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The Norns spin the threads of fate at the foot of Yggdrasil, the tree of the world.

This romantic representation of the Norns depicts one of them with wings, contrary to folklore.

The Norns (Old Norse: norn, plural: nornir) are numerous female beings who rule the fates of the various races of Norse mythology. An English tradition talks of the Weird Sisters, (sometimes Wyrd Sisters or Three Weird Sisters), where Wyrd is the English form of Urðr, one of the named Norns, whose name means itself "fate". Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wiktionary (from wiki and dictionary) is a multilingual, Web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in over 150 languages. ... Look up Norns in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Weird Sisters are a fictional popular rock band in the Harry Potter series. ... Image File history File links The Norns spin their tapestry at the roots of Yggdrasil. ... Image File history File links The Norns spin their tapestry at the roots of Yggdrasil. ... This illustration shows a 19th century attempt to visualize the world view of the Prose Edda. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x1189, 391 KB)The norns of Norse mythology. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x1189, 391 KB)The norns of Norse mythology. ... Old Norse is the Germanic language spoken by the inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300. ... Norse or Scandinavian mythology comprises the pre-Christian religion, beliefs and legends of the Scandinavian people, including those who settled on Iceland, where the written sources for Norse mythology were assembled. ...

According to Snorri Sturluson's interpretation of the Völuspá, the three most important Norns, Urðr (Wyrd), Verðandi and Skuld come out from a hall standing at the Well of Urðr (well of fate) and they draw water from the well and take sand that lies around it, which they pour over the ash Yggdrasill so that its branches will not rot.^[1] These Norns are described as three powerful maiden giantesses (Jotuns) whose arrival from Jötunheimr ended the golden age of the gods.^[1] They may be the same as the maidens of Mögþrasir who are described in Vafþrúðnismál (see below).^[1] Snorri Sturluson (1178 – September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet and politician. ... Völuspá (The Prophecy of the Seeress) is the first poem in the Poetic Edda. ... In Norse Mythology Urd (ON: Urðr) is one of the three Norns (old crones). ... In Norse mythology, Verdandi (ON: Verðandi), also known as Verthandi, is one of the three norns, along with Urd and Skuld. ... In Norse mythology, Skuld was one of the Norns, and she was also one of the Valkyries. ... Wyrd is a concept in Anglo-Saxon and Nordic culture roughly corresponding to fate. ... Yggdrasil In Norse Mythology, Yggdrasil (also Mimameid and Lerad) was the World tree, a gigantic tree (often suggested to be an ash, an interpretation generally accepted in the modern Scandinavian mind), thought to hold all of the different worlds, such as Asgard, Midgard, Utgard and Hel. ... The giants Fafner and Fasolt seize Freyja in Arthur Rackhams illustration to Richard Wagners version of the Norse myths. ... Jötunheimr (often anglicized Jotunheim) is the world of the giants (two types: rock and frost, collectively called Jotuns) in the Norse Mythology. ... In Norse mythology, Vafþrúðnismál (Vafthruthnismal), or the Song of Vafþruðner, is the third poem in the Poetic Edda. ...

Beside these three Norns, there are many other Norns who arrive when a person is born in order to determine his or her future.^[1] There were both evil and good Norns, and the former caused all the evil and tragic events in the world while the latter were a kind of protective goddesses.^[1] The belief in the Norns as bringers of both good and evil would last beyond the christianization, as testifies the rune inscription N 351 M from the Borgund stave church: Stave church in Borgund The runic inscription N 351 M was found in the Borgund stave church in Norway. ... Stave church in Borgund Borgund stave church (Borgund stavkyrkje) is a stave church located in Lærdal, Norway. ...

Þórir carved these runes on the eve of Olaus-mass, when he travelled past here. The norns did both good and evil, great toil ... they created for me.^[2]

While the name Urðr (Wyrd, Wierd) means "fate", Verðandi is derived from the Old Norse verb verða which means "to become" and Skuld is related to the verb "shall".^[1] There is no foundation in Norse mythology for the notion that the three main Norns each represent the past, the present and the future.^[1] Moreoever, the idea that there are three main Norns may be due to a late influence from Greek and Roman mythology, where there are also spinning fate goddesses (Moirae and Parcae).^[1] The origin of the name Norn is not certain, but it may derive from a word meaning "to twine" and which would refer to their twining the thread of fate.^[1] Olaf II Haraldsson (995 – July 29, 1030), king from 1015–1028, (known during his lifetime as the Stout and after his canonization as Saint Olaf), was born in the year in which Olaf Tryggvason came to Norway. ... Wyrd is a concept in ancient Anglo-Saxon and Nordic cultures roughly corresponding to fate. ... Fates redirects here. ... In Greek mythology, the white-robed Moirae or Moerae (Greek Μοίραι – the Apportioners, often called the Fates) were the personifications of destiny (Roman equivalent: Parcae, sparing ones, or Fatae; also equivalent to the Germanic Norns). ...

There is no clear distinction between Norns, Fylgjas, Hamingjas and Valkyries, nor with the more over-arching term Dísir. Moreover, artistic licence permitted such terms to be used for mortal women in Old Norse poetry, or to quote Snorri Sturluson's Skáldskaparmál on the various names used for women: A fylgja (literally: she, who follows) was, according to Scandinavian mythology, a supernatural creature which accompanied a person. ... The Hamingja was a kind of female guardian angel in Scandinavian mythology. ... The Valkyries Vigil, by the Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Robert Hughes. ... In Norse mythology, the dísir (sing. ... The Death of General Wolfe (Benjamin West. ... Old Norse poetry encompasses a range of verse forms written in a number of Nordic languages, embraced by the term Old Norse, during the period from the 8th century to as late as the far end of the 13th century. ... Snorri Sturluson (1178 – September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet and politician. ... The second part of the Younger Edda of Snorri Sturluson the Skáldskaparmál or language of poetry is effectively a dialogue between the Norse god of the sea, Ægir and Bragi, the god of poetry, in which both Norse mythology and discourse on the nature of poetry are intertwined. ...

Woman is also metaphorically called by the names of the Asynjur or the Valkyrs or Norns or women of supernatural kind.^[3]

The Aesir (Old Norse sir, singular ss, feminine synja, feminine plural synjur) are the principal pantheon of gods in Norse mythology. ... The Valkyries Vigil, by the Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Robert Hughes. ...

Main sources

There are a number of surviving Old Norse sources that relate to the Norns. The most important sources are the Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda. The latter contains pagan poetry where the Norns are frequently referred to, while the former contains, in addition to pagan poetry, retellings, descriptions and commentaries by the 12th and 13th century Icelandic chieftain and scholar Snorri Sturluson. The Younger Edda, known also as the Prose Edda or Snorris Edda is an Icelandic manual of poetics which also contains many mythological stories. ... Look up Poetic Edda in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Prose Edda

In the part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda which is called Gylfaginning, Gylfi, the king of Sweden, has arrived at Valhalla calling himself Gangleri. There, he receives a crash course in Norse mythology from what is Odin in the shape of three men. They explain to Gylfi that there are three main Norns, but also many others of various races, Æsir, Elves and Dwarves: Snorri Sturluson (1178 – September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet and politician. ... The Younger Edda, known also as the Prose Edda or Snorris Edda is an Icelandic manual of poetics which also contains many mythological stories. ... External links Original text English text Categories: Mythology stubs | Medieval literature | Sagas of Iceland | Norse mythology | Nordic folklore ... Gylfi greets Odin Gylfi, Gylfe, Gylvi, or Gylve was the earliest king of Sweden present in Norse mythology. ... Sweden is a constitutional monarchy with a representative democracy based on a parliamentary system. ... “Valhall” redirects here. ... For other meanings of Odin and Wotan see Odin (disambiguation) Odin (Old Norse Óðinn, Swedish Oden) is usually considered the supreme god of Germanic and Norse mythology. ... Norse or Scandinavian mythology comprises the pre-Christian religion, beliefs and legends of the Scandinavian people, including those who settled on Iceland, where the written sources for Norse mythology were assembled. ... For other meanings of Odin, Woden or Wotan see Odin (disambiguation), Woden (disambiguation), Wotan (disambiguation). ...

A hall stands there, fair, under the ash by the well, and out of that hall come three maids, who are called thus: Urdr, Verdandi, Skuld; these maids determine the period of men's lives: we call them Norns; but there are many norns: those who come to each child that is born, to appoint his life; these are of the race of the gods, but the second are of the Elf-people, and the third are of the kindred of the dwarves, as it is said here:

Most sundered in birth

I say the Norns are;

They claim no common kin:

Some are of Æsir-kin,

some are of Elf-kind,

Some are Dvalinn's daughters."

Then said Gangleri: "If the Norns determine the weirds of men, then they apportion exceeding unevenly, seeing that some have a pleasant and luxurious life, but others have little worldly goods or fame; some have long life, others short." Hárr said: "Good norns and of honorable race appoint good life; but those men that suffer evil fortunes are governed by evil norns."^[4]

The three main Norns take water out of the well of Urd and water Yggdrasil: This illustration shows a 19th century attempt to visualize the world view of the Prose Edda. ... A small forest elf (älva) rescuing an egg, from Solägget (1932), by Elsa Beskow An elf is a mythical creature of Germanic mythology and Germanic paganism which still survives in northern European folklore. ... In Norse mythology, the dwarves (Old Norse: dvergar, sing. ... In Norse mythology, Dvalin is a common dwarf name found in several mythological tales and kennings. ...

It is further said that these Norns who dwell by the Well of Urdr take water of the well every day, and with it that clay which lies about the well, and sprinkle it over the Ash, to the end that its limbs shall not wither nor rot; for that water is so holy that all things which come there into the well become as white as the film which lies within the egg-shell,--as is here said:

I know an Ash standing

called Yggdrasill,

A high tree sprinkled

with snow-white clay;

Thence come the dews

in the dale that fall--

It stands ever green

above Urdr's Well.

That dew which falls from it onto the earth is called by men honey-dew, and thereon are bees nourished. Two fowls are fed in Urdr's Well: they are called Swans, and from those fowls has come the race of birds which is so called."^[4]

Snorri furthermore informs the reader that the youngest Norn, Skuld, is in effect also a Valkyrie, taking part in the selection of warriors from the slain: The Valkyries Vigil, by the Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Robert Hughes. ...

These are called Valkyrs: them Odin sends to every battle; they determine men's feyness and award victory. Gudr and Róta and the youngest Norn, she who is called Skuld, ride ever to take the slain and decide fights.^[4]

In Norse mythology, Gunnr or Guðr is one of the valkyries. ... In Norse mythology Róta was one of the valkyries. ...

The Poetic Edda

The Poetic Edda is valuable in representing older material in poetry from which Snorri tapped information in the Prose Edda. Like, Gylfaginning, the Poetic Edda mentions the existence of many lesser Norns beside the three main Norns. Moreover, it also agrees with Gylfaginning by telling that they were of several races and that the Dwarven Norns were the daughters of Dvalin. It also suggests that the three main Norns were giantesses (female Jotuns).^[5] Look up Poetic Edda in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Younger Edda, known also as the Prose Edda or Snorris Edda is an Icelandic manual of poetics which also contains many mythological stories. ... In Norse mythology, Dvalin was a ruler of the dwarves and one of the most powerful dwarves, known primarily for having invented runes. ... The giants Fafner and Fasolt seize Freyja in Arthur Rackhams illustration to Richard Wagners version of the Norse myths. ...

Fáfnismál contains a discussion between the hero Sigurd and the dragon Fafnir who is dying from a mortal wound from Sigurd. The hero asks Fafnir of many things among them the nature of the Norns and Fafnir explains that they are many and from several races: Sigurd plunges his sword into Fáfnirs chest in this illustration by Arthur Rackham. ... Sigurd sculpture in Bremen Sigurd (Old Norse: Sigurðr, German: Siegfried) was a legendary hero of Norse mythology, as well as the central character in the Völsunga saga. ... Fáfnir guards the gold hoard in this illustration by Arthur Rackham to Richard Wagners Siegfried. ...

It appears from Völuspá and Vafþrúðnismál that the Norns were not originally goddesses but giantesses (Jotuns), and that their arrival ended the early days of bliss for the gods, but that they come for the good of mankind. Völuspá relates that three giantesses of huge might are reported to have arrived to the gods from Jotunheim: Völuspá (The Prophecy of the Seeress) is the first poem in the Poetic Edda. ... In Norse mythology, Vafþrúðnismál (Vafthruthnismal), or the Song of Vafþruðner, is the third poem in the Poetic Edda. ... The giants Fafner and Fasolt seize Freyja in Arthur Rackhams illustration to Richard Wagners version of the Norse myths. ... Jotunheim is the world of the giants (two types: rock and frost, collectively called Jotuns) in the Norse Mythology. ...

Vafþrúðnismál probably refers to the Norns when it talks of maiden giantesses who arrive to protect the people of earth as protective spirits (Hamingjas)^[1][9]: Tafl games are a family of ancient Germanic board games played on a checkered board with two teams of uneven strength. ... In Norse mythology, Vafþrúðnismál (Vafthruthnismal), or the Song of Vafþruðner, is the third poem in the Poetic Edda. ... The Hamingja was a kind of female guardian angel in Scandinavian mythology. ...

The Völuspá contains the names of the three main Norns referring to them as maidens like Vafþrúðnismál probably does: The Hamingja was a kind of female guardian angel in Scandinavian mythology. ... Völuspá (The Prophecy of the Seeress) is the first poem in the Poetic Edda. ...

The Norns visited each newly born child to allot his or her future, and in Helgakviða Hundingsbana I, the hero Helgi Hundingsbane has just been born and Norns arrive at the homestead: Technical note: Due to technical limitations, some web browsers may not display some special characters in this article. ... Helgis army departs to fight for Sigrún. ... Helgi Hundingsbane/Hundingsbani was a hero in the Norse sagas. ...

In Helgakviða Hundingsbana II, Helgi Hundingsbane blames the Norns for the fact that he had to kill Sigrún's father Högni and brother Bragi in order to wed her: Helgi returns to Valhalla Helgi Hundingsbane was a hero in the Norse sagas, who appears in the Volsunga saga and in two lays in the Poetic Edda named Helgakviða Hundingsbana I and II. // Earning his name and meeting a Valkyrie He appears to be the son of Sigmund and... Helgi Hundingsbane/Hundingsbani was a hero in the Norse sagas. ...

Like Snorri Sturluson stated in Gylfaginning, people's fate depended on the benevolence or the malevolence of particular Norns. In Reginsmál, the water dwelling Dwarf Andvari blames his plight on an evil Norn, presumably one of the daughters of Dvalin: We dont have an article called Reginsmál Start this article Search for Reginsmál in. ... In Norse mythology, Andvari was a dwarf. ...

Another instance of Norns being blamed for an undesirable situation appears in Sigurðarkviða in skamma, where the Valkyrie Brynhild blames ill Norns for her long yearning for the embrace of Sigurd: The Valkyries Vigil, by the Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Robert Hughes. ... In Norse mythology, Brünnehilde was a shieldmaiden and a Valkyrie. ... Sigurd sculpture in Bremen Sigurd (Old Norse: Sigurðr, German: Siegfried) was a legendary hero of Norse mythology, as well as the central character in the Völsunga saga. ...

Not only Brynhild puts the blames the Norns for her suffering, but also Guðrún, her competitor in love. In Guðrúnarhvöt Guðrún talks of trying to escaping the wrath of the Norns by trying to kill herself: Gudrun and Sigurd In Norse mythology, Gudrun, who is called Kriemhild in the Nibelungenlied, was the sister of Gunnar. ... ΑÖÖÖÜđiÔ:For the character of the sitcom Friends see here. ... Guðrúnarhvöt is a skaldic poem of the Poetic Edda. ...

Guðrúnarhvöt deals with how Guðrún incited her sons to avenge the cruel death of their sister Svanhild. In Hamðismál, her sons' expedition to the Gothic king Ermanaric to exact vengeance is fateful. Knowing that he is about to die at the hands of the Goths, her son Sörli talks of the cruelty of the Norns: Svanhild was the daughter of Sigurd and Gudrun in the Volsung Cycle. ... The Hamðismál is a poem which ends the Skaldic poetry of the Poetic Edda, and thereby the whole collection. ... The green area is the traditional extent of Götaland and the dark pink area is the island of Gotland. ...

Since the Norns were beings of ultimate power who were working in the dark, it should be no surprise that they could be referred to in charms, as they are by Sigrdrífa in Sigrdrífumál: Sigrdrífa gives Sigurðr a horn to drink from. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

In Norse mythology, Gungnir (also Gungni, Gungner, or Gungrir) was the name of Odins javelin. ... Grani is a mythical eight-legged horse that appears in Norse mythology. ...

Legendary sagas

Some of the legendary sagas also contain references to the Norns. The Hervarar saga contains a poem named Hlöðskviða, where the Gothic king Angantyr defeats a Hunnish invasion led by his Hunnish half-brother Hlöðr. Knowing that his sister, the shieldmaiden Hervor, is one of the casualties, Angantyr looks at his dead brother and laments the cruelty of the Norns: Fornalder (times past), painting by Peter Nicolai Arbo A Legendary saga or Fornaldarsaga, literally a tale of times past is a Norse saga which, unlike the Icelandic sagas, takes place before the colonization of Iceland. ... Hervarar saga ok Heidhreks is a fornaldarsaga from the 13th century using material from an older saga. ... Gizur challenges the Huns Hlöðskviða or The Battle of the Goths and Huns is sometimes counted among the Eddic poems. ... Hjorvard and Hjalmar propose to Ingeborg Angantyr was the name of three characters from the same line in Norse mythology, and who appear in Hervarar saga, the Poetic Edda (the Waking of Angantyr and the Battle of the Goths and Huns) and in Gesta Danorum. ... Hlod or Hlöd was the illegitimate son of Heidrek, the king of the Goths. ... Hervor dying after the battle with the Huns. ... Hervor dying, a painting by Peter Nicolai Arbo Hervor was a shieldmaiden in the cycle of the magic sword Tyrfing, presented in Hervarar saga and of which parts are found in the Poetic Edda. ...

In younger legendary sagas, such as Norna-Gests þáttr and Hrólfs saga kraka, the Norns appear to have been synonymous with Völvas (witches, female shamans). In Norna-Gests þáttr, where they arrive at the birth of the hero to shape his destiny, the Norns are not described as weaving, instead Norna appears plainly as a synonym of Vala (Völva). The death of Nornagest, by Gunnar Vidar Forssell Norna-Gests þáttr or the Story of Norna-Gest is a legendary saga about the Norse hero Norna-Gest. ... Hrólfs saga kraka, the Saga of King Hrolf kraki, is a late legendary saga on the adventures of Hrólfr Kraki and his clan, the Skjöldungs. ... The völva, vala, wala (Old High German), seiðkona, or wicce was a female shaman in Norse mythology, and among the Germanic tribes. ...

One of the last legendary sagas to be written down, the Hrólfs saga kraka talks of the Norns simply as evil witches. When the evil half-elven princess Skuld assembles her army to attack Hrólfr Kraki, it contains in addition to undead warriors, Elves and Norns. In Norse mythology, a half-elf is the offspring of an elf and a human. ... Skuld was a princess who married Heoroweard and encouraged him to kill Hrólf Kraki. ... Hrólf Kraki (Old Norse), Rolf Kraki or Rolf Krake was a legendary king at Lejre on the isle of Zealand, Denmark, described in several old sagas and other documents such as the Leire chronicle and Gesta Danorum by Saxo Grammaticus. ... A small forest elf (älva) rescuing an egg, from Solägget (1932), by Elsa Beskow An elf is a mythical creature of Germanic mythology and Germanic paganism which still survives in northern European folklore. ...

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} The article Nornor in Nordisk familjebok (1913).
2. ^ Translation of rune inscription N 351 M provided by Rundata.
3. ^ Skáldskaparmál in translation by Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur (1916), at Northvegr.
4. ^ ^{a b c} Gylfaginning in translation by Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur (1916), at Sacred Texts.
5. ^ See commentary by Bellows
6. ^ Fáfnismál Guðni Jónsson's edition of the text with normalized spelling.
7. ^ ^{a b c} Fafnismol in translation by Henry Adams Bellows (1936), at Sacred Texts.
8. ^ ^{a b} Völuspá Guðni Jónsson's edition of the text with normalized spelling.
9. ^ See also Bellows' commentary.
10. ^ Vafþrúðnismál Guðni Jónsson's edition of the text with normalized spelling.
11. ^ The lay of Vafthrúdnir in translation by Benjamin Thorpe (1866), at Northvegr.
12. ^ Helgakviða Hundingsbana I Guðni Jónsson's edition of the text with normalized spelling.
13. ^ The First Lay of Helgi Hundingsbane in translation by Henry Adams Bellows (1936), at Sacred Texts.
14. ^ Völsungakviða in forna Guðni Jónsson's edition of the text with normalized spelling.
15. ^ ^{a b} Typographical error for Norns, cf. the text in Old Norse.
16. ^ The Second Lay of Helgi Hundingsbane in translation by Henry Adams Bellows (1936), at Sacred Texts.
17. ^ Reginsmál Guðni Jónsson's edition of the text with normalized spelling.
18. ^ The Ballad of Regin in translation by Henry Adams Bellows (1936), at Sacred Texts.
19. ^ Sigurðarkviða in skamma Guðni Jónsson's edition of the text with normalized spelling.
20. ^ The Short Lay of Sigurth in translation by Henry Adams Bellows (1936), at Sacred Texts.
21. ^ Guðrúnarhvöt Guðni Jónsson's edition of the text with normalized spelling.
22. ^ Guthrun's Inciting in translation by Henry Adams Bellows (1936), at Sacred Texts.
23. ^ Hamðismál Guðni Jónsson's edition of the text with normalized spelling.
24. ^ The Ballad of Hamther in translation by Henry Adams Bellows (1936), at Sacred Texts.
25. ^ Sigrdrífumál Guðni Jónsson's edition of the text with normalized spelling.
26. ^ The Ballad of The Victory-Bringer in translation by Henry Adams Bellows (1936), at Sacred Texts.
27. ^ Hlöðskviða Guðni Jónsson's edition of the text with normalized spelling.
28. ^ The Saga of Hervor & King Heidrek the Wise in translation by Peter Tunstall (2003), at Northvegr.

The Owl Edition Nordisk familjebok (en. ... Rundata - phreakin great guy, pwnz u all! telecommications fanatic website here - * rundata. ... Northvegr (Northern way) is the website of the Northvegr Foundation, a nonprofit uneducational foundation. ... Portrait by Adna Tenney (1810–1900). ... Benjamin Thorpe (1782 - July, 1870) was an English Anglo_Saxon scholar. ... Northvegr (Northern way) is the website of the Northvegr Foundation, a nonprofit uneducational foundation. ... Portrait by Adna Tenney (1810–1900). ... Portrait by Adna Tenney (1810–1900). ... Portrait by Adna Tenney (1810–1900). ... Portrait by Adna Tenney (1810–1900). ... Portrait by Adna Tenney (1810–1900). ... Portrait by Adna Tenney (1810–1900). ... Portrait by Adna Tenney (1810–1900). ... Northvegr (Northern way) is the website of the Northvegr Foundation, a nonprofit uneducational foundation. ...

See also

• Norns in popular culture

	Norse mythology
	List of Norse gods | Æsir | Vanir | Giants | Elves | Dwarves | Troll | Valkyries | Einherjar | Norns | Odin | Thor | Freyr | Freyja | Loki | Balder | Týr | Yggdrasil | Ginnungagap | Ragnarök
	Sources: Poetic Edda | Prose Edda | The Sagas | Volsung Cycle | Tyrfing Cycle | Rune stones | Old Norse language | Orthography | Later influence
	Society: Viking Age | Skald | Kenning | Blót | Seid | Numbers
	People, places and things