarök.
When Odin cursed the Valkyries, this rendered them unable to fulfill their task of gathering warriors who had died in battle. This led to an increase of the dead in Helheim to the point where it was overflowing, and the dead began walking around in the mortal realm as undead but savage corpses called Hel-Walkers.
Kratos and Atreus have the option of freeing the Valkyries, allowing them to return to their task and restore balance to the world. In Asgard, Valhalla serves as a link for the Einherjar as whenever they fall in combat, they would immediately return to that great hall, where they would be infinitely reborn. As a result, during Ragnarök, the link to Valhalla has to be severed to prevent more Asgardian reinforcements from returning.
After the end of the original game's story, Kratos and Mimir received an enigmatic letter telling them where the entrance to Valhalla was, and to enter in order to "master themselves and become whole." This letter turned out to have been sent by Týr, who awaited them at the top of their personal world in Valhalla in a recreation of Greece, as a self-chosen final challenge to help Kratos test if he was properly focused enough for the harsher examinations Valhalla made of his spirit.
Known Residents[]
Trivia[]
- Mimir states that the Aesir have their own special way to Valhalla, even if the Valkyries aren't present. From this, it can be assumed that Baldur, and Magni all ended up in Valhalla after they were killed.
- Interestingly, in Norse mythology, Baldur ended up in Helheim instead of Valhalla after his death. Whether or not this holds true in the games' continuity is currently unknown.
- It must be noted, however that to go to Valhalla, one has to die in battle. Modi didn't die in battle and Baldur arguably died after his battle with Kratos and Atreus had concluded.
- One can also enter Valhalla simply by traveling to it. However, to gain access, one has to have died previously at some point in their life. This enables Kratos, Mimir and Týr to enter, but does not allow Freya to enter.
- Moreover, the death of a person does not have to have been in the Nine Realms to gain access as deaths in foreign lands are also counted. This explains why Kratos, who died four times during his time in Greece, was able to enter.
- Furthermore, in a rare case to enter Valhalla, one doesn't necessarily need to died in battle or experienced death at all; Týr is able to enter Valhalla after his attempt to regain his arm that got bit off by Garm and "glancingly involved the underworld".
- It must be noted, however that to go to Valhalla, one has to die in battle. Modi didn't die in battle and Baldur arguably died after his battle with Kratos and Atreus had concluded.
- Interestingly, in Norse mythology, Baldur ended up in Helheim instead of Valhalla after his death. Whether or not this holds true in the games' continuity is currently unknown.
- Valhalla is equivalent to Elysium Fields from the Greek Era; they both are a special Afterlife for souls who died of heroic and noble death as well in glorious battle.
- Modi was killed by Atreus outside of a battle. Technically making his death murder. As a result, he may have ended up in Helheim.
- Baldur was stated to have ended up in Helheim instead of Valhalla in the original Norse mythology. It's currently unknown if this applies to God of War canon or not.
- Mimir states that Valhalla and the Valkries are actually a primordial force, and Odin did not create it/them, he merely usurped it/them.