The Norns: Spinners of Time

The Norns are some of the more interesting characters in Norse mythology, and their home is as fascinating as they are. I’ve talked before about Yggdrasil and the nine realms that lie within its boughs - but trees have more than just branches. They also have roots. Yggdrasil is said to have three roots, with one well to water it at each root. One well is kept by a wise being named Mimir that I’ll talk about when we discuss Odin. The second well lies in the Kingdom of Hel, and a dragon named Nithog constantly chews at the root by the well. Nithog frequently exchanges insults with an eagle that sits in the top branches of Yggdrasil, both of whom use a squirrel as their messenger.

The third well of Yggdrasil is called Urdarbrunn, and it is tended by the Norns. The waters of this well are sacred, used to preserve and protect the Tree from harm.

Now that you know about their home, lets talk about the Norns. Their name means “Fate”, and they are highly similar to characters from Greek, Roman, and Celtic mythology. While these characters are often represented by a Maiden, Mother, and Crone, the Norns are three sisters.

The oldest sister is named Urd, which means “that which has been”. Verdandi, the middle sister, means “that which is”, and Skuld, the youngest, means “that which will be”. Together they represent the Past, Present, and Future. Often said to be giants, some tales claim that time did not exist before the Norns began their task - spinning.

If you’re picturing the creepy ladies with the thread and scissors from Disney’s Hercules, you’re on the right track. Like the Greek Morai, which means “Fates”, the Norns spin a thread for the life of every living being. Sometimes they are depicted as weaving the threads of life, but more often they are simply spinners.

What makes the Norns so fascinating compared to their counterparts from other mythologies is whose thread they spin. Every living creature has a thread, including men, giants...and the gods. The gods are thus not immune to death, and will ultimately perish along with man.

Technically speaking, that makes the Norns more powerful than the gods. They are the ones who will ultimately cut the thread of a god’s life and end it. They are the ones who handle both time and fate, and thus hold the destiny of the universe in their hands.

Little bit creepy, right? Aren’t you glad the Norns are impartial and not prone to holding grudges? Otherwise, *snip snip* and you’re dead!

That’s all I’ve got about the Norns for now. We’ll talk a little bit more about them when I talk about the role of fate in Norse mythology, but in my next post I want to discuss Odin. About time, right? It’s not like he’s an important character or anything!

Anyhoo, feel free to post below or email me with questions or comments. If you want to know about the Allfather, stay tuned for next time!