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Fate and the Norns




'The Norns, Urðr, Verðandi, and Skuld, sat under the world tree, Yggdrasi
'The Norns, Urðr, Verðandi, and Skuld, under the world tree, Yggdrasil'' by Ludwig Burger.

Fate


In Norse mythology, the threads of fate twined around everything. There was nothing in the nine worlds that could escape its clutches. Just like rowing a boat against a strong wind, it was pointless to struggle against fate. It was foretold that Odin, the highest of all gods, would be killed by Fenrir at Ragnarok. And yet he did not try to fight his fate. He willingly accepted it. He spent his days building his army in the halls of Valhalla, so when that day finally came, when he was brutally torn in two by the great wolf, he can die fighting.


The Norns


The Norns were three women who dwelt at the foot of Yggdrasil beside the Well of Fate. They were not truly alive, but they were not dead, either. They were in between life and death. The Norns spent their days weaving tapestries. Each thread was said to tell the tale of a person’s life, shaping their fate and deciding their destiny.

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