The Nornir: the Norse goddesses of fate

The Nornir were the three Norse goddesses of fate, who dwelt at the hidden Well of Urd and held a supernatural insight into the choices of gods and mortals alike. They were the Norse counterparts of the Greek Sisters of Fate, and when Kratos first learned of them through Atreus, the memory of the Greek Fates led him to declare that nothing good ever came from such beings.

The goddesses of fate#

The Nornir were three in number: Urd, the eldest, a tall and robust old woman with horns and golden eyes who carried a long wooden staff; Verdandi, a woman of middle years; and Skuld, the youngest, a short girl. All three bore small horns, slightly yellow skin, and glowing golden eyes, and their belts were marked with the phases of the moon. They were counted as the Norse reflection of the Greek goddesses of fate, holding the same dominion over destiny that the Sisters of Fate had held in the south.

Insight and the denial of fate#

The Nornir possessed a supernatural understanding of the nature and past choices of others, which let them speak of what was to come. Yet they held that their predictions held true only because the choices of others were predictable, and they admitted that there was no destiny or grand design at work, not even their own. They could cast powerful illusions, looking into a person's mind and shaping visions so strong they became real, and they spoke to one another and to their visitors through thought alone. According to Freya, they also controlled the place where their home stood, and they lacked the power the Greek Fates had wielded to alter destiny or erase a being from existence.

Unlike the Sisters of Fate, who toyed with and mocked those who sought them, the Nornir offered their wisdom to any who managed to reach them. They professed that no one could change their fate so long as they refused to change themselves, and to that end they often told a seeker a discomforting future simply to see how he would react.

The Well of Urd#

In search of answers, Kratos, Freya, and Mimir journeyed to the Well of Urd, the hidden home of the Nornir. After they passed the goddesses' test, a Kelpie carried the three to them. The Nornir confirmed that Atreus was in Asgard and revealed that Heimdall intended to kill him. Learning this, Kratos resolved to slay Heimdall before the deed could be done. Of all the goddesses of fate Kratos met across his long life, the Nornir alone were left alive when he departed.