Towards the end of 2018’s God of War it is revealed that Kratos’ son Atreus is in fact Loki, the Norse god of mischief. This is less of a reveal in-universe – though he is a god, Loki is simply the name Atreus’ mother wanted to give him before they settled on a name taken from Kratos’ Spartan past.
With God of War's Ragnarok on the horizon, and Thor showing up in the game’s secret ending, Atreus’ name reveal has naturally been the subject of much speculation. Less talked about, however, is the name Kratos is revealed to have gained with his time in Midgard. While Kratos’ Norse name may not have the same twist as Atreus’ name, there is still a lot that can be revealed by his Norse name, and the character from Norse mythology that it’s based on.
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The Jotunheim mural near the end of God of War reveals that the giants have a different name for Kratos, though fans who didn’t stop to translate the Norse runes likely missed it. The runes in question spell out Farbauti. In Norse mythology, Farbauti is the name ascribed to a Jotunn generally portrayed as Loki’s father. Farbauti doesn’t get much time in the myths, but his mentioning in Snorri Sturluson’s "Prose Edda" has been enough to ensure the character’s survival into the modern age.
There are a few different ways to translate Farbauti, and some translations can be quite apt considering Kratos' past. The first part of his Norse name, "far," is a noun in Old Norse that can be translated as danger, bad luck, or hostility, among other proposed translations. The verb "bauta" means “to strike.” This means Kratos’ Norse name can be roughly translated as dangerous striker.
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Some scholars have suggested that Farbauti’s name may be a reference to lightning strikes. Put together with some other translations, this begins to make sense. Loki’s mother is called Laufey, which seems to have roots in the Norse word "lauf," meaning leaves. Laufey’s other name in the myths, Nal, means needle, which might be interpreted as pine needles. As such, Loki’s conception appears to have connections to the phenomena of lightning striking dry leaves or pine needles, a common cause of wildfires. Especially in creation myths, there is a tendency for characters to also represent natural occurrences, while having separate, more humanized personas.
Kratos’ alternate name, however, also fits perfectly into his story so far across the God of War series. There’s no doubt that Kratos is a “dangerous striker,” having taken out almost all of the Hellenic pantheon across the first three God of War games. However, Kratos is also the son of Zeus, the Greek God of Lightning, which adds an additional layer to the name's associations, though it could also just be a fortuitous alignment of the myths. Intended or not, the name Farbauti is also a reminder of the role that Kratos has played throughout the series.
Kratos may not have struck first, but his campaign of violence might easily have earned him the name “dangerous striker,” or comparisons to lightning. Much of the last game saw him recognizing his impulsive violence in his son, especially when Atreus killed Modi. The name also serves as a reminder that, despite Kratos’ more peaceful existence in the world of Norse mythology, beings like the Jotunn are still very aware of his dangerous potential and his dark past. Though Kratos’ name likely won’t be the main focus of the next game, the role of names since God of War’s 2018 soft reboot has been particularly interesting as the series bridges two mythologies.
God of War: Ragnarok is slated for a 2021 release on PS5.
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