Following an extended period of radio silence, Santa Monica Studio has finally pulled back the curtain on one of 2022’s most anticipated games. After months of online theorizing, fans on PS4 and PS5 now know that God of War: Ragnarok will launch later this year on November 9. While the news was accompanied by an overview of Ragnarok’s various special editions, the real star of the show was a CGI trailer that provided an epic insight into Kratos and Atreus’ final Norse mythology-themed adventure.
Beyond setting the tone for God of War: Ragnarok, the brief video also provided some intriguing hints as to the shape of the journey that Kratos and Atreus will undertake. Fenrir’s appearance in particular, a character who in mythology is related directly to Loki by blood, suggests it will take up an important role in the apocalyptic tale. That’s not to say that the giant wolf was the only animal in the spotlight though. Amongst some other tantalizing clues, fans have spotted what appears to be two of Norse mythology’s lesser known creatures, Huginn and Muninn.
Huginn and Muninn in Mythology
Thanks to the existence of larger-than-life characters like Thor, it’s sometimes easy to overlook some of Norse mythology’s other intriguing entities. In most interpretations of the ancient European religion though, characters like Huginn and Muninn also play important roles in the trajectory of its story. As the personal raven companions of Odin, it’s important to remember that both birds are silent observers of most of the pantheon's dealings in the run-up to the apocalyptic Ragnarok.
Huginn and Muninn are so intrinsically linked with Odin that most depictions of Norse mythology’s lead god are accompanied by his ravens. It’s unsurprising, then, that throughout many of Norse mythology's tales, both birds play an important role in servitude to their All-Father. It can even be argued that they are the biggest reason why Odin is able to keep such a tight grip on his dominion. At the start of each morning, Huginn and Muninn are dispatched from Asgard to the other realms to gather intelligence on all of Norse mythology's inhabitants.
Once the day ends, Huginn and Muninn are said to return to Odin to tell him all that they’ve seen and heard during their travels. While the All-Father of Norse mythology is often described as the pantheon’s most intelligent deity, it’s sometimes overlooked that his ravens play an important part in this being true. It’s thanks to their advanced warnings and information that Odin is able to often preemptively act against his enemies, giving him a more omnipotent aura than he really has.
Like most of the animals that populate Norse mythology, Huginn and Muninn themselves aren’t the simple birds that they appear to be at first glance. Beyond being able to traverse the nine realms of Norse mythology with extreme speed, the ravens are said to have been imbued with the ability to understand and speak human languages by Odin. These powers are partly where their names come from, as Huginn means "thought" in old Norse, while Muninn is often translated as "memory."
Huginn and Muninn’ Trailer Debut
Thanks to the role that Odin has played in making Kratos and Atreus’ time in Norse mythology difficult, fans have speculated for some time that Huginn and Muninn could play a role in God of War: Ragnarok. While the pair have yet to appear in a story or gameplay-related video for the game, there has seemingly been confirmation that both ravens will feature in some capacity. That’s because during Raganrok’s recent scene-setting CGI trailer, which confirmed its 2022 release date, Huginn and Muninn can be both heard and seen.
Eagle-eyed viewers have pointed out that Huginn and Muninn can be seen flying in formation towards Kratos and Atreus, during the battle with the Draugr that opens up the trailer. Thanks to the fact that the video only lasts for 30 seconds though, their appearance is admittedly brief. This blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo is still enough to suggest that the birds will be depicted as slightly larger than average ravens in-game, with colorful accents on their wings.
Huginn and Muninn in Ragnarok
Even though CGI trailers don’t always reflect the finished product they are advertising, the way that Santa Monica Studio has set out its recent video could still be telling. Keeping their relationship with Odin in mind, and the events of 2018’s God of War, how the studio has decided to open up God of War: Ragnarok’s trailer seems like a deliberate tease of things to come. After all, not only are Huginn and Muninn the very first thing that viewers see, the screeches that both birds make are heard even before the action starts.
This suggests first of all that Huginn and Muninn will take up important roles within the story. As Odin’s eyes and ears, it’s easy to imagine both ravens playing an integral part in helping the Norse gods track down Kratos and Atreus. Considering how Odin is likely only going to get directly involved in the fight when Ragnarok kicks off, players might see his pets just before characters like Thor and Freya engage the pair. Based on their size and lack of physical strength, it would also make sense if Huginn and Muninn only took up supporting roles in combat, rather than being a boss fight all by themselves, akin to the ravens seen in God of War 2's Pegasus sections.
This could also open the door for Santa Monica Studio to spotlight a different type of collectible in God of War: Ragnarok. During the events of the last installment in the series, players could uncover green ethereal ravens that were said to be Odin’s spies. WIth Huginn and Muninn now seemingly undertaking that job instead, there’s going to be a mechanical gap in proceedings that will need to be filled.
Beyond their gameplay and narrative significance to God of War: Ragnarok, Huginn and Muninn could open one other door that might be worth keeping in mind. Thanks to their connection to Odin and his ability to see through their eyes, players could get a more personal insight into the god before Kratos and Atreus meet him. Even though Santa Monica Studio has previously utilized a single-shot camera to great effect, there’s nothing to stop the camera panning through their eyes and back into Asgard for example.
God of War: Ragnarok releases November 9 for PS4 and PS5.
