You're standing in the middle of the desert, sand in your boots, staring at a stone box covered in glowing blue runes. We’ve all been there. If you’re hunting for a God of War Ragnarok Alfheim Nornir Chest, you already know the deal: you want that sweet, sweet health or rage boost, but the game wants you to play a high-stakes version of "find the hidden object" while Dark Elves try to poke holes in your back.
Alfheim is actually one of the more annoying realms for these. It’s split between the Temple of Light—which is basically a linear hallway of light bridges—and the Barrens/Forbidden Sands, which are massive open-world sandboxes. The puzzles vary wildly. Sometimes you’re just throwing your axe at a bell, and other times you’re trying to bounce a Twilight Stone off three surfaces like a physics professor just to hit a torch.
Honestly? It's easy to miss them. Some are tucked behind sonic barrels or require specific upgrades you might not have yet. If you're early in the game, don't sweat it if you see one you can't open. You'll be back.
The Strond: Your First Alfheim Nornir Chests
Right as you step into Alfheim with Tyr, the game hits you with two of these pretty quickly. The first one is basically a tutorial for the "hit three runes" mechanic. You'll find it along the main path. The runes are nearby—one is right across from the chest, one is tucked down a ledge to the left, and the third is up on a higher cliff.
The second one in The Strond is where things get a bit more "God of War." This one requires the Draupnir Spear. If you’re here on your first visit, stop. You can’t open it yet. Kratos needs to be able to embed those glowing wind-spears into the small cracks in the rocks to blow up the seals simultaneously. You'll find the chest tucked behind a breakable wall near the Mystic Gateway.
Why Timing Matters Here
For the spear chests, you don't need to be fast. You just need to be accurate. Plant the spears, press the "detonate" button, and watch the runes crumble. It’s way less stressful than the timed bells.
📖 Related: The Dawn of the Brave Story Most Players Miss
The Temple of Light: Reflective Puzzles
Inside the Temple of Light, the God of War Ragnarok Alfheim Nornir Chest situation gets vertical. There is one specific chest here that most people run right past because it’s hidden behind a drop-down ledge after you fight some Light Elves.
This is a "timed bell" puzzle.
These are the worst.
You have to hit all three bells in rapid succession before the first one stops ringing. For the Temple chest, you need to use the Twilight Stones. You’ll aim your axe at the purple stone to ricochet it into one bell, then quickly recall it and manual-aim at the others. If you’re a second late, the runes reset. It’s maddening.
I’ve found that changing your camera sensitivity can actually help here. If Kratos turns like a tank, you're never going to hit that third bell in time. Crank it up a notch just for this puzzle.
The Barrens: Sandstorms and Torches
Once you clear the initial sandstorm quest (which you should do immediately, because visibility is zero otherwise), you can find a Nornir Chest on the northern edge of The Barrens. This one is a torch puzzle.
Forget the axe. You need the Blades of Chaos.
👉 See also: Why the Clash of Clans Archer Queen is Still the Most Important Hero in the Game
- Torch 1: Sitting right next to the chest. Easy.
- Torch 2: High up on the rock structure. You might need to move around to get the right angle.
- Torch 3: This one is the "gotcha." It’s hidden behind a red hive cluster. You have to stand in a specific spot to throw your axe and clear the hive nodes in one line, then swap to your blades to light the torch.
It feels good when it clicks. But until then, it feels like you're doing chores in a desert.
The Forbidden Sands: The Real Challenge
The Forbidden Sands is the "end-game" area of Alfheim. You need the Vanaheim story arc finished to even get here. There are two major chests in this region that cause the most headaches for completionists.
The Library Chest
Beneath the Elven Library (where you find some of the best lore pieces), there’s a chest buried in the sand. You have to clear the mounds using sonic arrows. This is a torch puzzle, but it uses the "Hex Arrow" mechanic. Since the torches are too high or too far for your Blades of Chaos to reach directly, you have to chain purple Hex bubbles from the ground up to the torch.
- Fire a Hex arrow at the torch.
- Fire another one halfway down the wall.
- Fire a third one where you can reach it with your Blades.
- Ignite the bottom one; the explosion chains up and lights the torch.
The "Invisible" Chest
The second Forbidden Sands chest is tucked inside a cave in the southwest. This one is tricky because the seals are hidden behind Hive Matter that opens and closes. You have to time your throws perfectly or use the bounce-stones to hit them while the "eyes" are open. It’s arguably the most technical God of War Ragnarok Alfheim Nornir Chest in the entire game.
What Most People Get Wrong
A lot of players think they’re "locked out" of chests if they miss them during the story. You aren't. In fact, Alfheim is designed to be revisited. The developers at Santa Monica Studio love "Metroidvania" elements. If a rune looks like a glowing wind-hole, you need the spear. If it’s a heavy block with a shield icon, you might need a different tool.
✨ Don't miss: Hogwarts Legacy PS5: Why the Magic Still Holds Up in 2026
Another common mistake? Overthinking the bell puzzles.
Most people try to stand right in front of the chest. Usually, the "intended" spot is a few feet away, giving you a clear line of sight to all three bells. If you have to run between throws, you’re probably doing it wrong.
The Reward: Is It Worth It?
Each chest gives you either an Idunn Apple or a Horn of Blood Mead. Collect three of the same, and your stats go up. By the time you finish Alfheim's collection, Kratos is significantly tankier. On higher difficulties like "Give Me God of War," these aren't optional. They are survival.
Beyond the stats, there's a certain satisfaction. The sound of that chest unlatching—that heavy, mechanical thunk—is one of the most rewarding audio cues in modern gaming.
Actionable Strategy for Clean-up
If you're going for the Platinum trophy or just 100% completion, follow this order:
- Finish the "Song of the Sands" Favor. This clears the storm in the Forbidden Sands. You literally cannot see the puzzles properly while the storm is active.
- Wait until you have the Spear. Don't waste time trying to "cheese" puzzles in The Strond that clearly require the Draupnir Spear.
- Check the map counter. Each sub-region in Alfheim (The Strond, Temple of Light, The Barrens, Forbidden Sands) has its own checklist. If the map says 1/1 Nornir Chests, move on.
- Use Sigil Arrows for distance. If a torch is too far, the answer is always Sigil (Hex) arrow chaining. Make the bubbles big by shooting the same spot three times.
Alfheim is a beautiful, frustrating, vertical mess of a realm. But once you understand that the environment is just one big puzzle, those God of War Ragnarok Alfheim Nornir Chest icons on your map stop being a chore and start being a victory lap. Get out there, clear the sand out of your gear, and open those boxes.