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In the time before the Titans, before the Gods of Olympus, a great battle was waged. The wrath of the Primordials, the very beings who forged the Earth, raged out of control for an eternity. And from this rage, this madness of war, the Furies were brought forth.

Gaia

In the beginning, there was Ginnungagap, the great void. There were no realms yet, only primordial forces. There was Fire, and there was Ice, and there in the Void, they met, and produced...

Mimir

The Primordials, also known as the Protogenoi, were the very first race of gods/beings that came into existence, predating the Olympians and Titans, Jötnar and Aesir/Vanir. They were astronomical in size and their forms were elemental and cosmic.

Eons ago, the Greeks Primordials had a war with each other in which some died and from their deaths and injuries the Greek World was created. Although unlike their Greek counterpart, the Norse primordials had no war and emerged from the Ginnungagap.

Mythology

Primordials 878765837

Chaos and Ourea, the personification of life and mountains, waging war on each other.

In Greek Mythology, the Primordial gods (known as the Protogenoi) are the first entities born into existence; they form the very fabric of the Universe and as such are incredibly powerful.

The Primordials included Chaos (Space/Void), Caligine (Nothingness), Chronos (Time), Aether (Light), Nemesis (Retribution), Ananke (Necessity), Erebus (Darkness), Eros (Love), Gaea (Earth), Hemera (Day), Hydros (Primordial Waters), Nesoi (Islands), Nyx (Night), Eris (Strife), Ophion (Phaunality), Ourea (Mountains), Phanes (Procreation), Pontus (Ocean), Thanatos (Peaceful Death), Tartarus (Abyss), Thalassa (Sea), Thesis (Reality), Ouranos (Sky), Phusis (Naturaly), Moros (Doom), Oneiroi (Dreams), Momus (Blame), Philotes (Affection), Geras (Aging), Hypnos (Sleep), Apate (Deceit), Oizys (Distress), Ker (Violent Death) and the Sisters of Fate (Fate).

In the God of War Series

Greek Cosmos

Primordials

Ouranos and Ceto, personifications of the sky and ocean, fighting each other in the war that created the Greek cosmos.

It's said that before the Titans and the Olympians, a war broke out between the Primordials, the original beings who forged the Greek World. Their war was so massive it caused many natural disasters which created the Universe. From the rage and madness of their war, the Furies were born. Among the Primordials, the most prominent ones are Chaos, Gaia, Ouranos, Erebus, Nyx, Eros and Tartarus. In some beliefs, Morpheus, Charon, Thanatos and the Sisters of Fate were also considered to be Primordial deities. They are just seen alongside the Olympian gods and acting along with them despite their immense powers.

Ouranos survived the war of the Primordials, but was ultimately slain by his own son, Cronos.

The progenitor of all giants

Ymir, one of the primordial beings of the Norse world.

Norse Cosmos

In the Norse cosmos, Ymir was said to be the first sentient being and Jotnar in existence, preceding the Norse Gods themselves. He was eventually killed by Odin who wished to rule over the cosmos himself and later used his body parts to form the realm of Midgard. Surtr is also a Primordial since he was born not long after Ymir's rise to existence, he forged the stars and breathed warmth to the cosmos by his mere existence, he's fated to destroy Asgard in Ragnarok right before Odin and Thor managed to kill him with their combined force.

Powers & Abilities

Little detail is available about their history as well as the full extent of their powers in the series currently. Given the nature of their battles though, we can assume and speculate that the Primordials all possessed the following abilities:

  • Immortality: The Primordials had the potential to live forever and could only be destroyed by beings of equal or greater power. They are personifications of the eternity of nature and the universe.
  • Vast Divine Powers: As the creators of the entire universe, the Primordials possessed astronomically cosmic and pure elemental powers. Given the fact that they predate the Sisters of Fate, not even Fate itself holds sway over the Primordials. They are also older than The Furies, though it is unknown if the Furies could be of any challenge to the Primordials; although considering how Kratos, a mortal demigod, was able to single-handedly kill all three of the Furies, it's very likely that the Furies would be no match at all for the Primordials. Indeed, the Primordial God of Death Thanatos proved to be a challenge for Kratos even after he had become a god, pressuring both him and his brother Deimos, also another powerful demigod, and even killing the latter, though Thanatos ultimately fell to Kratos' hands when the Ghost of Sparta gave into his rage. The Norse Primordials are likewise more powerful than many other beings of their realm, with Ymir only falling to Odin and Surtr being powerful enough to destroy Asgard and shake Yggdrasil to its very roots after transforming into Ragnarök.
  • Immeasurable Strength: Their size and mass contribute to their astronomical superhuman strength and durability. However, they are notably weaker than the Titans, with Ouranos having been overpowered by his own son, Cronos, resulting in his death.
  • Nigh-Invulnerability: The Primordials are beings of pure elemental and cosmic forces. They are capable of withstanding powerful blows and colossal amounts of pain for billions of years without showing any signs of exhaustion. Nonetheless, sufficiently powerful beings, such as each other and the Titans, are capable of harming and even killing them, with Ouranos even being killed by Cronos despite having survived the war against the other Primordials.
  • Immeasurable Stamina: The Primordials are not subject to fatigue. They could wage war for centuries without rest or relent.

Known Primordials

Greek

  • Chaos: the original Primordial and the concept of Life.
  • Gaia: the Primordial concept of Earth.
  • Ouranos: the Primordial concept of Sky.
  • Ceto: the Primordial concept of Oceans.
  • Ourea: the Primordial concept of Mountains.
  • Tartarus: the Primordial concept of Abyss.
  • Erebus: the Primordial concept of Darkness.
  • Eros: the Primordial concept of Love.
  • Nyx: the Primordial concept of Night.
  • Thanatos: The concept of Peaceful Death.
  • Nemesis: The concept of Vengeance.
  • Sisters of Fate: The Goddesses of Fate.
  • The Furies: The Goddesses of Vengeance and Justice, Punishers of Oath Breakers.
  • Charon: The concept of Help.
  • Hydros: The concept of Primordial Waters.
  • Nesoi: The concept of Islands.
  • Thesis: The concept of Reality.
  • Phusis: The concept of Naturaly
  • Chronos: The concept of Time.
  • Aether: The concept of Light.
  • Ananke: The concept of Necessity.
  • Hemera: The concept of Day.
  • Eris: The concept of Strife.
  • Ophion: The concept of Phaunalism.
  • Phanes: The concept of Procreation.
  • Pontus: The concept of Humedaty.
  • Thalassa: The concept of Sea.
  • Moros: The concept of Doom.
  • Oneiroi: The concept of Dreams.
  • Momus: The concept of Blame.
  • Philotes: The concept of Affection.
  • Geras: The concept of Aging.
  • Hypnos: The concept of Sleep.
  • Apate: The concept of Deceit.
  • Oizys: The concept of Distress.
  • Ker; The concept of Violent Deaths.

Norse

  • Ymir: The first sentient being in existence, Progenitor of the Frost Giants.
  • Surtr: The Primordial Force of Fire, First of the Fire Giants in existence.
  • Nornir: The Goddesses of Fate.
  • Auðumbla: the Primordial Cow and Wife of Ymir.
  • Búri: The Primordial God of Creation, First of the Aesir.
  • Sinmara: The Immortal Frost Giant who existed before the Nine Realms.
  • Níðhögg: A giant Dragon who lived between the branches of the Yggdrasil.

Egyptian

  • Nun: Personification of the Primordial watery abyss.
  • Amon: God of Creation, Sky and Air. Ruler of the Egyptian Pantheon.
  • Neith: Primordial Goddess of Creation, Weaving, Wisdom, War and Hunt.
  • Ra: Personification of the Sun and God of the Sky.
  • Apep: Primordial Snake of Chaos, Darkness and Dissorder.
  • Geb: Personification of Earth.
  • Nut: Personification of the Sky.
  • Maat: Personification of Truth. Goddess of Balance, Order, Law, Morality and Justice.
  • Tefnut: Personification of Moisture.
  • Shu: Personification of Air.

Trivia

  • Unlike the Olympian Gods, whose deaths cause natural disasters and calamities in whatever they reign over, when a Primordial is destroyed it creates natural landscapes and forms new parts of the world, such as the oceans for Ceto or the skies for Uranus.
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