The Role Of The Wyrd Sisters In Norse Mythology

THE NORNS The concept of three women who together determine destiny is present throughout many different cultures. From the Moirai of Greek mythology, who shared among them one eye, to the witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth who were commonly referred to as the Wyrd Sisters, the three fates are a seemingly universal archetype. Norse mythology personifies fate using this same archetype, with three women depicted as controlling the fate of all living things. In the glossary of Neil Gaiman’s book, Norse Mythology, they are defined thusly. “The three sisters, Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld, who tend the well of Urd, or fate, and water the roots of Yggdrasil, the world-tree. They, along with other norns, decide what will happen in your life.” (294) These figures were called nornir in Old Norse, which was the plural of the

In modern english, they are usually referred to as the Norns. The most well known - and possibly the most powerful - of the three sisters is Urd. The well of Urd is named for her, and her name is frequently used in modern texts to refer to the Norse concept of fate as a whole. This is a modern practice, as her name actually translates to “what has become.” The names of the other two sisters, Skuld and Verðandi, respectively translate to should, and happening. (Crawford, 2017) These names drive home the cyclical nature of fate, as past, present, and future work in tandem, each affecting the others. In other religions, such as wicca, groups of three goddesses are often assigned to the roles of maiden, mother, and crone. Although there doesn’t seem to be any reference to the ages of the norns in the original sources, it is possible that the translations of their names influenced this triple-goddess