Tatzelwurm
the burrowing lizard-cats of the realms
The Tatzelwurms were serpentine, feline beasts of the Nine Realms that tunneled through the earth to ambush their prey, striking with sharp claws and teeth and a venomous barb in the tail. They roamed the wilds in packs.
The Tatzelwurms were serpentine, feline beasts that haunted the wilds of the Nine Realms, part lizard and part cat, tunneling through the earth to ambush any soul that wandered into their territory. Kratos and Atreus met them in numbers across the Norse lands, often alongside other beasts. (God of War (2018); God of War Ragnarök)
Form and habits#
A Tatzelwurm was a strange combination of creatures, part lizard and part cat, with a serpentine body, sharp claws, and sharp teeth. They liked to burrow underground to close the distance between themselves and their prey, moving through the earth as a fish moves through water and lying in wait for any unsuspecting soul to step on the wrong patch of ground. They seldom traveled alone, usually appearing in groups of two or more and often in the company of other beasts. Hardly anyone went near the country they hunted, and most who did never came back, since the beasts seemed to enjoy toying with their victims. (God of War (2018); God of War Ragnarök)
Venom and the cursed kind#
Their claws and teeth were dangerous in their own right, but the true threat lay in the barbed tail. The barb pierced flesh with ease and flooded its victim with venom. Beyond the common kind there was a more dangerous breed, the Cursed Tatzelwurm, alike in form to the regular ones but able to inflict outright poison upon those it struck. (God of War (2018); God of War Ragnarök)
Across the realms#
The Tatzelwurms were widespread across the Norse realms. In the early days of their journey Kratos and Atreus found many of them around the Lake of Nine in Midgard and in parts of Alfheim, and later faced the poisonous Cursed Tatzelwurms among them. In their later travels both kinds appeared first in Svartalfheim. A related creature, a burrowing lizard that lurked in the mountains, could likewise vanish into the earth, though it did not attack, and these tunneling beasts, known as Ormrs, were found throughout the Nine Realms. (God of War (2018); God of War Ragnarök)
Frequently asked questions
- What is a Tatzelwurm?
- A Tatzelwurm was a serpentine, feline beast of the Nine Realms, part lizard and part cat, with a serpentine body, sharp claws, and sharp teeth. Its head recalled the great sabre-toothed cats of old.
- How do Tatzelwurms attack their prey?
- Tatzelwurms burrowed underground and moved through the earth as a fish moves through water, lying in wait before bursting out at their prey. They struck with their claws and teeth and, most dangerously, a venomous barbed tail that pierced flesh and flooded the victim with poison.
- What is a Cursed Tatzelwurm?
- The Cursed Tatzelwurm was a more dangerous breed, alike in form to the regular Tatzelwurms but able to inflict outright poison upon those it struck.
- Where did Kratos and Atreus encounter Tatzelwurms?
- In the early days of their journey, Kratos and Atreus found many Tatzelwurms around the Lake of Nine in Midgard and in parts of Alfheim, later facing the poisonous Cursed Tatzelwurms among them. In their later travels both kinds appeared first in Svartalfheim.
- Did Tatzelwurms travel alone?
- Tatzelwurms seldom traveled alone, usually appearing in groups of two or more and often in the company of other beasts. Few ventured into the lands where they roamed, and even fewer survived an encounter.
Sources
- GameGod of War (2018), Santa Monica Studio, 2018
- 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
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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.
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.
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Odin shaped Midgard from the body of the giant Ymir. Kratos settled there after leaving Greece, and Fimbulwinter later froze the Lake of Nine.
Svartalfheim: where Brok and Sindri forged
The richest of the Nine Realms in minerals, and home to the dwarven smiths. Odin sealed the path to it for generations and bent its trade to Asgard.
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