Ironwood
the forest of the giants
Ironwood was a region in Jotunheim, the home of Angrboda and Fenrir and the birthplace of a young Jormungandr. Long thought a mere metaphor for paradise, it proved to be a real and hidden sanctuary of the last giants.
Ironwood, also known as the Forest of the Giants, was a region in Jotunheim, the home of Angrboda and Fenrir and the birthplace of a young Jormungandr. Long believed by many to be only a metaphor for paradise, it proved to be a real and hidden sanctuary where Angrboda preserved the prophecies of the giants, and where Atreus was drawn in search of answers about his identity as Loki. (God of War Ragnarök)
A name in prophecy#
When Atreus called out to the World Serpent for answers about his identity as Loki, Jörmungandr gave him only one answer: Ironwood. Neither he nor Sindri understood the meaning, and the dwarf only grumbled that they should have stayed home. The name later appeared in the prophecy revealed in Groa's shrine in Alfheim, where Tyr, really Odin in disguise, described it as a mythical sanctuary. Though some of the Jötnar had believed it lay in Jötunheim, Mimir held that Ironwood was not a real place at all but a concept and a metaphorical paradise, unaware that it was real. (God of War Ragnarök)
The hidden sanctuary#
When Atreus drifted to sleep clutching a marble, he was magically carried to Jötunheim, where he encountered Angrboda, one of the few giants to have survived Thor's slaughter of their kind. The two traveled together to Ironwood, where Angrboda lived and preserved the giants' prophecies of the future. She revealed that Ironwood was also the name of a special tree able to absorb the memories of the forest, the past, and the future, and that the bark of these trees gave the paint she used to record what was to come. The Ironwood itself was a sanctuary of the wildlife and a safe haven for the last surviving giants. (God of War Ragnarök)
Frequently asked questions
- What is Ironwood in God of War?
- Ironwood, also known as the Forest of the Giants, was a region in Jotunheim that served as the home of Angrboda and Fenrir and the birthplace of a young Jormungandr. Long believed to be only a metaphor for paradise, it proved to be a real and hidden sanctuary where Angrboda preserved the prophecies of the giants.
- Why did Jormungandr tell Atreus to seek Ironwood?
- When Atreus asked the World Serpent about his identity as Loki, its only answer was Ironwood. Neither Atreus nor Sindri understood the meaning at the time.
- Was Ironwood thought to be a real place?
- The name appeared in the prophecy found in Groa's shrine in Alfheim, where Tyr described it as a mythical sanctuary. Mimir held that Ironwood was not a real place at all but a concept and a metaphorical paradise, unaware that it was real.
- How did Atreus reach Ironwood?
- When Atreus drifted to sleep clutching a marble, he was magically carried to Jotunheim, where he met Angrboda, one of the few giants to survive Thor's slaughter of their kind. The two then traveled together to Ironwood, where she lived and preserved the giants' prophecies.
- What is the Ironwood tree?
- Ironwood was also the name of a special tree able to absorb the memories of the forest, the past, and the future. The bark of these trees gave the paint Angrboda used to record what was to come.
Sources
- GameGod of War Ragnarök, Santa Monica Studio, 2022
Spotted a factual error or a primary source we missed? Email a correction. Every flagged claim gets reviewed.
Followed from this entry
Alfheim: the elves' war over the Light
Light and Dark Elves fought for centuries over the Light of Alfheim, the source that powers the Bifrost. It changed hands more than two hundred times.
Jotunheim: where Tyr hid the last giants
Tyr sealed the giants' homeland away as Odin hunted the Jotnar to extinction. Kratos and Atreus reached it at last to scatter Faye's ashes there.
Angrboda: the last giantess of Ironwood
Angrboda grew up almost alone in Ironwood, painting the prophecy of Ragnarok. She gave Atreus the soul marbles of the lost Giants and made him their keeper.
Atreus (Loki): Kratos's Son and the Truth of His Name
Atreus was the son of Kratos and the Jotunn Faye, born in Midgard and given the hidden name Loki. Across two great journeys he grew from a sickly boy into the prophesied champion of the Giants, the god of mischief whose fate was bound to Ragnarok.
Fenrir: the wolf whose soul Atreus carried in his knife
Fenrir was the old wolf Kratos and Atreus kept during Fimbulwinter. He died in Atreus' lap, his soul drawn into the boy's knife, and that knife later put him in the body of the Hel-hound Garm, reborn as a giant wolf who tore rifts between realms and fought at Ragnarök.
Jormungandr: the World Serpent of Midgard
Jormungandr was so vast he encircled all of Midgard within the Lake of Nine. Thor struck him so hard at Ragnarok that he was hurled backward through time.
Mentioned in15 entries
Angrboda: the last giantess of Ironwood
Angrboda grew up almost alone in Ironwood, painting the prophecy of Ragnarok. She gave Atreus the soul marbles of the lost Giants and made him their keeper.
Atreus (Loki): Kratos's Son and the Truth of His Name
Atreus was the son of Kratos and the Jotunn Faye, born in Midgard and given the hidden name Loki. Across two great journeys he grew from a sickly boy into the prophesied champion of the Giants, the god of mischief whose fate was bound to Ragnarok.
Fenrir: the wolf whose soul Atreus carried in his knife
Fenrir was the old wolf Kratos and Atreus kept during Fimbulwinter. He died in Atreus' lap, his soul drawn into the boy's knife, and that knife later put him in the body of the Hel-hound Garm, reborn as a giant wolf who tore rifts between realms and fought at Ragnarök.
God of War Ragnarök Ending Explained: the Full Story and What It Means
The whole plot of God of War Ragnarök in order, then the ending explained. Odin is destroyed, Thor and Freyr die, Asgard falls, Kratos survives the prophecy, and Atreus leaves to find the last of the giants.
God of War Ragnarök Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of the Story
Twelve questions on God of War Ragnarök, from Thor and Odin at the door to the false Tyr, Brok's death and the fall of Asgard. Every answer comes with a short explanation and a link to the page that covers it.
God of War Timeline: every major event from the Primordials to Valhalla
The full in-universe chronology of God of War, from the war of the Primordials and the fall of the Titans to Kratos's life in Sparta, his war on Olympus, and the end of the Aesir at Ragnarök. The games give almost no calendar years, so events are ordered by story sequence and grouped into eras, with notes wherever the games' own placement is vague.
Grýla
Grýla was an elderly Giantess of Jotunheim and the grandmother of Angrboda. Broken by the loss of her family and the slow ruin of her kind, she used an enchanted cauldron to steal the souls of animals, until Atreus and Angrboda destroyed it.
Hel: Goddess of the Dishonored Dead
Hel was the foretold daughter of Loki and Angrboda, the figure Norse myth makes goddess of the dead and ruler of Helheim. In the age of Kratos she remained unborn, though the giants had long recorded her destiny among the children of Loki who were fated to shape the end of the Aesir.
Jormungandr: the World Serpent of Midgard
Jormungandr was so vast he encircled all of Midgard within the Lake of Nine. Thor struck him so hard at Ragnarok that he was hurled backward through time.
Jötnar Shrines
The Jötnar Shrines were wooden triptychs carved by the Giants to record the histories and prophecies of their kind. Scattered across the Nine Realms, they foretold Ragnarok and the fates of those caught up in it, including Kratos and his son.
Jotunheim: where Tyr hid the last giants
Tyr sealed the giants' homeland away as Odin hunted the Jotnar to extinction. Kratos and Atreus reached it at last to scatter Faye's ashes there.
Marbles: the soul stones of the Jötnar
The Marbles, also called Spiritual Stones, were magical vessels crafted by the Jötnar to hold the souls of the last Giants of Jötunheim. Each bore a Jötunn name in Nordic runes, and they could carry a traveler across the realms to wherever a matching stone lay. Angrboda guarded them until destiny required her to hand the bag to Atreus, the chosen one the Giants called Loki.
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