Utangard, also known as Utgard, is a minor location in God of War Ragnarök. Atreus briefly passes through Utangard when he uses Laufey's empty Soul Marble to travel through his dreams to Ironwood.
Norse Mythology
In Norse mythology, Útgarðar (Outyards) is mentioned as a home of the jötnar. It is usually presumed to be a synonym of Jötunheimr, but is sometimes rendered as a stronghold or city within the former. The word features in the name of Útgarða-Loki, a powerful figure who appears in one story to set contests to Thor, Loki, and Thor's servants.
In the God of War Series
Utangard is briefly mentioned during Atreus' journey to Ironwood, in which the giantess Angrboda describes the mysterious realm as "Ymir's dreams," the last remaining aspect of the giant, and something that not even the All-Father could take away from the Jötnar after slaughtering Ymir. This strange location appears in the form of an endless golden desert, littered with various crumbled foundations and man-made debris. It is said that those who travel through the Utangard often suffer disorienting hallucinations, which seem to come in the form of memories or unpleasant events in Atreus' case.
The Utangard can also be accessed through some of the Jötnar Shrines found throughout the Nine Realms, where the secret prophecies of the Jötnar were hidden to prevent Odin and the Aesir from finding them. This also includes the true prophecy on the cataclysmic Ragnarök.
After an argument with Kratos, Atreus thinks about Ironwood whilst reflecting on a Jotnar marble, and when he falls asleep, he finds himself in the Utangard, and begins to experience hallucinations of his arrogant younger self- specifically the time when he realized that he was a god, making him selfish and arrogant. He witnesses a recreation of his murder of Modi, except this time he finds himself being stabbed by his younger self in place of Modi, upon which he finds himself in Ironwood.
Gallery
Trivia
- Atreus' visions of his younger arrogant self may be a foreshadowing of his relationship with Kratos deteriorating once again due to him visiting Asgard and being fooled by Odin's manipulations.