In Norse mythology, Freya was one of the most powerful and important goddesses. As the goddess of love, beauty, war, and death, Freya had many reasons to fear the arrows of Atreus, the son of Kratos.
Atreus’ Divine Heritage
Atreus was no ordinary mortal – he was the son of Kratos, the mighty Greek god of war. This divine parentage endowed Atreus with superhuman abilities and powers beyond those of normal men. His arrows were imbued with divine energy and could pierce even the thick hides of giants and gods.
As a goddess, Freya would be vulnerable to weapons empowered by godly might. Atreus’ divine heritage meant his arrows posed a legitimate threat even to powerful immortal beings like Freya.
Atreus’ Skill with a Bow
In addition to his divine parentage, Atreus was preternaturally skilled with a bow and arrow. He received extensive training from his father Kratos in wilderness survival and combat. Under Kratos’ tutelage, Atreus became an expert marksman and hunter.
Freya likely feared Atreus’ prowess as an archer. His skill with a bow meant he could loose arrows with pinpoint accuracy at remarkable speed. Atreus could potentially fill Freya with a dozen divine arrows before she could react.
Atreus’ Lack of Mercy
Unlike his father Kratos, Atreus was not known for showing restraint or mercy in battle. Kratos, for all his rage, possessed a code of honor and sense of fairness when fighting worthy opponents. Atreus did not share these qualities – he would kill gods and giants without hesitation or regret.
This ruthlessness made Atreus even more dangerous to immortal beings like Freya. She knew Atreus would not hesitate to strike her down, arrow after arrow, if he was given the chance.
Atreus Had Killed Gods Before
Despite his youth, Atreus already had experience battling gods – and winning. During his journeys with Kratos, Atreus helped slay the Norse god Baldur, son of Odin and Freya’s brother. This demonstrated Atreus could go toe-to-toe with divine beings and prevail.
Freya likely feared she would suffer the same fate as her brother at Atreus’ hands. His strength and skills were clearly enough to defeat even the mighty gods of Asgard.
Atreus Could Overpower Freya’s Magic
As a goddess, Freya had access to powerful magic she could use both offensively and defensively. However, Atreus’ divine arrows could potentially overpower her magical wards and protections.
Weapons imbued with divine energy often prove effective against the magical defenses employed by gods and other mystical beings. This is likely why Freya feared Atreus could penetrate her magical shields with his god-killing arrows.
Atreus Was Unafraid of Gods
Many mortals cower in fear at the sight of gods like Freya, knowing the immense power these divine beings wield. But Atreus was an exception – his divine heritage and combat experience meant he did not hesitate to attack gods like Freya.
Freya could not rely on inspiring fear or awe to make Atreus hesitate in battle. His courage and audacity to strike gods directly made him even more dangerous in Freya’s eyes.
Atreus Had Bested Gods Before Freya
In addition to Baldur, Atreus and Kratos battled and defeated other Norse gods before their encounter with Freya. Their victories over deities like Magni and Modi demonstrated that Atreus and Kratos could slay divine beings through teamwork and determination.
Knowing Atreus had triumphed against other gods, Freya had good reason to believe he could defeat her as well if given the opportunity. Past victories emboldened Atreus and proved his lethality against immortal foes.
Atreus Was Prophesied to Fight the Gods
According to Norse prophecies, Atreus was destined to fight the gods during Ragnarok, the apocalyptic battle foretold to end the reign of the Aesir gods. While the details were murky, Atreus seemed fated to join the war against Asgard.
As a goddess closely aligned with Odin, Freya was likely to be an enemy of Atreus during Ragnarok. This unavoidable destiny provided additional reasons for Freya to fear and resent the demigod Atreus.
Atreus Could Spread Word of Freya’s Weaknesses
While Atreus was unlikely to spare Freya if given the opportunity to kill her, he could also torment the goddess in other ways. If Atreus identified vulnerabilities or weaknesses in Freya’s defenses, he could spread this information to her enemies.
The thought of Atreus exposing her weaknesses to other gods eager to see her fall filled Freya with dread. She feared Atreus had both the skills to discern weaknesses and the lack of compassion to exploit them.
Freya Had Her Own Dark Past With Atreus’ Father
In a twist of fate, Kratos had his own troubled history with Freya long before Atreus was born. As the Greek god of war, Kratos fought Freya and her Valkyrie sisters when they attempted to aid the gods of Olympus.
Freya likely saw Atreus as an instrument of vengeance through which Kratos could continue punishing her for past transgressions. Training Atreus to kill gods must have felt like Kratos was grooming his son to destroy Freya.
Atreus Could Damage Freya’s Reputation
In addition to physically harming Freya, Atreus could also damage her standing among both gods and mortals. Humiliating Freya through combat diminishes her aura of power and authority over lesser beings.
A gods’ reputation and prestige is a significant source of their influence and strength. Atreus had the capacity to weaken Freya substantially without drawing blood by degrading her repute across the realms.
Atreus Was Unrestrained by Morality
Unlike moral mortals, Atreus operated outside the constraints of traditional morality and ethics. He did not hesitate to lie, cheat, and kill to accomplish his goals. This flexibility troubled Freya deeply.
An amoral foe like Atreus was capable of anything, no matter how underhanded or dishonorable. Freya could not anticipate or counter someone unbound by ethical norms and codes of conduct.
Conclusion
In summary, the goddess Freya had ample reasons to fear confrontation with the demigod Atreus. His divine heritage, archery skills, ruthlessness, past victories against gods, destined role in Ragnarok, and lack of restraint all made him a formidable and dangerous foe.
While not omnipotent, Atreus possessed sufficient power and skill to threaten even mighty Aesir like Freya in combat. Combined with his lack of mercy and moral flexibility, Atreus was a truly terrifying opponent for any god forced to face his divine wrath.