The Norns and The Fates

[EyeofOdin]

When people talk about The Norns, I believe that they are cognate and related to The Fates in Greek mythology, but what they represent to the Norse and what The Fates represent to the Greeks are somewhat different.

The obviously have their similarities. Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos and Nona, Decima and Morta seem to have similar spheres of influence as Urd, Verdandi and Skuld. I do not however view the Norns as keepers of "Fate" as I don't believe in Fate or Pre-destiny. They more of Goddesses of Karma and the principles of what has happened, what is happening and what will happen.

The word "Skuld" is actually cognate to the English word "Schullan" which is where we get the model verb "should" and the particle "shall". I don't see Skuld as being the future. Rather, although she's connected to the future, she's Norn of what is owed, what is needed and what is obligated. If a meteor were to hit the earth, at the verdandi, the moment coming into being, where it touches the earth's surface, the Skuld, what is needed and owed according to the meteor's Wyrd or Urd, what has aleady happened, says that the land must break. The crust must crack. The meteor owes to impact the earth according to it's path before and the earth is needed to break based off of the meteor hitting through it.

 

[Sees]

My understanding of it is that fate/destiny is not like a narrow line but a very wide path. What you can/will see, believe, experience, know, etc. is not completely open and free based off the nature of world and our selves as well as causality. Those with the most will, strength, knowledge, perseverance can stretch the boundaries of the wide path further still.

Wyrd and orlog concepts definitely very different from absolute predestination and still somewhat with karma as seen today.

 

[EyeofOdin]

When it comes to time and fate, I liken it the way that our ancestors likened it: to a tree. The past being the roots, the present being the branches and the future being the leaves. The way we feed the tree is by feeding the roots of the tree, instead of just directly applying water and nutrients to the branches. The leaves absorb sunlight, representing the divine and spiritual evolution, and shows where the branches are going, not permanently set into place but an indicator as to where the branches will end up next.

Interestingly, during winter the tree sheds its leaves, which can be likened to how when we are in a dark or depressing place in our lives, the future may look bleak or may not seem as if there really is a future.