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29: Medieval Nordic Culture and Mythology in Valheim
Jéssica Iolanda Costa Bispo, @JIBispo1996, Nova University of Lisbon
Valheim, published by Coffee Stain Studios and released, in early access, in 2021, is an openworld survival video game which offers the player a fascinating and immersive experience based on Medieval Nordic culture and mythology. However, instead of relying exclusively on Nordic legends and tropes, Valheim reinterprets them in order to, it is presently argued, significantly improve user experience, while simultaneously presenting a contemporary perspective on these stories.
It is possible to explore how these myths are reinterpreted if we take into account the thirteenth century Icelandic works Prose Edda, compiled by Snorri Sturluson, and Poetic Edda, comprised in the manuscript titled Codex Regius; these are currently considered to be the most detailed sources for knowledge and research of the body of legends and myths of the Nordic population during the Medieval Period.
Valheim derives its title from a supposedly tenth world which Odin, the most prominent god of the Nordic pantheon, created to imprison his foes. Immediately after the start of the video game, the following text can be seen on screen:
Long ago, the allfather Odin united the worlds. He threw down his foes and cast them into the tenth world, then split the boughs that held their prison to the world-tree, and left it to drift unanchored, a place of exile... For centuries, this world slumbered uneasily. But it did not die... As glacial ages passed, kingdoms rose and fell out of sight of the gods. When Odin heard his enemies were growing once again in strength, he looked to Midgard and sent his Valkyries to scour the battlefields for the greatest of their warriors. Dead to the world, they would be born again... in Valheim! (n/p)
The player controls an avatar that, assuming the identity of a warrior from Midgard – the Earth – who fell in battle, is reborn in Valheim to fight Odin’s foes. There is not, however, any reference in the Eddas to a tenth world. “Völuspá” (“The Seereess’ Prophecy”), a poem which is found in the Poetic Edda, references only nine:
I remember giants born in early in time
Those nurtured me long ago;
I remember nine worlds, I remember nine giant women,
the mighty Measuring-Tree below the earth. (4)
As for the Prose Edda, it states that Odin made Hel ruler over nine worlds: “Hel he threw down into Niflheim and made her ruler over nine worlds.” (39). Valheim’s tenth world, although incorporating Nordic elements, is designed for the modern day public, especially video game players: its different biomes (a total of six at the time of writing) provide an illusion of progression, requiring the warrior to possess certain tools or wear specific sets of armour/clothing in order to survive; a similar effect is achieved by the increasingly difficult bosses that must be faced and defeated in combat, or the several new blueprints which can be found, required to build new, more advanced objects. These dynamics help maintain a certain level of tension and release, keeping players on edge and interested.
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Valheim also reinterprets certain Nordic mythological creatures. In the Prose Edda, valkyries are described as women who “serve in Valhalla”, bringing “drink and see[ing] to the table and the ale cups.” (44). In the video game, though, the Valkyrie who transports the warrior to Valheim takes on a more ferocious, anthropomorphic form, a mix of woman and bird. Thus, it presents an empowered version of the Valkyrie from the Edda’s, evoking the untamed and unrestrained feminine energy. Hugin (“thought”), one of Odin’s ravens, also makes an appearance. The Prose Edda states that Odin has two ravens who whisper news in his ears (47); besides from this task, the ravens do not have much more agency in the Nordic myths; distinctly, Valheim uses Hugin as a virtual agent. The bird provides guidance and tutorials to the player, and thus its agency is expanded and its prominence within the Nordic narratives increased.
Also worthy of attention is the huge branch which adorns the sky in Valheim, functioning as an edge of the world. Since it is an area out of reach for players, it could be presented without features (e.g., a single tone of blue). However, by including Yggdrasil, the colossal ash tree which traverses all worlds and constitutes the centre of the Nordic cosmos, another Nordic trope makes its way into the video game’s interface while contributing to the virtual world’s majestic views. The stag Eikthyrnir which chews on the branches of Yggdrasil (Sturluson Prose Edda 48) is reinterpreted as one of the enemies faced by the warrior, and is renamed Eikthyr. Megingjord, Thor’s belt which increases his strength, is transformed into a useful item that allows the warrior to carry more weight. These and other examples might be pointed out and they certainly help shedding new light on Nordic mythology and culture, extremely important in Medieval Scandinavia but continually making their way to us through new media, offering interesting reinterpretations and critical perspectives on a myriad of issues which, although from a clearly distinct time period, are still important nowadays.
Bibliography
Sturluson, Snorri. The Poetic Edda. Translated by Carolyne Larrington. Oxford University Press, 2014.
Sturluson, Snorri. The Prose Edda. Translated by Jesse L. Byock. Penguin Books, 2006.
Ludography
Valheim. Iron Gate Studio. Accessed 09 June 2022.
Valheim. PC Windows Version, Coffee Stain Studios, 2021.
The author, Jéssica Iolanda Costa Bispo, wishes to acknowledge the financial support provided by the Portuguese funding institution FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, through an awarded PhD Studentship (2021.04811.BD).
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