Vikings believe in such gods as the all-father and king of all gods Odin, the goddess of love and battle Freyja, and the stubborn deceiver Loki. These deities are important to all Scandinavian characters in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, including protagonist Eyvor. These gods and the stories about them create a living religion, offering comfort and wisdom to men and women who take them seriously. However, the deities of the Scandinavians did not offer revelation or promise salvation, like the Greco-Roman gods. They were not exemplars of virtue, not creatures to be like; they are changeable like the seasons, unpredictable like the harsh northern weather.

In the Scandinavian concept of reality, the world was divided into nine spheres. The highest realm, Asgard, is home to the most important gods. You can get there via the rainbow bridge. It is there that there is a place called Valhalla – a hall of fallen heroes, where they feast with Odin and wait for the arrival of Ragnarok – the last battle.

In the game, the Scandinavians do not pray to the gods for redemption, but bargain with them, making sacrifices for good luck. The Vikings are much closer to honor and reputation than Christian concepts like virtue, sin, and atonement. This does not mean that the Scandinavians had no ideas about goodness or ethics: in poetic Eddas, you can find among the tales of debauchery, deception and cruelty, fragments of incredible beauty and deep meaning. For example, in a poem called “Hovamol”, allegedly written by Odin himself, mortals are told how to live life with dignity.