Jötnar

The **Jötnar** (singular: **Jötunn**), commonly known as **Giants**, are the most ancient race who emerged from the Ginnungagap. They are native to Jötunheim and Muspelheim, but are also known to inhabit realms such as Midgard. They have long been at war with the Aesir. There are many varieties of Jötnar, including Frost Giants, Fire Giants, Stone Giants, and Animal Giants. They made their first appearance in The Reggiesworld Trilogy.

## History

### Background

Despite being called "Giants", not all Jötnar are large in size, as many members of the species depicted in their Shrines vary between human and giant sized. Not all were humanoid in shape either, since several Jötnar were depicted with animal heads in the aftermentioned Shrines. There also some who take the form of large animals like Hræsvelgr. The Jötunn speak an ancient language which only a few could understand.

Hræsvelgr, Angrboda, Grýla, Sinmara and Sköll and Hati are presumably the last surviving Jötnar who are of pure blood, while Atreus, Týr, Thrúd and Ullr only have partial Jötunn blood. Jörmungandr is a Jötunn whose soul was transferred into a snake.

### Frost Giants

The progenitor of all species was Ymir, who was the largest Jötunn there ever was. Ymir birthed more of his kind and others through his armpits and feet, who in turn had offspring of their own which marked the beginning of their race. However, the Aesir, also of his creation, desired to have control over all of creation for themselves. Odin, Vé, and Vili slew the primordial Giant whose bleeding fluids drowned almost all of his other descendants, the sole survivors being the Jötunn Bergelmir and his wife, Nal.

Together, Bergelmir and Nal searched for and found a land where they could be safe and prosperous, a land they called Jötunheim. As father and mother they reproduced tremendously, and as King and Queen, they made sure that the Jötnar would be the only rulers of their new home and themselves. Bergelmir never sought revenge against the Aesir desiring only for his people to prosper. Because of his actions, the first King of the Giants of Jötunheim was forever remembered as "Bergelmir the Beloved".

The Jötnar were an intelligent and civilized race that practised architecture, masonry, art, trade, and even prophecy, and some were even famous combatants and hunters. They had their own native spoken language known as the Ancient Tongue, which was said to be so old that it predates mountains. Most notably however, the Jötnar possessed the gift of precognition, which allowed them to see visions of the future, something that earned them the eternal jealousy, hatred and paranoia of the King of the Aesir, Odin. This gift even allowed them to see the twilight of the Gods and Kratos and Atreus's involvement in it, something which they kept a very closely guarded secret due to Odin's renowned hatred for them. All of them have the innate ability to shapeshift, which at times might also be transferred to those who carry their blood like Atreus. They are also gifted magicians and know spells which no other race knows about.

Many Jötnar were known to visit and even live in Midgard, where the Giants once moderated a marketplace where they traded with many races. One of their residences in the Middle Realm was what is known as the highest mountain of Midgard, a place that they used to share with a native Troll until they had a fallout and the Troll was cast out.

The Jötnar were mostly a peaceful race that didn't bother to engage in conflict, which meant that they didn't have anything as organized as an army and kept themselves away from the raging Aesir-Vanir War. Despite their neutral status, Odin still sought to eliminate them due what he knew of their role in Ragnarok and thus commissioned the creation of the superweapon Mjölnir which would become the bane of Giant-kind.

Besides their destruction, Odin also desired to acquire their secret knowledge; prophecies regarding Ragnarok that so obsessed him as he himself did not have their gift of precognition. After the Giants assisted Týr with the construction of his temple, they requested an audience with Odin, one they hoped would reach a peaceful agreement between their races. However, Odin had no desire to make peace and instead used the invitation into Jötunheim as an opportunity to steal some of the knowledge of the future. Entering Jötunheim, Odin and Týr met with the Giants in a grand hall covered in tapestries and triptychs displaying different events. Odin's unexpected proposal of handing over Mjolnir as a peace offering was discovered to be a ruse after a Jötunn present in the hall noticed the one-eyed Aesir memorising the events displayed on the tapestries and triptychs while the other Giants were busy discussing the unexpected offering and sounded the alarm. The Jötnar then tried to capture Odin who transformed into a silver hawk and fled the hall and Jötunheim. The Jötnar spared Týr, on account that they knew his heart was noble and had never intended to help Odin steal their wisdom, but they made him swear to sunder his temples connection to Jötunheim once left their realm while announcing their intentions to recall every Giant in Midgard back to Jötunheim, so they may live in peace and solitude until the end of days without fear of genocide. Finally recognising that Odin wouldn't stop until all of the Jötnar were dead, Týr agreed with sadness in his heart.

Enraged at having being forced to flee Jötunheim before he could steal more knowledge, Odin ordered Thor to carry out a genocide of all the Jötnar in Midgard before they could travel back to their home realm. However, with the help of Týr they managed to escape back to Jötunheim. He then severed his temple's connection to Jötunheim by destroying the original travel crystal and hiding the corresponding tower in the Realm Between Realms with the Unity Stone, an artifact trusted to him by the Giants to help cover their tracks. From then on, access to the realm through the temple was rendered impossible, leaving the gate atop Midgard's mountain the only known gate left in all of the Nine Realms, although no one but a Giant or someone who knew the secret rune of Jötunheim could access it.

Fearing that Odin would eventually find a way to gain access to Jötunheim, they decided to lock their souls in magical marbles inscribed with their names. This was accomplished through the magic used by Angrboda's father sometime before his death, while they left a pile of corpses in Jötunheim to confuse Odin. The marbles were hidden all over the Nine Realms by the last living frost giants. Only someone who has knowledge of their magic is capable of transferring the souls to a body, Although according to Angrboda not all the giants made the decision to lock up their souls, some fled to the corners of Jotunheim and others disappeared from the nine kingdoms, Atreus took the final task of finding them and then freeing the souls of the locked up giants to revive them.

No Jötunn has been seen on Midgard ever since, the only exceptions being their guardian who decided to stay behind, the colossal World Serpent Jörmungandr and Angrboda. Jörmungandr, Angrboda, Grýla and Sinmara are the last known living survivors of their race, although Atreus and Týr carry their blood due to their mothers being frost giants. Thrúd also carries their blood due to her grandmother being a frost giant.

### Stone Giants

The Stone Giants are born without a head or a heart. The Frost Giants built the Stone Giants with other stones. The only known Stone Giant was Hrungnir.

### Fire Giants

Surtr was the first of Fire Giants and also the last of their kind. He was the second being to be born, with his birth following that of Ymir. All of the Fire Giants were born in the fiery realm of Muspelheim. After Surtr sacrificed himself to destroy Asgard, the Fire Giants are no more.

### Animal Giants

Hræsvelgr does not seem to belong to any of the known races of Jötunn as she is not similar in appearance to any of them and is naturally a giant raven from birth. The wolf-giant Hróðvitnir is the father of Sköll and Hati. The ultimate fate of Hróðvitnir is unknown, though his children still live.

## Powers and Abilities

The Jötnar are incredibly powerful and possess numerous magical abilities. Some of these abilities include;

* **Extended Longevity / Immortality:** While most Jötnar are extremely long lived, with some exceptions of them possess biological immortality, such as Surtr, the first of the Fire Giants and the second being in existence to be born after Ymir, can be considered immortal, as Surtr lived for ages without deteriorating and can only be killed by the combined power of Odin and Thor, the most powerful of the Aesir Gods. Ymir himself also seemed to have immortality, as he lived long enough for Odin, Vili and Ve to be born, at which it took the combined might of the most powerful Norse Gods to kill him.
* **Supernatural Physical Abilities:** Some of the Giants, especially the most powerful ones, are powerful enough to surpass even the mightiest of the Norse Gods and pose a challenge to many of the mightiest Aesir, as shown by Surtr's ability to fight against both Thor and Odin, Odin needing the aid of his brothers to kill Ymir and Starkaðr being strong enough to challenge the might of the Aesir, Vanir and Midgard forces all at once.
* **Elemental Manipulation:** Frost Giants, as their name suggests, have a degree of power over ice. The Jötunn Thamur had the ability to blow extremely cold air, with his last breath unwillingly freezing the village he fell upon. Likewise, Fire Giants seem to have power over flames and heat, since they can live without any hinderance in the Realm of Fire. It seems that the primordial giants have the highest level, as Surtr is noted to be capable of conjuring enough flames to burn down a realm as vast and powerful as Asgard and having birthed the suns and stars with his primordial fires.
* **Parachronal Cognition:** An ability most common among the Jötnar seem to be the power of precognition, which allowed them to see the future, a power Odin greatly envied and coveted for himself. It is thanks to such ability that the Giants could foresee many significant events, like the stalemate of the Aesir-Vanir War, the journey of Laufey, Kratos and Atreus, and even Ragnarök.
* **Shapeshifting:** Jötnar seemingly possess shapeshifting abilities, as demonstrated by Laufey and Hrimthur, who took the form of mortals to hide their true identities, with the former maintaining her appearance even in death. Thiazi also has been mentioned capable of transforming into various animals to assist his daughter during their hunts. Giants can assume any size they wish. During the events of *God of War: Ragnarök*, it was seen that even Atreus, a half giant, developed shapeshifting abilities and can turn into a powerful wolf or bear.
* **Soul Manipulation:** The Jötnar also possess some degree of soul manipulation abilities.

## Known Jötnar

* Ymir - The Second being in existence, father of all lifeforms except for Surtr. Married to Auðumbla. He was murdered by Odin and his brothers.
* Surtr - The third being in existence, first Fire Giant to be born and the ruler of Muspelheim. He wields a powerful sword described as a "weapon of legend", and was said to have created the sun. Surtr will lead the Fire Giants into battle during Ragnarök and is destined to fall against Odin and Thor, but not before destroying Asgard with his flames.
* Sinmara - Lover of Surtr.
* Bergelmir - Grandson of Ymir, the co-founder and first king of Jötunheim, and a progenitor of the Frost Giants.
* Nal - Granddaughter of Ymir, the co-founder and first queen of Jötunheim, and a progenitor of the Frost Giants.
* Aurvandil - Husband of Gróa and warrior of renown. He was murdered by Thor.
* Gróa - Wife of Aurvandil and gifted Seiðr who was the first Giant to have a vision of the events of Ragnarok. She was murdered by Odin after she refused to tell him what she had seen in her vision of the future.
* Thiazzi - Father of Skaði, a Jötunn that could shape-shift into any animal. He was unknowingly killed by his daughter Skaði.
* Skaði - The Queen of the Hunt, the most skilled huntress that surpassed even the Gods. She was tricked into killing her own father by Odin after she spurned his affections. Overcome with grief upon realising what had happened, she died while holding her father.
* Fjörgyn - Mother of Thor and one of Odin's great loves. It's implied that she was killed by Thor.
* Thor - A son of Odin, though half-Jötunn by the Giantess Fjörgyn. Thor is a notoriously bloodthirsty and cruel Aesir God who was responsible for the near genocide of the Jötnar in Midgard. His power is unmatched thanks to his wielding of Mjölnir. He is destined to fight Jörmungandr during Ragnarök.
* Járnsaxa - Mother of Magni and one of Thor's former lovers.
* Magni - Eldest son of Thor, though half Jötunn on his mother's side, Járnsaxa and half on his father's side.
* Hróðr - Mother of Týr and one of Odin's former lovers.
* Týr - A son of Odin, though half-Jötunn by the Giantess Hróðr. He is the Norse God of War who was betrayed by his own father because of his alliance with Giants.
* Starkaðr - An eight armed swordsman and the strongest of the Frost Giants. Due to the potential threat he could pose in Ragnarok, he was falsely slandered by the Aesir and was subsequently subdued by the combined armies of Asgard, Vanaheim and Midgard. After he willingly surrendered to try and clear his name, he was promptly murdered by Thor.
* Thrym - A Frost Giant King that stole Thor's hammer and offered to exchange it back for Freya's hand in marriage. He was later killed by Thor who secretly followed Freya into Jötunheim under Odin's instruction to both get his hammer back and establish a foothold in the realm.
* Hrungnir - A Stone Giant. He was invited to the Halls of Asgard by the Allfather, but was eventually killed by Thor.
* Thamur - A Frost Giant who was renowned as the greatest Stone Mason who ever lived. His grandest work was the Great Wall of Jötunheim, which he wanted to build to protect his people. He was ambushed by Thor while he was in Midgard searching for his son, a fight that ended with him landing head-first on his own chisel, killing him instantly. In the final battle against Baldur, the Vanir Goddess Freya takes control of Thamur's corpse and uses it in an attempt to prevent further bloodshed between Kratos and her son.
* Hrimthur - Son of Thamur. Hrimthur at first had no interest in his father's craft and instead wished to be a warrior. After he accidentally caused his father's death however, Hrimthur no longer had any investment with his own desires and decided to finish his father's work on the Great Walls of Jötunheim, as well as plotting his own vengeance against the Aesir by secretly embedding Asgard's walls with a weakness known only to Freya. This weakness in the Asgard's walls will be instrumental upon Ragnarök begins, when Surtr and the Fire Giants invade Asgard to burn it down.
* Laufey - Also known as Faye, was the second wife of Kratos and the mother of Atreus. After her demise, Kratos and Atreus embark on a journey to the highest peak in all the realms to spread her ashes. At the highest summit in all of the Nine Realms, her son and widowed husband released her ashes into the wind. She was also responsible for the artwork discovered by Atreus in Jötunheim that depicted events of their journey and even future events.
* Atreus - Also known as Loki. Through his father, Kratos, he is also a half-Greek God and through his mother half-Jötunn. Following the death of his mother, Laufey, he journeys with his father to fulfill his mother's final wish of having her ashes scattered at the summit of the highest mountain in all the Nine Realms, which is located in Jötunheim. During his journey, his father mentors and tests him on his readiness to survive in the harsh world. He proves to be a skilled combatant, specializing in daggers and the bow and arrow.
* Angrboða - Atreus' friend and the current owner of Fenrir.
* Grýla - Angrboda's grandmother and one of the last Giants in Jotunheim.
* Jörmungandr - Also known as "The World Serpent". He only speaks in his native Ancient Tongue, and is apparently rather chatty. He encompasses all of Midgard. He was created using the soul magics of Atreus and Angrboða.
* Hróðvitnir - A wolf giant, one of the greatest enemies of the Aesir and the father of Sköll and Hati. His current location is unknown.
* Sköll and Hati - The twin sons of Hróðvitnir and the chasers of the sun and moon.
* Hræsvelgr - A Jötunn who takes the form of a bird and sits at the edge of the world overlooking Helheim and makes the wind blow with the flapping of her wings.
* Urvandill - A Jötunn, ex-husband of Sif and father of Ullr.
* Ullr - Son of Sif, though half-Jötunn by the his father Urvandill.
* Nyan Cat - Daughter of Cali and Collin She was the builder of the rainbow bridge and guardian of the solar system