Vanaheim is a total nightmare. Honestly, if you're trying to track down every Vanaheim Nornir chest in God of War Ragnarok, you already know the geography of this place is designed to make you feel like you've forgotten how to play the game. It’s lush, it’s green, and it’s packed with the most annoying environmental puzzles Santa Monica Studio could dream up. You aren't just looking for chests; you’re fighting the map itself.
The thing about these chests is that they aren't just "side content." They are the literal lifeblood of Kratos. You want more health? You need Idunn Apples. You want to use your Runic attacks more often? You need Horns of Blood Mead. Finding them in the jungle of the Vanir is a test of patience.
Most players get stuck because Vanaheim changes. There’s a day/night cycle that literally moves trees and opens paths. If you're looking for a chest at noon that only appears at midnight, you’re gonna have a bad time.
The Southern Wilds and the Art of Not Getting Blown Up
The very first one you’ll likely stumble across is in the Southern Wilds. It’s right near the start. You can’t miss the chest itself, but the seals? That’s another story.
You’ve got to find three runes. They look like rocks with glowing blue letters. One is tucked away high on a ledge to the left of the chest. Easy. The second one is across the path, hidden behind some of those nasty explosive plants. But the third one? It’s covered in thick brambles.
Here is where people mess up. You can't just hit the brambles with your axe. You need the Blades of Chaos. Reach out, scorch the vines, and then smash the seal. It’s a simple "gear check" to make sure you’re paying attention. If you’re rushing, you’ll run right past it.
Abandoned Village: The Crane Puzzle That Everyone Hates
God, this one. The Abandoned Village houses a Vanaheim Nornir chest that requires you to play with a massive wooden crane. It’s clunky. It’s slow.
You find the chest under a wooden hut. To open it, you need to light three torches. This isn't a "smash it with a rock" puzzle; it's a "set things on fire" puzzle.
- First, move the crane so the fire bucket is near the first torch.
- Pull the bucket toward you with the Blades of Chaos to make it swing.
- If it touches the torch, it lights.
The second torch is across the gap. You have to jump over, rotate the crane again, and repeat the swinging trick. The third one is actually hidden behind a waterfall. You have to freeze the water with the Leviathan Axe first, then swing the fire bucket into the brazier. It’s a multi-step process that feels like a Rube Goldberg machine. If your timing is off by a second, the bucket misses, and you’re just standing there like a jerk while Atreus watches you fail.
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Cliffside Ruins: The Hidden Geometry
The Cliffside Ruins chest is tucked away in a corner near the river, but the seals are scattered in a way that makes zero sense until you climb.
You’ll find one seal tucked into the rocks near the Spirit who gives you a side quest. Another is way across the water on a tiny island—you’ll need to use your axe for a long-distance snipe. The last one? It’s hidden behind a chain. You have to climb the ruins, drop a golden chain, and then look down.
It's subtle. The game wants you to think vertically. If you're just looking at eye level, you'll never find the third rune.
The Goddess Falls: A Lesson in Chain Reactions
Once you get to the Goddess Falls, the puzzles get meaner. This Vanaheim Nornir chest uses the "brazier" mechanic again, but the torches are too far apart for your Blades to reach directly.
This is where Sigil Arrows become your best friend.
Basically, you have to create a "chain reaction" of purple bubbles. Place one bubble on the torch, one on the rock next to it, and one close enough for Kratos to hit with his Blades. When the first one explodes, it triggers the next, which triggers the next, and finally lights the torch.
There are three of these. One is way up high on the cliffs. One is tucked behind a rock near the waterfall. The trick is making the bubbles big enough to overlap. If they don't touch, the fire won't jump. It's finicky. You’ll probably waste five minutes just trying to get the placement right.
The Veiled Passage: Don't Forget Your Bombs
Inside the Veiled Passage, you’ll find a chest sitting right there on the beach. But there are no seals in sight.
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Look around. There’s a pile of fire bombs nearby. You need to grab a bomb and throw it at the three seals hidden across the cavern. One is behind some bars. One is high up on the wall.
The catch? You have to hit all three quickly. Well, not that quickly, but fast enough that you don't lose your rhythm. The hardest one is the one behind the wooden fence. You have to aim the bomb perfectly so the splash damage hits the seal.
The Plains and the Day/Night Dilemma
When you finally reach The Crater (after the "Scent of Survival" quest), Vanaheim opens up into a massive semi-open world. This is where things get complicated.
The Plains has two chests. One is near the Western side. It requires the Spear—the Draupnir Spear. If you don't have the spear yet, stop reading and go finish the "Forging Destiny" main quest. You literally cannot open this chest without it.
You have to throw spears into three different seals simultaneously. You plant them, then press the button to detonate them all at once. If you try to do them one by one, the first one resets before you hit the third.
The second chest in The Plains is even worse. It’s tucked inside a cave area that is only accessible if you’ve changed the time of day to Night. At Night, certain plants shrink, allowing you to walk through. If it’s Day, the path is blocked by massive, thorny vines.
The Jungle: Dragons and Waterways
The Jungle is a sub-region of The Crater. It is beautiful and deadly.
There’s a Vanaheim Nornir chest here that is actually tied to the river. You have to open the dam first. If you haven't opened the dam yet, the water won't flow, and you can't reach the chest area by boat.
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Once the water is back, row your boat to the altar. You’ll find the chest on a platform. The seals here are "spinners." You hit them with your axe to rotate them until they match the runes on the chest.
- One is right next to the chest (too easy).
- One is hidden behind a wall of vines (use Sigil Arrows and Blades).
- One is way up on a ruin. You have to find the right angle from the boat dock to hit it.
The Sinkholes: The Final Test
The Sinkholes is the last major area in the Crater. It’s a series of tunnels and open arenas.
The Nornir chest here is located near a tunnel where a dragon likes to breathe fire at you. It’s annoying. You have to dodge the fire, find the seals, and break them while a giant lizard is trying to melt your face.
The seals are all high up. You’ll need the spear again. Since they are so far apart, the spear is the only way to "tag" them and blow them up at the same time.
Why Bother With All This?
You might be wondering if it's worth it. It is.
By the time you finish Vanaheim, your stats will be significantly higher. If you're playing on "Give Me God of War" difficulty, these chests aren't optional. They are the difference between surviving a boss hit and getting sent back to the checkpoint.
Beyond the stats, there's a certain satisfaction. Vanaheim is a puzzle box. Opening every chest feels like you’ve finally mastered the environment. You stop being a visitor and start being the Apex Predator of the realm.
Actionable Next Steps for Completionists
If you’re staring at a map that says 8/10 chests found, here is what you do:
- Check the Time: Go to a Celestial Altar and flip from Day to Night (or vice versa). Entire sections of the map change.
- Look for the Spear Icons: If you see small wind-holes in the walls, you need the Draupnir Spear. If you don't have it, leave Vanaheim and come back later.
- The Sigil Trick: When using Sigil Arrows, remember you can stack up to three arrows in one spot to make the circle bigger. This is mandatory for the Goddess Falls torches.
- Listen for the Hum: Nornir seals make a very specific low-frequency humming sound. If you're lost, turn your music down and listen. Your ears will find the rune before your eyes do.
Vanaheim doesn't give up its secrets easily. But once you know how the developers think—verticality, elemental reactions, and time-of-day shifts—those chests start looking a lot less like impossible puzzles and a lot more like free upgrades. Just keep your axe sharp and your eyes on the treeline.