There stands a beautiful hall near the fountain beneath the ash. Out of it come three maids, whose names are Urðr, Verðandi and Skuld. These maids shape the lives of men, and we call them norns. There are yet more norns, namely those who come to every man when he is born, to shape his life, and these are known to be of the race of gods; others, on the other hand, are of the race of elves, and yet others are of the race of dwarves. As is here said:

Far asunder, I think,The norns are born,They are not of the same race.Some are of the asas,Some are of the elves,Some are daughters of Dvalin.

Then said Ganglere: If the norns rule the fortunes of men, then they deal them out exceedingly unevenly. Some live a good life and are rich; some get neither wealth nor praise. Some have a long, others a short life.

Har answered: Good norns and of good descent shape good lives, and when some men are weighed down with misfortune, the evil norns are the cause of it.

—Gylfaginning, from the Prose Edda

Orphic poetry, daytrips to nostalgia’s outskirts and other curiosities, shared every Monday.

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