#norns

There are said to be very many Nornir, as stated in Fáfnismál [1] and Gylfaginning [2]; though there are three among them who are the most powerful and best known. These three are called Urðr, Verðandi, and Skuld. Of these three, each one is associated with one of the three points in time — past, present, and future.

Urðr, whose name means ‘fate’, is said to preside over the past.

Verðandi, which is derived from the Old Norse verb verða (‘to become’ or ‘to happen’), is associated with the present.

Skuld, a name meaning something along the lines of ‘shall be’ that is derived from the Old Norse verb skulu, is connected to the future.

['Norns weaving destiny' by Arthur Rackham (1912)]

We’re told in Gylfaginning and the Poetic Edda that the Nornir come from no single race of beings and that there are Nornir of Elvish and Dwarvish blood, as well as those who hail from the gods. The three main Nornir — Urð, Verðandi, and Skuld — are Jötnar giantesses. This we know from the Völuspá (stanza 8) [3]:

‘In their dwellings at peace they (the gods) played at tables, of gold did the gods know no lack; until there came up giant-maids three, huge of might, from Jötunheim.’

Snorri Sturluson tells of the residence of the Nornir in Gylfaginning [4] —

‘Þar stendr salr einn fagr undir askinum við brunninn, ok ór þeim sal koma þrjár meyjar, þær er svá heita: Urðr, Verðandi, Skuld. Þessar meyjar skapa mönnum aldr. Þær köllum vér nornir.’

‘There stands a hall, fair, under the ash by the well, and out from that hall come three maidens, who are called: Urðr, Verðandi, Skuld. These maids shape the lives of men. We call them Norns.’

The ash mentioned is none other than the sacred tree Yggdrasil, and the well is Urðarbrunnr, the Well of Urðr (also called the Well of Fate and the Well of the Wyrd). It is at this well at the roots of Yggdrasil that, as attested in Gylfaginning, the gods hold assembly to discuss and determine law, trade, and other such important matters.

THE WORK OF THE NORNIR

Weavers of Fate

As aforementioned, it is the responsibility of the Nornir to mold the destinies of us all, even the gods, and to act as guardians of time. Their work of crafting the fates of the universe and all mankind is often likened to (and almost always represented in art as) the work of weaving. They are usually depicted weaving at a loom or with their hands. They’re also depicted as working with great, long threads — the threads of our lives.

Bestowers of Destiny

The majority of Nornir, whose names are unknown to us, are believed to have the task of visiting every newly born babe of the world and bestowing upon them that babe’s fate, as told in Gylfaginning (section 15) [5]–

‘Enn eru fleiri nornir, þær er koma til hvers barns, er borit er, at skapa aldr…’

‘But there are many Norns, those who come to every child that is born, to shape its life…’

['Die Nornen' by Johannes Gehrts (1889)]

Keepers of the Sacred Tree

Urðr, Verðandi, and Skuld are chief among the Nornir, and on top of their duties of carefully crafting our fates and the fate of the world, they have another job of great import. These three Nornir are also the keepers of Yggdrasil, the sacred tree which, in Norse mythology, sits at the center of the cosmos. They take care of the tree’s health, rising each morning and collecting water and clay from the well to use in tending Yggdrasil [6],[7].

Marks of Magic, Makers of Law

The Völuspa (stanza 20) gives reason to believe that Urðr, Verðandi, and Skuld may have an even greater part to play still yet, saying:

‘Þaðan koma meyja margs vitandi þjár, ór þeim sal er und þolli strendr; Urð hétu eina, aðra Verðandi, skáru á skíði, Skuld ina þriðju; þær lög lögðu, þær líf kuru alda börnum, örlög seggja.’

‘Thence come the maidens mighty in wisdom, three from the dwelling down beneath the tree; Urð is one named, another Verðandi, — on the wood they scored — and Skuld the third. There they made laws, and life they allotted to the sons of men, and set their fates.’ [8]

The line ‘on the wood they scored’ is usually interpreted as referring to the carving of magic symbols or runes. However, the line ‘there they made laws’ is one that births further questions. Did the Nornir have some part to play, perhaps as advisors or something of the like, in the court of the Norse gods and the laws decided upon within? Or perhaps the line refers to the idea that the Norse gods come to the sacred well of the Nornir to hold court, but doesn’t speak to any act of the Nornir themselves.

Bringers of Visions

It is also said that the Nornir can bestow visions to mankind, often in the form of dreams. These visions can be warnings of things to come or revelations from one’s past that are useful in the coming days. This work shows that the Nornir, or at least some of them, have care for humankind and at times try to prepare and aid humans during difficult times.

In relation to this thought, there is the belief that there are both benevolent Nornir and malevolent Nornir. We find in ‘Gylfaginning’ (section 15) —

'Þá mælti Gangleri: "Ef nornir ráða örlögum manna, þá skipta þær geysi ójafnt, er sumir hafa gott líf ok ríkuligt, en sumir hafa lítit lén eða lof, sumir langt líf, sumir skammt." Hárr segir: "Góðar nornir [...] skapa góðan aldr, en þeir menn, er fyrir ósköpum verða, þá valda því illar nornir."' 'Then said Gangleri: "If the Norns determine the wyrds (fates) of men, then they apportion exceedingly unevenly, seeing that some have a pleasant and luxurious life, but others have little wealth or fame; some have a long life, others short." Hárr said: “Good Norns [...] appoint good life; but those men that suffer evil fortunes are governed by evil Norns."' [9]

HONORING THE NORNIR

['Die Nornen Urd, Werdanda, Skuld, unter der Welteiche Yggdrasil' by Ludwig Burger (1882) {{PD-US-record-expired}}]

While the Nornir are not considered goddesses by all practitioners of Norse paganism (though they very much are seen as such by some), they have certainly always been revered. To this day, you will find pagans who make offerings to the Nornir and who swear upon the Nornir and their names, and magical practitioners who invoke the Nornir in their charms and spells.

Offerings can be made to the Nornir not to alter your destiny but in seeking guidance on your path, understanding and answers, and even advanced notice of what is to come. Along with the belief that a Norn comes to visit every newborn babe and grant it its destiny comes the custom of mothers presenting an offering of a special porridge to the Nornir, perhaps in the hope of the Norn being kinder when granting their child’s destiny.

Offerings associated with the Nornir are, as stated above, porridge and oats, fruits, breads, and offerings made by hand from yarn or string.

Those engaging in the practice of divination, particularly those who also follow a path of Norse paganism, may look to the Nornir for aid in their work. They may invoke the Nornir or make offerings to them in exchange for assistance or for visions granted. Workers of seiðr, especially those who practice knot magic, are also known to look to or invoke the Nornir in their craft. The Nornir have been referenced and invoked in various charms and spells within other forms of traditional Norse magic, a testament to their great power.

A ritual to open connection with the Nornir, or even to strengthen your connection, could be a good idea, as a relationship with the Nornir can be useful for diviners and workers of magic. If you are Norse pagan or a practitioner of Norse magic, there are many practitioners that recommend bringing more interaction with the Nornir into one's practice and work, as well as paying honor to the Nornir or studying them more in depth. There is so much to be learned from the Nornir and what they may choose to share with humankind, and perhaps one can come to better appreciate the roads one walks and the twists and turns of one's destiny in better understanding those who crafted fate as we know it.

CITATIONS, SOURCES, & FURTHER READING

To site this article: The Nornir: the Norse Goddesses of Fate (2022 the Horned Adder ed. / 2025 Sheydmade ed.); Zibelmann, Keziah

Sources & Further Reading:

'Dictionary of Northern Mythology' - Simek, Rudolf; Prof.

'the Elder Edda: A Book of Viking Lore' - Orchard, Andy; Prof.

'Encyclopedia Brittanica' (1911 edition)

‘Fáfnismál’

'Gylfaginning'

'Nordisk Familjebok' (Norse Family Book - a Swedish Encyclopedic Collection)

'Norns in Old Norse Mythology' - Bek-Pedersen, Karen

'Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, & Beliefs' - Lindow, John; Prof.

'the Poetic Edda'

‘Völuspa’

Citations:

[1] Fáfnismál; stanza 13 - 'Fáfnir kvað: "Sundrbornar mjök segi ek nornir vera, eigu-t þær ætt saman; sumar eru áskunngar, sumar alfkunngar, sumar dætr Dvalins." (Fafnir spake: "Of many births the Norns must be, nor one in race they were; Some to gods, others to elves are kin, snd Dvalin's daughters some.")

[2] Gylfaginning; section 15 - '[...] Þær köllum vér nornir. Enn eru fleiri nornir, þær er koma til hvers barns, er borit er, at skapa aldr, ok eru þessar goðkunnigar, en aðrar álfa ættar, en inar þriðju dverga ættar...' ('[...] 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...')

[3] Völuspá; stanza 8

[4], [5], [9] Gylfaginning; section 15

[6] Nordisk familjebok ; entry 'Nornor' - ' [...] under asken Yggdrasil, och hvar dag taga vatten ur brunnen jämte den sand, som ligger omkring den, och ösa upp öfver asken, att dess grenar ej skola torka eller ruttna.'

[7] Gylfaginning; section 16 - 'Enn er þat sagt, at nornir þær, er byggja við Urðarbrunn, taka hvern dag vatn í brunninum ok með aurinn þann, er liggr um brunninn, ok ausa upp yfir askinn, til þess at eigi skuli limar hans tréna eða fúna.' ('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...')