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Why I think that God of War should go to Celtic Mythology (or / and Brythonic and other ‘british isles’ mythos)

God of War 6 - Why I think that God of War should go to Celtic Mythology (or / and Brythonic and other 'british isles' mythos)

Ever since the third game in the series ended, and especially when us fans (new fan here, heya) learned the series would move away from its Grecco-roman roots of mythology to the world of the Norse, we have imagined what other mythologies and pantheons our buddy Kratos (and now his BOYE Atreus) would tear apart next.

Most of this discussion talks about how interesting it would be to travel to another popular mythos;

In Egypt, we could go on another romp of god-slaying with papa K facing off against gods like Ra, Horus, and Anubis. We could go swinging around with blades of chaos and khopeshes in hand, fighting all sorts of celestial and underworld besties by the Nile…

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Art By DiegooCunha on Devianart

In Japan we could face off against Oni, Ogres, all sorts of spooky undead and tear them apart with some sort of magic Katana, Grasscutter or a Bo staff so strong it would make Raiden 'cOnSulT ThE eLdeR gODs' on what to do. Maybe we'd get some over the top action facing off in DBZ style fights of pure destruction. Heck, if it was broader and included other Asian Mythos we could have Kratos against Sun Wukong (AKA the 'Monkey King' and the guy that inspired Dragon Ball's Son Goku)

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Art by Caglayan Kaya Gokosoy

But there is one Mythology I feel is absent from the equation that I would love to see explored my S.M. Studios; The Mythology of the 'British Isles' (Ireland, Scottland, Wales, and England). These ancient stories have a plethora of conflicts, cycles, magic, gods, and monsters to explore but are rarely explored. I want to throw my hat in the ring and explain why I believe that the setting provided by these stories and myths would create a great setting for future installments

NOTE: I am not an expert on any of these mythologies. My sources of information of these myths are the well-made videos on these subjects by Youtubers such as
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Tale Foundry,
Overly Sarcastic Productions, and
playlists - Why I think that God of War should go to Celtic Mythology (or / and Brythonic and other 'british isles' mythos)Extra Credits
, some vague elements I learned from Dungeons and Dragons, as well as a few fun dives into a few Wikipedia articles. If I get things wrong (as I am not perfect and these stories and legends come in MANY variations and different regional tellings) tell me in the comments how they are different and how I am an ill-informed doodoo head. I'd love to know and learn more because I am fascinated with all of these mythologies. Although the terms 'Celtic' and 'Gaelic' cover a large group of different mythologies, I'm going to alternate between the two terms and use them as a way to cover the different mythos to save me some time. Please understand I do not mean to misname one legend from one mythology under another

NOTE ON TOP OF MY NOTE: I am also not saying that we SHOULDN’T go to these places or explore different myths or tales; I am just describing why I think the legends, tales, and myths from the 'Gaelic-Celtic Mythosphere' would be interesting and why it deserves a chance to be a story in the GoW franchise. If you think Kratos should travel to the Mayans and pick a fight with Quetzalcoatl (which would be sick, not gonna lie) then rock on BROTHER

NOTE THREE: the threequel


The Triskelion on Tyr's Pannel in Odin's Vault in Helheim (Image found on whatculture.com)

One of the main reasons I thought of this was seeing THIS thing during my playthroughs of the 4th game. This symbol, called a Triskelion or Triskele, is an ancient neolithic mark that while found all across Europe is mostly associated with Ireland and old runes there. This is why I think there is a chance we could find ourselves playing somewhere in the fair isles

So, why do I think that God of War should give Gaelic Mythos a chance? For the Variety, the Fun Mythos and the Potential themes after Kratos and Atreus duke it out with the Aesir and Vanir

First, the Variety

God of War is known for its premise of romping through ancient mythology and sundering Gods, Heroes, and Monsters from said mythology in a brutal and carnal fashion.

In Greece, Kratos fought against monsters like Cyclopses, Medusas, Minotaurs, faced off against heroes like Perseus and Hercules, and brutally tore apart gods like Hades, Posideon and his father Zues. Although the Norse games (I'm guessing we're gonna get a trilogy in this mythology like before in Greece) haven't met their conclusion, it's fair to assume we're going to take the reigns of Kratos and Atreus and takedown Norse icons like Thor and Odin.

Gaelic mythology has plenty of people to interact with and possibly face off against

  • The Tuatha Dé Danann: A brand new spanking set of Gods to face off against. We got some fun Gods like Lugh (Lugh, God of Arts, travel, and Commerce), Morrigan (Goddess of battle) and Nauda (The God of War). These folk are another family of gods (hell, their name can be translated as 'the tribe of Gods') like the Olympians, Aesir, and Vanir of previous and current installments. Should our protagonist(s) threaten them, they can put up a fight like the rest.
  • The Fomorians: A race of monstrous and mysterious creatures said to come from the sea and the underbelly of the world. They are normally hostile to the Gods, but in classic GoW fashion, they may get a twist on their story on how they're just misunderstood and how it is the Gods who are the real monsters (see the Titans and Giants as examples). If they are enemies, however, they come in many forms. Some are human-like, some have the heads or limbs of animals, and many are of varying size compared to the average inhabitants of the world. Think of them like (or say that they are related to) the Giants of Jotunheim. Their wide variety of forms could be explained by them being related to the Giants that fled Midgard when Thor went all 'Hammertime' on the Jotun. They could've fled and ended up on the islands.
  • The Fey (Faries, Sprites, and others): The mischevious fair folk has been seen all over various mythologies. They wield great magical power and screw over unlucky folk who happen to be around when they get bored. From Archfey like Titania and Oberon to minor fey-like beings such as Elves, they can provide a variety (and maybe familiar) enemies to face off against. Perhaps the Seelie and Unseelie courts are made up of Elves and their Kin. Maybe they'd recognize Kratos or and Older Atreus as 'that one guy who demolished up our cousins in Alfhiem!!'. Maybe Frey, and perhaps the rest of the Vanir, served as a third court or overseers of the fey. But thanks to Kratos and co and the things they do in the Norse saga, that balance has been thrown out of wack and they're fighting against each other and messing with the mortals of the Islands.
  • The Human Tribes: Sure, the games are mostly about fighting monsters and deities, but facing off against hordes of human cannon fodder really show that our protagonists are GODS (or at least Demigods (and half-Giant-quarter-God-quarter-Human)). These tribes include the people of Nemed, the People of Partholón and the people of Cessair. These groups fought one another over control of territory and land. This could lead to some interesting complications in the games. Perhaps our protagonist decides to ally with a faction, and that leads to alternative quests and stories. Perhaps if we play as an older Atreus, we could try to make peace between the Humans, the Giant-Like Fomorians, and the Gods of the land. Another thing is the Fir Bolg. Several sources say they came from Egypt or Greece. If Egypt, we could get some hints or rumors about what is going on there with their gods (Perhaps while Atreus is chilling in Ireland, Kratos is playing Fisticuffs with Horus and Anubis). If they hail from Greece, however, they could be survivors from the Ghost of Sparta's past rampage and are trying to survive in a strange land. Food for thought?
  • HEROES: These Mythos have several heroes. While Similar to demigods, most of the tellings describe them as just humans who just happen to wield crazy OP magic and powers. There are several them, so I'll just name a few that I think would be rad to see; Cú Chulainn, Fionn mac Cumhaill and Beowulf. These guys kick ass, go on crazy adventures and quests, and get caught up in wacky hijinks. They are decked out in cool armors, weapons and abilities that we certainly could… *ahem*, Commandeer from them. Cú has a delightful ability to hulk out into a monster by going inside out and flying into a rage (metal af and a Gorey boss fight to rival spartan rage). The Guy trained with warrior goddess Scathach, wields a spear called the Gae Bulg (roughly translating into SPEAR OF PAIN), a spear that turns people into bloody thornbushes when you kebab them with it (Not gonna lie, it'd be a rad weapon to use on enemies) and faces off against armies at a time. Sure, not a deity our boy Baldur (blessed with invulnerability to all threats, physical or magical) but he could sure prove a threat. Next is Fionn. Our blonde buddy is the leader of a cool group of adventurers called the Fianna and is a clever tactician in combat, as well as armed with a few magic weapons and tools. Fion was raised by a Warrior woman (Barbarian Mom) and a powerful Druid mage (Nature Mom) and taught him some combat and magic. While certainly not as durable as our boy Cú, he could put up a cool fight. He may even be an ally instead, giving Kratos or an Adult Atreus a group of honorable battle-buddies as they parade around Scottland, Ireland, and other places. Finally Beowulf. While not from most of the Mythos, Beowulf is a famous character found in Old English Texts, and could prove a fun challenge. The dude wrestled a giant barehanded, defeated his mom when she stormed his friends 'Viking-frat-house' to take back her son's body, and shrugged off a bite from a dragon through the neck like a champ. He'd be a cool person to face off against if given the chance. Plus, he had a lot of Gold and shinies are always fun collectibles.
  • Dragons: There are all sorts of Dragons from These myths (now that I think of it, Dragons are common across several Mythologies. Well, Whadya know?). Similar to the dragon fight up to the mountain, wed get some cool colossal battles with these drakes and wyrms as we travel around.
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Those are just a few examples of what to face when exploring mythical Britannia, and ones I'd love to face off against. In short, Kratos or Atreus could face off against Gods, Giants, The courts of Fey, men and god-like heroes. There's enough variety to make all sorts of battles and boss fights out of for a long time

Next up, the Fun Mythos

There are a few things to take note of before we delve deeper; Like Greek and Roman myth, we have a plethora of documented accounts of the mythos thanks to countless scholars and scribes who took the time to write and translate these myths over the centuries since. This leaves a great portion of the stories intact, allowing Santa Monica Studios to pull from a lot of source material when writing the story. However, the scribes from before weren't the most 'open-minded' people when they were writing it. From the Romans invading from the south, the Christian scribes appropriating the myths to fit Christian doctrine or the troubles between the differing peoples of the isles (I don't wish to open a can of worms with the 'troubles', so ill leave it at that), the stories have been written and rewritten in ways that strip them of context and details. While this leaves a lot of the stories missing details on how the stories truly were, it also leaves a lot for the writers to reimagine it in ways that could make the story engaging and interesting.

In the Irish myths, there are the stories of settlers, several different tribes of humans, gods and monsters, coming to Ireland for one reason or another. They could provide conflict in the story as they bicker and squabble like the Spartans and Athenians of old. Perhaps the fighting is not alone the product of humanity's tendency to fight among each other, but orchestrated by the Gods and or the Fey for either some nefarious gain or simply for the enjoyment of it.

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Another thing about the setting is how interesting the magic is. Druids bend storms, nature, and animals to their will (not too different from the Vanir magic that Freya uses ey?). Some people turn inside out and hulk-rage until somebody shows them a pair of breasts and dunks them in water. Sometimes people turn into salmon because they can't deal with being the only dude among 49 women. Sometimes there's a magical salmon of wisdom and eating of it reveals the secrets of the universe (but only if you suck on your thumb). It can get weird. REALLY weird. Similar to how the Dwarves make powerful artifacts out of oxymorons like Frozen Fire and quench their work in things like Draugr Oil, the magic is bizarre, but fun. The only people who seem to have a grasp on it is either the crazy shamans who live in the glens or mystical fey. Maybe instead of collecting golden apples or hunting down ravens, the protagonist could catch Salmon and use them to upgrade abilities.

Now, for the potential themes of the story, and a possible way that the story could play out

So far, God of War (2018) has been about the ramifications of conflict between peoples. The giants had powerful divination magic, and feared what it could do in the wrong hands. Odin, feeling threatened by the Giants, led a mass genocide against them for hundreds of years, driving them to near extinction. The years of conflict between the Aesir and the Vanir left Freya sick of conflict. She gave up her freedom to wed Odin and end the war between the Gods. Her paranoia for death led to her essentially helicopter-parenting her son Baldur into losing all sense of pleasure and happiness, leading to his madness, nearly costing her life, and ending in his sudden and tragic death.

Overall, the story so far has been about looking at what war and paranoia does to peoples

My idea for how these games could goes a little something like this:

Forgive my fanfiction

After the end of the Norse saga, Kratos and Atreus part ways (whether Kratos is dead like the mural or Atreus heads out on his own after he learns everything he needs to know from Kratos, their paths diverge). An adult Atreus, armed with his Mother's Axe, his trusty bow, some magic shapeshifting powers, and possibly the blades or a piece of the blades of chaos, heads off to find a new home. Midgard, at the end of Ragnarok, lies a desolate land. The few humans alive after Fimblewinter sail off to find a new home. Atreus tags along, keeping his identity as Loki and a killer of the Aesir under wraps. As he makes a new home in this land, he encounters conflict. The human settlers he traveled with are constantly warring and fighting with each other. They face off against the monstrous Fomorians (who Atreus learns is a long lost clan of Giants), and fight off the influence of the Gods and Fey courts alike.

The story has themes of a new beginning (Atreus learning to grow up as a man on his own now that his father's gone). He might follow the band of the Fianna, finding a good friend in Fionn, whos trying to find his wife after she was turned into a deer. They and the Fianna are working to fight off the influence of the corrupt deities and fey, while also finding peace between the peoples of the islands. It'd be like a new kid trying to fit in with a group of friends finding their way in a chaotic world.

As for how the game would play or what would happen, I can't say.

Overall, these are just my ideas. I'd be happy to hear what you think of my idea or what you think could happen, or how things could be different.

Thanks for reading, and I hope y'all have a great day. In the very least, we can be exited for what the team at Santa Monica Studios is coming up with next

TLDR: I think that GoW should go to the Celtic/Gaelic mythosphere because of its variety in possible enemies and characters, the interesting stories that could be incorporated in the story of the game and for the potential themes it could bring to the series

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2 Comments

  • Reply
    Logan
    Apr 06, 2020 4:02 am

    Loved the idea and should definitely take place after god of war 5 which is obviously going to be Norse mythology again but the Celtic Mythology should defInitely be where Kratos and Atreus head next.

  • Reply
    Joe
    Feb 26, 2021 7:49 am

    I like the idea but Beowulf should not be included in this as it was an old english text about a story that happened in Denmark. In the story, Beowulf is a Geat, from Sweden so that story would be more akin to the Norse mythos rather than Celtic.

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