Also called Nornir, Urðr, Verðandi and Skuld, the Weird Sisters.
Their story
Three maidens come from the lake beneath the World Tree: Urðr, Verðandi and Skuld. Each day they draw water and clay from the well of Urðr and pour it on Yggdrasil so that it does not wither, and they lay down laws and choose lives for the children of men. Snorri says there are also many lesser norns, who come to each child at birth to shape its life.
Best times to give to them
- births and naming days
- New Year and Yule
- before rune casting
- turning points in life
What they like being given
- clean water poured at the roots of a tree
- porridge (as in the Norse custom of norn-porridge after a birth)
- thread or yarn
- white flowers
How to honour them
- Pour water at the foot of a tree and think on your past, present and what is becoming.
- Keep a spindle or a length of thread on your altar.
- Greet them before drawing runes.
- Make peace with what cannot be changed, and act well on what can.
How they can help you
- understanding your fate or path
- accepting what cannot be changed
- major life decisions
- blessings for a newborn
Symbols
- the well Urðarbrunnr
- the World Tree Yggdrasil
- thread and weaving
- runes carved in wood
- white clay
The idea that Urðr, Verðandi and Skuld mean past, present and future is a popular reading; the names are closer to what has happened, what is becoming and what shall be.