The Norns

In Norse mythology, the Norns are deities who determine the course of human lives. They are most often depicted as three figures: Urðr, Verðandi, and Skuld. These three are said to spin the threads of fate and also care for the world tree Yggdrasil, keeping it alive at the center of the cosmos.

The word "norn" has an uncertain origin. It might come from a term meaning "to twine," a reference to how they twist the thread of fate. Another possibility, suggested by scholar Bek-Pedersen, links it to a Swedish dialect verb *norna* (or *nyrna*), which means "to communicate secretly." This fits the view of the Norns as obscure, background figures who only reveal a person's fate as it actually happens.

The name Urðr (related to the Old English word *wyrd*, meaning "fate") itself means "fate." Both Urðr and Verðandi come from the Old Norse verb *verða*, "to become," which traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to turn." It is often said that Urðr refers to the past ("that which became or happened"), Verðandi to the present ("that which is happening"), and Skuld (from the verb *skulu*, meaning "need/ought to be/shall be") to the future ("that which should become"). However, some scholars argue these names do not strictly denote time periods in Old Norse but rather express past, present, and future in terms of fate itself.

In Old Norse poetry, the line between Norns and other female supernatural beings—such as fylgjas, hamingjas, valkyries, and the general term *dísir*—is blurry. Poets also used these terms for mortal women. Snorri Sturluson’s *Skáldskaparmál* notes that a woman could be metaphorically called by the names of the Asynjur, Valkyrs, Norns, or other supernatural women.

The main surviving sources about the Norns are the *Prose Edda* and the *Poetic Edda*. The *Poetic Edda* contains older pagan poetry that frequently mentions them, while the *Prose Edda* includes similar poetry along with retellings and commentary by the 12th- and 13th-century Icelandic scholar Snorri Sturluson.

In skaldic poetry, a reference appears in Hvini’s poem *Ynglingatal* (stanza 24, found in *Ynglingasaga* 47), where King Halfdan is laid to rest. The phrase "norna dómr" ("judgment of the nornir") is used. Usually, when the Norns pass judgment, it means death for the one judged—here, Halfdan. Bek-Pedersen notes this phrase also gives the Norns a quasi-legal quality, a theme common in skaldic and eddic sources. The phrase can serve as a threat, since death is the final, unavoidable decision the Norns can make about a human life.

The *Poetic Edda* is valuable for preserving older material that Snorri used. Like *Gylfaginning*, it mentions many lesser Norns alongside the three main ones. It also agrees that these Norns came from several races, with the dwarven Norns being daughters of Dvalin. The three main Norns are suggested to be giantesses (female Jotuns).

In *Fáfnismál*, the hero Sigurd asks the dying dragon Fafnir about the Norns. Fafnir replies that they are many and come from several races. *Völuspá* and *Vafþrúðnismál* indicate the three main Norns were originally giants (Jotuns), not goddesses. Their arrival ended the gods’ early days of bliss, but they came for the good of humankind. *Völuspá* says three giants of great might came to the gods from Jotunheim. *Vafþrúðnismál* likely refers to the Norns when it speaks of maiden giants who arrive to protect people as protective spirits (hamingjas).

In *Helgakviða Hundingsbana I*, the Norns visit a newborn child to assign its future. When the hero Helgi Hundingsbane is born, Norns arrive at the homestead. In *Helgakviða Hundingsbana II*, Helgi blames the Norns for forcing him to kill Sigrún’s father and brother in order to marry her.

As Snorri wrote in *Gylfaginning*, a person’s fate depended on the Norns’ goodwill or ill will. In *Reginsmál*, the dwarf Andvari blames his misfortune on an evil Norn, likely one of Dvalin’s daughters. In *Sigurðarkviða hin skamma*, the valkyrie Brynhild blames malevolent Norns for her longing for Sigurd. In *Guðrúnarkviða II*, the Norns actively enter events by informing Atli in a dream that his wife would kill him.