Norns— Norse Group"Weavers of Fate"

Weavers of Fate

The Norns are three powerful female beings who determine the fate of all creatures—gods, humans, and giants alike. They dwell at the Well of Urðr beneath one of Yggdrasil's roots, where they carve runes into the tree's bark and weave the threads of destiny. Even Odin, for all his wisdom, cannot change what the Norns have decreed.

The Three Sisters

The three chief Norns are Urðr ("That Which Has Become"—the past), Verðandi ("That Which Is Becoming"—the present), and Skuld ("That Which Shall Be"—the future). Their names reflect not merely time but the nature of fate itself: what was shapes what is, which shapes what will be. Destiny is not arbitrary but the consequence of all that came before.

Tenders of the World Tree

Each day, the Norns draw water from the Well of Urðr and pour it over Yggdrasil's roots, mixing it with the clay around the well. This sacred ritual heals the damage done by Níðhöggr and the other serpents gnawing below. Without the Norns' care, the World Tree would die, and the cosmos would collapse.

The Well of Urðr

The Well of Urðr is so holy that anything dipped in its waters turns white. Two swans live in the well, ancestors of all swans. Here the gods hold their daily council, riding across Bifrost to seek the Norns' wisdom. The well contains not just water but the accumulated wyrd of existence—every deed, every choice, every consequence.

Beyond the Three

While the three great Norns are most famous, many other norns exist. Some are divine, some are elven, some are dwarven. These lesser norns attend at births, assigning fates to newborns. Some children receive good fates, some ill—it depends on which norns happen to be present. No one can escape what the norns decree, but meeting one's fate with courage is the highest Norse virtue.