The Fates are a common motif in European polytheism , most frequently represented as a trio of goddesses . The Fates shape the destiny of each human, often expressed in textile metaphors such as spinning fibers into yarn , or weaving threads on a loom . The trio are generally conceived of as sisters and are often given the names Clotho , Lachesis , and Atropos , which are the names of the Moirai , the version of the Fates who appear in Greek mythology . These divine figures are often artistically depicted as beautiful maidens with consideration to their serious responsibility: the life of mortals. Poets, on the other hand, typically express the Fates as ugly and unwavering, representing the gravity of their role within the mythological and human worlds.
37-468: The Moirai, meaning "allotted portion" or "share", separated each sister into a different role in order to handle the fates of humans. The Fates were expected to appear within three days of a mortal's birth. Clotho was the first of the three, known as "the spinner" because she wove the threads of human life while in the womb. This act is used to represent her divine duty, also incorporating pregnancies or birth when referring to her. The second Fate, Lachesis ,
74-559: A warp . Furthermore, the three Fates appear in nearly every other Indo-European mythology. The earliest attested set of fate goddesses are the Gulses in Hittite mythology, who were said to preside over the individual destinies of human beings. They often appear in mythical narratives alongside the goddesses Papaya and Istustaya, who, in a ritual text for the foundation of a new temple, are described sitting holding mirrors and spindles, spinning
111-579: A father. Later in the same work (ll. 901-906) they are said to have been born of Zeus and Themis . Clotho is mentioned in the tenth book of the Republic of Plato as the daughter of Necessity , as well. In Roman mythology, it was believed that Clotho was the daughter of Uranus and Gaia . As one of the Three Fates, Clotho participated in creating the alphabet with Hermes, forced the goddess Aphrodite into making love with other gods, weakened
148-502: A man's life at his birth. An Old Irish hymn attests to seven goddesses who were believed to weave the thread of destiny, which demonstrates that these spinster fate-goddesses were present in Celtic mythology as well. A Lithuanian folktale recorded in 1839 recounts that a man's fate is spun at his birth by seven goddesses known as the deivės valdytojos and used to hang a star in the sky; when he dies, his thread snaps and his star falls as
185-874: A meteor. In Latvian folk songs, a goddess called the Láima is described as weaving a child's fate at its birth. Although she is usually only one goddess, the Láima sometimes appears as three. The three spinning fate goddesses appear in Slavic traditions in the forms of the Russian Rožanicy, the Czech and Slovak Sudičky, the Bulgarian Narenčnice or Urisnice, the Polish Rodzanice, the Croatian Rodjenice,
222-401: A pregnant woman as opposed to simply holding the thread of life in order to present her in a more positive light. The sculptures have since been moved to the city center of Jena , also home to the same hospital. This motif has been replicated in fictional accounts, such as: Clotho Clotho ( / ˈ k l oʊ θ oʊ / ; Greek : Κλωθώ ) or Klotho , is a mythological figure. She is
259-623: A visit that the Fates had made a week after Meleager was born. A Fate told Althaia that her son's life would expire when the burning log in the fireplace ceased to flame. She promptly extinguished the flames, preserved the log and hid it safely. In her rage over the loss of her brothers, she lit the log to punish Meleager. As the log was consumed in flame, Meleager burned to death. Gylfaginning Gylfaginning ( Old Norse : 'The Beguiling of Gylfi' or 'The Deluding of Gylfi'; 13th century Old Norse pronunciation [ˈɟʏlvaˌɟɪnːɪŋɡ] )
296-407: A woman present at the party named Atalanta , with whom he was smitten. His uncles were also part of the adventurous group, and they were upset by Meleager's gift to Atalanta. They believed a woman should not have the skin of the boar. As a result of this disagreement, Meleager slew his uncles, who were his mother's brothers. She was so enraged that she decided to take vengeance upon him. She remembered
333-625: Is expected to cut off the thread of life, completing the cycle and determining when a human will die. She is typically seen hand in hand with death and the Underworld. Once Atropos cuts the thread, each soul is sent to the Underworld where they receive judgement and are sent to one of three options: Elysium , Tartarus , or the Fields of Asphodel . Elysium is labeled a land for the blessed, whereas those who committed horrible deeds were sent to
370-578: Is known as "the Allotter" or "the Receiver", given the fact that her responsibility includes determining how much mortal life is assigned to the soul of each individual. This, in turn, determines the number of tribulations that individual is predestined to face. The final Fate, Atropos , is known as the most stubborn sister of the three, given the nickname "the un-turnable" or "the Inevitable". Atropos
407-469: Is similar to Clotho in that she carries a ball of thread, much like Clotho's spindle. Clotho, along with her sisters, was tricked into becoming intoxicated by Alcestis . Alcestis, who had two children with Admetus, became extremely saddened when Admetus became very sick and eventually died. Alcestis used Clotho's drunkenness to try to get her husband back. The Three Fates explained that if a replacement for Admetus could be found, then he could be released from
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#1732765120936444-502: Is the first main part of the 13th century Prose Edda , after the initial Prologue . The Gylfaginning takes the form of a dialogue between a Swedish King Gylfi and three men on thrones in Asgard called High, Just-As-High, and Third . Gylfi asks many questions of the three men on the history and future of the Æsir . The creation and eventual destruction of the world are described, as are many other aspects of Norse mythology . While
481-626: The Deivės Valdytojos as seven sisters who weave pieces of clothing from the lives of humans. The Fates are three Proto-Indo-European fate goddesses. Their names have not been reconstructed, but such a group is highly attested in descendant groups. Such goddesses spun the destinies of mankind. Although such fate goddesses are not directly attested in the Indo-Aryan tradition, the Atharvaveda does contain an allusion comparing fate to
518-567: The Gylfaginning is also related to the Trojan connection to the Æsir, but is discarded as a later addition written by a separate author than the rest of the work by some scholars. According to this final section, the human descendants of the Trojans took on the same names told in the stories that had been told to Gylfi, presumably to endow themselves with additional authority. The work as
555-470: The Fates are the main focus, they have played critical roles in the lives of deities and mortals. It is likely that the versions of myths about their primal origins were lost in the transitions from prehistoric Greek mythology to that of the Classical writings. According to Hesiod 's Theogony , Clotho and her sisters ( Atropos and Lachesis ) were the daughters of Nyx (Night), without the assistance of
592-628: The Fates played an integral part was that of Meleager and the Brand, which W. H. D. Rouse describes in Gods, Heroes and Men of Ancient Greece . Meleager led a hunting party to slay the Calydonian Boar , which was set loose upon Calydon by Artemis . She was displeased at the Calydonian king for neglecting to make a proper sacrifice to her. After slaying the boar, Meleager presented the skin to
629-581: The Gylfaginning never makes it explicit, the three are often presumed to be guises of Odin . The second part of the Prose Edda is the Skáldskaparmál and the third Háttatal . The work is often attributed to or considered to have been compiled by Snorri Sturluson . The Gylfaginning tells the story of Gylfi , a king of "the land that men now call Sweden". He is tricked by one of
666-629: The Old Norse Völuspá and Gylfaginning , the Norns are three cosmic goddesses of fate who are described sitting by the well of Urðr at the foot of the world tree Yggdrasil . In Old Norse texts, the Norns are frequently conflated with Valkyries , who are sometimes also described as spinning. Old English texts, such as Rhyme Poem 70, and Guthlac 1350 f., reference Wyrd as a singular power that "weaves" destinies. Later texts mention
703-587: The Prologue that Asgard is another name for the city of Troy , another way to make stories of the Norse gods acceptable as describing a lost ancient history rather than rival deities to the Christian god. The account can be downplayed as just stories for the devout, but Sturlson trusts that most listeners would be won over by the account of the three men of the vanished world of the Æsir. The very final section of
740-918: The Serbian Sudjenice , and the Slovene Rojenice. In Albanian folk beliefs the Ora and Fatí are the weavers of destiny , who control the order of the universe and enforce its laws. They are described as a group of three goddesses who gather in the night to perform the task of "determining the child's fate at birth" and distribute their favours upon the child. The inhabitants of the Dukagjini Mountains believed that three types of Fates existed: "e Bardha (The White One) distributes good luck and wishes humans well, e Verdha (The Yellow One) distributes bad luck and casts evil spells, and e Zeza (The Black One) who decides death". Considering
777-489: The Underworld. A substitute was not found so Alcestis offered herself up to be the replacement in order to bring her husband back to life. As the agreement had been met, Alcestis quickly began to grow sick and sank into her grave as Admetus came back to life. At the last instant, Heracles arrived at the home of Admetus. When Thanatos came to take Alcestis away, Heracles wrestled him and forced him to return Alcestis, allowing Admetus and Alcestis to be reunited. A tale in which
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#1732765120936814-574: The Wyrds as a group, with Geoffrey Chaucer referring to them as "the Werdys that we clepyn Destiné" in The Legend of Good Women . A goddess spinning appears in a bracteate from southwest Germany and a relief from Trier shows three mother goddesses, with two of them holding distaffs. Tenth-century German ecclesiastical writings denounce the popular belief in three sisters who determined the course of
851-432: The artwork of Francisco de Goya's black paintings . These were a series of 14 pieces completed by the artist nearing the later stages of his life. Their dark tone, literally and figuratively, capture the Fates holding an individual hostage as they are deciding his destiny. Sculptor, Louis François Roubiliac portrays through his art how the Fates represent vitality and the celebration of life. A famous creation of Roubiliac
888-638: The deepest part of the underworld, Tartarus. The mortals who lived neither an objectively good or bad life were sent to the Fields of Asphodel. The Fates have appeared in numerous cultures with similar tales. In Greek mythology, they appear as incarnations of destiny named the Moirai . The Roman counterparts of the Moirai are known as the Parcae . In Albanian folk beliefs the Ora and Fatí are three fate goddesses,
925-401: The end, the palace and its people vanish, presumably as they were illusions to begin with. Gylfi is left standing on empty ground. Gylfi then returns to his nation and retells the tales he was told. The author may have used this narrative device as a means to safely document a vanishing and largely oral tradition within a Christian context. In the same way, a line continues the idea raised in
962-445: The fates as being the daughters of the night. In his Republic , Plato records that Klotho sings of the past, Lachesis of the present, and Atropos of the future. In Roman legend, the Parcae were three goddesses who presided over the births of children and whose names were Nona ("Ninth"), Decuma ("Tenth"), and Morta ("Death"). They too were said to spin destinies, although this may have been due to influence from Greek literature. In
999-401: The goddesses of the Æsir , and wonders if all Æsir use magic and tricks for their will to be done. To find out more, he takes the "path of the serpent" to journey to Asgard ; the Æsir realize he is coming and prepare illusions to deceive him. Gylfi finds a great palace. Inside the palace, he encounters a man who asks Gylfi's name; Gylfi introduces himself as Gangleri. "Gangleri" then is taken to
1036-403: The king of the palace and comes upon three men on thrones: High, Just-As-High, and Third (Hár, Jafnhár, and Þriði). Gangleri is then challenged to show his wisdom by asking questions, as is the custom in many sagas . Each question made to High, Just-As-High, and Third is about an aspect of the Norse mythology or its gods, and also about the creation and destruction of the world ( Ragnarök ). In
1073-602: The king's thread of life. In the Greek tradition, the Moirai ("Apportioners") are mentioned dispensing destiny in both the Iliad and the Odyssey , in which they are given the epithet Κλῶθες ( Klothes , meaning "Spinners"). In Hesiod's Theogony , the Moirai are said to "give mortal men both good and ill" and their names are listed as Klotho ("Spinner"), Lachesis ("Apportioner"), and Atropos ("Inflexible"). Hesiod also describes
1110-473: The monster Typhon with poison fruit, persuaded Zeus to kill Asclepius with a bolt of lightning, and aided the deities in their war with the Giants by killing Agrius and Thoas with bronze clubs. Clotho also used her life-giving powers in the myth of Tantalus , the man who had slain and prepared his son Pelops for a dinner party with the deities. When the deities had discovered what Tantalus had done, they put
1147-520: The remaining pieces of Pelops in a cauldron. Clotho brought him back to life, with the exception of a shoulder that had been eaten by Demeter and therefore, was replaced by a chunk of ivory. Clotho was worshiped in many places in Greece as one of the Three Fates and is sometimes associated with the Keres and Erinyes, which are other deity groups in Greek mythology. Ariadne , the Greek goddess of fertility,
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1184-420: The roles of each divine sister, Clotho is typically portrayed as a younger woman because of her relationship with the birth of humans, whereas Atropos is pictured as an old woman because of her hand in the death of mortals. Each sister has been pictured with a tangible representation of their power: Clotho with thread, Lachesis with an eye glass, and Atropos with scissors. The Fates make a specific appearance within
1221-493: The surface of the vase are depictions of many ancient Greek deities including the Moirai. While each of the Moirai appear differently on the vase, they are established under one name, which demonstrates their unity. More recently, Anne-Katrin Altwein depicted the divine sisters through sculptures that originally resided in the entrance of a German hospital as a means of creative inspiration to patients. Altwein sculpted Clotho as
1258-558: The three fates, her influence in Greek mythology was significant. Along with her sisters and Hermes , Clotho was given credit for creating the alphabet for their people. Even though Clotho and her sisters were worshiped as goddesses, their representation of fate is more central to their role in mythology. Thread represented human life and her decisions represented the fate of all people in society. Although there does not seem to be an epic tale in Classical Greek mythology in which
1295-688: The weavers of destiny , who control the order of the universe and enforce its laws. In Albanian tradition, Ora is also regarded as a type of personal fate goddess who belongs to a single individual. The trio of Fates also makes a name in Slavic culture as the Rozhanitsy , figures who foretell an individual's destiny. Similar to Greek mythology, the Fates are known as incarnations of destiny called Norns in Norse mythology. The biggest variant within these cultures remains in Baltic mythology, which characterizes
1332-597: The youngest goddess of the Three Fates or Moirai . In ancient Greek mythology, she spins the thread of human life, her sisters draw out ( Lachesis ) and cut ( Atropos ) the thread. Her Roman equivalent is Nona . She also made major decisions, such as when a person was born, thus in effect controlling people's lives. This power enabled her not only to choose who was born, but also to decide when deities or mortals were to be saved or put to death. For example, Clotho resurrected Pelops when his father killed him. As one of
1369-529: Was a sculpture he created to commemorate the life of the late Mary Churchill, the Second Duchess of Montagu. Roubiliac sculpted the Three Fates surrounded by children and flowers, to represent the importance of the Fates at the start of life as well. The Moirai are also depicted on the François Vase whose creation dates back to 570 BCE. The François Vase was created by Kleitias and Ergotimos. On
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