Spartans were infamous for their military prowess and intense training. They valued disciplined and domination, placing their young in “Agoge”; a rigorous program that lasted more than 20 years. They were a warrior culture, seeking to perfect their physical strength and mental toughness so they were always prepared for the harshness of the battlefield. In the God of War game, Zeus is punishing him by making him carry the temple of Pandora across the desert. Kratos, after climbing for three days, manages to enter the Temple where he faces many dangers… Mythological Monsters in the God of War game 1. Lernaean Hydra There's a fair bit of art everywhere in the book, and it's all in the same style which is nice. I don't think it's concept art of the game, and it's definitely not art directly from the game either so I was left a bit torn. Sadly, that art is not good enough to stand on its own - art book this is not.

See, in Greek mythology, Kratos was the personification of strength. Alongside his siblings Nike, Bia, and Zelus he dwelled with Zeus maintaining and expanding his authority. Pandora’s box is an allegory about gifts that turn out to be a curse after all. A blessing in disguise. When Atreus asked Mimir about why Kratos was dispirited, Mimir explained that his father may be the best fighter he'd seen, but this Ragnarok business was to do with fate, and it couldn't be stopped by just fighting. Atreus asks if Mimir thinks Kratos could kill Thor, and he replies, "That, lad, I do not know." Even though his Roman equivalent, Mars, was widely celebrated as the father of the Roman people, in Greece he wasn’t as popular. Hated by Gods and Mortals alike, only warriors and mercenaries worshipped the sword-bearing deity.Spartans considered him a model warrior. They had raised a statue of a chained Ares, signifying that the spirit of battle was ever-present in the city. Atreus noticed that his mother was acting differently one night. While she was usually animated, this time she seemed withdrawn and sad. Atreus tried to reach out to her using her special ability, and it worked, but she sensed the intrusion. It made her smile, and she told him the story of Ymir as he went to sleep. Soon after, Mother started leaving home for days at a time, while his father stayed at home in her place. Atreus wondered what she was going and what she was doing out there. For example, if you read Hesiod’s Theogony and compare it with Homer’s conception of the 12 Olympians, you’ll find that there are a lot of inconsistencies when it comes to the Gods.

One of the things I appreciated most about this book was how it shed light on some of the more obscure aspects of the games. For example, there's a chapter on the Valkyries that not only explains their role in Norse mythology but also provides a detailed walkthrough of how to defeat them in the game. It's this attention to detail that sets "God of War: Lore and Legends" apart from other video game companion books. After Atreus kills another of Odin's ravens, he remarks that he can usually hear the thoughts of birds, but Odin's ones are always dead silent, He also add that he "can't wait" to fight another Asgardian god. Atreus also notes how after they came home, Kratos started using his blades more often- with the rise of so many Hel-Walkers, they don't have a choice.

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So, we ended with a wide array of different stories that contradict each other but also fill in the gaps. Oftentimes, Atreus thought of his mother being Laufey the Just. He was pleased by the idea of all these powerful gods being afraid of her. He also thought about his father and mother's different approaches when it came to meeting others- his father told him to close his heart to enemies, and his mother told him to keep an open heart. He wondered if Kratos's lesson about them having "no excuses" to not go where they please, was a good lesson after all. His mother was so powerful that she was able to see the whole journey ahead, and he knew her power of prophecy was special. But, one art form that has truly encapsulated the essence of these mythological stories is video games. Beyond a few hours of entertainment, video games based on mythology can be an alternative way to bring forgotten myths and legend to the forefront.

Tormented by nightmarish visions, Kratos asks to serve the Olympian Gods, hoping that he’ll find peace and redemption. One of the first franchises to achieve that is the “God of War”; a series of games that blends history and mythology into a legendary saga of redemption and revenge, spanning 7 games. Everything Atreus writes in this chapter takes place after the journey and returned from Jötunheim. After seeing the mural and the truth about his mother, Atreus and Kratos returned to Tyr's Temple, and was met by Mimir who told them a lot more time had passed than they realised. Most of their friends thought that Fimbulwinter had come, albeit extremely early, and Mimir theorised that it was Baldur's death that did something weird to the cycle. Kratos didn't like the idea that they had something to do with it. Mythological fact: The developers of the game claim that they weren’t aware that the name had a mythological origin. It was a “happy mistake”.) Apotheosis

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Mythology is ever-present in our culture. Myths that have been told for thousands of years re-emerge and take the shape of new stories, relevant to our modern lives. The God of War franchise – all video games based on mythology – is staying true to that. If anything, it’s simply adding another thread, an alternative mythopoeic universe, to the large tree of Greek and Norse Mythology. Kratos: The Ghost of Sparta Once writing became more widely used, poets and artists began documenting mythological stories. They could only write down the version they were familiar with. Depending on time and place, each version was vastly different from the next one. Mythological fact: Pandora tried to close it but only one thing was left behind; hope. Nietzsche said “Pandora brought the box of ills and opened it. Therefore he gives Man hope,—in reality it is the worst of all evils, because it prolongs the torments of Man.”) It was Father. He carried me for a while then dumped me on the ground and told me to walk. Yeah, he was disappointed in me, but that's nothing new.