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In Norse mythology, a norn is a supernatural female entity associated with fate and the sacred tree Yggdrasil.

Etymology

The etymology of the Old Norse word norn (plural nornir) is unclear. The word may be connected to the Swedish dialect verb nyrna, norna, meaning 'to secretly communicate', or the Proto-Indo-European root *nern, meaning 'twist, twine'.^[1]

Attestations

The norns receive mention throughout the Old Norse record, including the Poetic Edda, the Prose Edda, the saga record, and in runic inscriptions.

Poetic Edda

In the Poetic Edda, the norns receive mention the eddic poems Völuspá, Helgakviða Hundingsbana I, Helgakviða Hundingsbana II ...

In the eddic poem Völuspá, the seeress discusses the sacred tree Yggdrasil. She mentions that three norns live in the tree, Urðr, Verðandi, and Skuld:

Benjamin Thorpe translation (1866):

20. Thence come maidens, much knowing,

three from the hall, which under the tree follows;

Urd hight the one, the second Verdandi,

—on a tablet they graved—Skuld the third.

Laws they established, life allotted

to the sons of men; destinies pronounced.^[2]

Henry Adams Bellows translation (1923):

20. Thence come the maidens mighty in wisdom,

Three from the dwelling down 'neath the tree;

Urth is one named, Verthandi the next,—

On the wood they scored,— and skuld the third.

Laws they made there, and life allotted

To the sons of men, and set their fates.^[3]

In the heroic eddic poem Helgakviða Hundingsbana I, norns visit the young hero Helgi upon his birth to weave his fate:

Benjamin Thorpe translation (1866):

2. In the mansion it was night:

the Norns came, who should the prince's life determine.

They him decreed a prince most famed to be,

and of leaders accounted best.

3. With all their might they span the fatal threads,

when that [he] burgs should overthrow in Brálund.

They stretched out the golden cord,

and beneath the middle of the moon's mansion fixed it.

4. East and west they hid the ends,

where the prince had lands between;

towards the north Neri's sister cast a chain,

which she bade last for ever.^[4]

Henry Adams Bellows translation (1923):

2. 'Twas night in the dwelling, and Norns there came,

Who shaped the life of the lofty one;

They bade him most famed of fighters all

And best of princes ever to be.

3. Mightily wove they the web of fate,

While Bralund's towns were trembling all;

And there the golden threads they wove,

And in the moon's hall fast they made them.

4. East and west the ends they hid,

In the middle the hero should have his land;

And Neri's kinswoman northward cast

A chain, and bade it firm ever to be.^[5]

In Helgakviða Hundingsbana II, Helgi blames the norns for the fact that he had to kill the valkyrie Sigrún's father Högni and brother Bragi in order to wed her:

Benjamin Thorpe translation (1866):

Not to thee, all-wise maiden!

are all things granted;

This morn there fell at Frekastein

Bragi and Hogni beneath my hand.^[6]

Henry Adams Bellows translation (1923):

"Maid, not fair is all thy fortune,

The Norns I blame that this should be;

This morn there fell at Frekastein

Bragi and Hogni beneath my hand.^[5]

In Reginsmál, the water dwelling dwarf Andvari blames his plight on an malicious norn, presumably one of the daughters of Dvalin:

Henry Adams Bellows translation (1923):

2. "Andvari am I,

and Oin my father,

In many a fall have I fared;

An evil Norn

in olden days

Doomed me In waters to dwell.

In Sigurðarkviða hin skamma, the valkyrie Brynhild blames malevolent norns for her long yearning for the embrace of the hero Sigurd:

7. "The word I have spoken;

soon shall I rue it,

His wife is Guthrun,

and Gunnar's am I;

Ill Norns set for me

long desire."

Brynhild's solution was to have Gunnarr and his brothers, the lords of the Burgundians, kill Sigurd. She would thereafter commit suicide in order to join Sigurd in the afterlife. Her brother Atli (Attila the Hun) avenged her death by killing the lords of the Burgundians, but since he was married to their sister Guðrún, Atli would soon be killed by her. In Guðrúnarkviða II, the Norns actively enter the series of events by informing Atli in a dream that his wife would kill him. The description of the dream begins with this stanza:

39. "Now from sleep

the Norns have waked me

With visions of terror,--

To thee will I tell them;

Methought thou, Guthrun,

Gjuki's daughter,

With poisoned blade

didst pierce my body."

Fáfnismál contains a discussion between the hero Sigurd and the dragon Fafnir who is dying from a mortal wound from Sigurd. The hero asks Fafnir of many things, among them the nature of the norns. Fafnir explains that they are many and from several races:

...

Sigurth spake:

12. "Tell me then, Fafnir,

for wise thou art famed,

And much thou knowest now:

Who are the Norns

who are helpful in need,

And the babe from the mother bring?"

-

Fafnir spake:

13. "Of many births

the Norns must be,

Nor one in race they were;

Some to gods, others

to elves are kin,

And Dvalin's daughters some."^[7]

Reception

Text

Notes

^ Störm (1985 [1961]: 202).
^ Thorpe (1866: 5-6).
^ Bellows (1923: 9).
^ Thorpe (1866: 17-18).
^ ^a ^b Bellows (1923: 291-292). Cite error: The named reference "BELLOWS-1923-291-292" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
^ Thorpe (1866: 31).
^ Bellows (1936: PAGE).

References

Text

[STÖRM-1985-1961-202-1] Störm (1985 [1961]: 202).

[THORPE-1866-5-6-2] Thorpe (1866: 5-6).

[BELLOWS-1923-9-3] Bellows (1923: 9).

[THORPE-1866-17-18-4] Thorpe (1866: 17-18).

[BELLOWS-1923-291-292-5] Bellows (1923: 291-292). Cite error: The named reference "BELLOWS-1923-291-292" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).

[THORPE-1866-31-6] Thorpe (1866: 31).

[BELLOWS-7] Bellows (1936: PAGE).

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