SMITE: Demigods, Deities and Gods Explained is a column dedicated to introducing prospective players of SMITE to its massive back story of lore. From the Greek to Hindu, each week we’ll look at two characters from a major pantheon and provide a quick recap of their history and in what capacity their digital incarnation will represent on the field of Hi-Rez Studios’ upcoming MOBA.

Lore: A giant wolf and son of Loki, Fenrir was prophesied to be the murderer of Odin. Should he have carried out the act of killing the All Father, monstrous beast would have began Ragnarök, the expected apocalypse of Norse mythology. The ensuing war would have seen the death of Thor, Tyr, Freyr, Heimdallr and Loki. Fenrir would have gained little but his own death at the hands of Víðarr, a son of Odin’s. The calamity would not have left the mortal realms safe. Various natural disasters and an ultimate flood would have made sure only two lone humans would survive.

Fenrir wasn’t just the beginning of the end. Loki’s furrier child was renowned for his strength. The great wolf broke numerous bounds as he continued to grow from the daily meals at Tyr’s hand. After two failed bounds, Leyding and Dromi, Odin had the crafty dwarves complete a third fetter, Gleipnir. The Aesir promised that if a bind could hold the great wolf he’d be freed for posing no threat. To be sure Fenrir wasn’t sandbagging his effort Tyr chose to place his hand in the beast’s mouth as a pledge that he was trying his hardest. Tyr’s loss of that hand marked Fenrir’s freedom and one of the best known tales of Norse mythology. Continue Reading

SMITE: Demigods, Deities and Gods Explained is a column dedicated to introducing prospective players of SMITE to its massive back story of lore. From the Greek to Hindu, each week we’ll look at two characters from a major pantheon and provide a quick recap of their history and in what capacity their digital incarnation will represent on the field of Hi-Rez Studios’ upcoming MOBA.

Lore: The most important aspect about Freya’s lore is that it remains unclear. Not just small details either. To this day, scholars still have lively discussions about her past, importance and growth through the ages. But it isn’t all shrouded in mystery.

What is largely agreed on is that the “Lady” is the norse goddess of love, beauty, fertility, gold, war and death. Quite a spread of topics to lord over, eh? Freya, her brother Freyr, her father, Njoror, and often-unnamed mother are all part of the Vanir, a stable in norse mythology that did battle with the Æsir, lead by Odin. The resulting victory by the Æsir lead to a unified pantheon. Freya rules over Fólkvangr, a field home to half of those that die in battle. A less well known but no less honorable compliment to Odin’s Valhalla.

Constant scholarly disagreements revolve around her and Frigg being the same goddess, her connection with the valkyries, her relationships with other deities and her connection to mother nature. Nearly all of the possible sides of the disagreements have championed in popular culture, such as Hi-Rez Studios declaring Freya “Queen of the Valkyries,” which highlights her realm of Fólkvangr. Continue Reading

SMITE: Demigods, Deities and Gods Explained is a new column dedicated to introducing prospective players of SMITE to its massive back story of lore. From the Greek to Hindu, each week we’ll look at two characters from a major pantheon and provide a quick recap of their history and in what capacity their digital incarnation will represent on the field of Hi-Rez Studios’ upcoming MOBA.

Lore: Called the “All Father,” Odin’s history, like many from his pantheon, is deep, complex and contains numerous words that will blow your mind. As the principal member of the Æsir, Odin is associated with a multitude of important facets of Norse life, including war, victory, death, magic and more docile occupancies like wisdom, poetry and prophecy. Often depicted as an old man with a long beard, Odin’s libido never faltered. Taking his name seriously, the “All Father” has numerous sons, Thor being the most famous.

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