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.[Þaðan koma meyjar,
margs vitandi,
þrjár, ór þeim sæ
er und þolli stendr;
Urð hétu eina,
aðra Verðandi —
skáru á skíði —
Skuld ina þriðju;
þær lǫg lǫgðu,
þær líf kuru
alda bǫrnum,
ørlǫg seggja.]Poetic Edda (800-1100) Old Norse anonymous collection of poems
Völuspá [Prophecy of the Völva; Prophecy of the Seeress], st. 20 (AD 961) [tr. Bellows (1936)]
(Source)
Narrated by Heiðr.
Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld are the Norns (Nornir), their names interpreted as "the Past, the Present, and the Future" (or "That which Has Happened / Fate," "That Which Is Happening," or "That Which Shall Happen." These Fates are analogous to the Roman Parcae and Greek Moirai. See Turner, Bellows, Pettit notes.
(Source (Old Norse)). Other translations:Then came the much-knowing virgins;
Three, from the sea
Which extend over the oak
One is called Urd (necessity);
Another Vedande (the possible);
The third Skulld.
They engrave on the shield;
They appoint laws, they chuse laws
For the sons of the ages;
The fates of mankind.
[tr. Turner (1836); st. 18]Thence come maidens, much knowing, three from the hall, which under that tree stands; 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.
[tr. Thorpe (1866)]From there come three girls, knowing a great deal,
from the lake which stands under the tree;
Fated one is called, Becoming another --
they carved on wooden slips -- Must-be the third;
they set down laws, the chose lives,
for the sons of men the fates of men.
[tr. Larrington (2014)]From there come maidens, knowing many things,
three [maidens], from the sea which stands under the tree;
one was called Urðr, the second Verðandi,
— they inscribed on a stick — the third Skuld;
they laid down laws, they chose lives
for the sons of men, the fates of men.
[tr. Pettit (2023)]
Quotations by:
Edda, Poetic
Brothers shall fight
and fell each other,
And sisters’ sons
shall kinship stain;
Hard is it on earth,
with mighty whoredom;
Axe-time, sword-time,
shields are sundered,
Wind-time, wolf-time,
ere the world falls;
Nor ever shall
each other spare.[Brœðr munu berjask
ok at bǫnum verða,
munu systrungar
sifjum spilla;
hart er í heimi,
hórdómr mikill;
skeggǫld, skálmǫld
— skildir ru klofnir —
vindǫld, vargǫld,
áðr verǫld steypisk;
mun engi maðr
ǫðrum þyrma.]Poetic Edda (800-1100) Old Norse anonymous collection of poems
Völuspá [Prophecy of the Völva; Prophecy of the Seeress], st. 45 (AD 961) [tr. Bellows (1936)]
(Source)
The time of Ragnarok. Narrated by Heiðr.
(Source (Old Norse)). Other translations:Brethren will fight and slay each other;
Kindred will spurn their consanguinity;
Hard will be the world:
Many the adulteries.
A bearded age: an age of swords:
Shields will be cloven.
An age of winds; an age of wolves.
Till the world shall perish
There will not be one that will spare another.
[tr. Turner (1836), st. 44]Brothers shall fight, and slay each other; cousins shall kinship violate. The earth resounds, the giantesses flee; no man will another spare.
Hard is it in the world, great whoredom, an axe age, a sword age, shields shall be cloven, a wind age, a wolf age, ere the world sinks.
[tr. Thorpe (1866)]; st. 45-46]Brother will fight brother and be his slayer,
sister's sons will violate the kinship-bond;
hard it is in the world, whoredom abounds,
axe-age, sword-age, shields are cleft asunder,
wind-age, wolf-age, before the world plunges headlong
no man will spare another.
[tr. Larrington (2014), st. 45]Brothers will battle and slay each other,
cousins will break the bonds of kin;
it’s harsh in the world, great whoredom,
axe-age, sword-age -- shields are cloven --
wind-age, wolf-age, before the world collapses;
no one will show mercy to another.
[tr. Pettit (2023); st. 44]
The sun turns black,
earth sinks in the sea,
The hot stars down
from heaven are whirled;
Fierce grows the steam
and the life-feeding flame,
Till fire leaps high
about heaven itself.[Sól tér sortna,
sígr fold í mar,
hverfa af himni
heiðar stjǫrnur;
geisar eimi
við aldnara,
leikr hár hiti
við himin sjálfan.]Poetic Edda (800-1100) Old Norse anonymous collection of poems
Völuspá [Prophecy of the Völva; Prophecy of the Seeress], st. 57 (AD 961) [tr. Bellows (1936)]
(Source)
The end off the world (Ragnarok) and its rebirth. Narrated by Heiðr.
(Source (Old Norse)), Other translations:The sun darkens;
The earth is immerged in the sea;
The serene stars are withdrawn from the heaven:
Fire rages in the ancient world:
The lofty colour reaches to heaven itself.
[tr. Turner (1836); st. 44, l. 4ff]The sun darkens, earth in ocean sinks, fall from heaven the bright stars, fire's breath assails the all-nourishing tree, towering fire plays against heaven itself.
[tr. Thorpe (1866); st. 56]The sun turns black, earth sinks into the sea,
the bright stars vanish from the sky;
steam rises up in the conflagration,
a high flame plays against heaven itself.
[tr. Larrington (2014); st. 57]The sun turns black, earth sinks into the sea,
bright stars vanish from the sky;
ember-smoke rages against the life-nourisher,
high heat sports against the sky itself.
[tr. Pettit (2023); st. 55]
Now do I see
the earth anew
Rise all green
from the waves again;
The cataracts fall,
and the eagle flies,
And fish he catches
beneath the cliffs.[Sér hon upp koma
ǫðru sinni
jǫrð ór ægi,
iðjagrœna;
falla forsar,
flýgr ǫrn yfir,
sá er á fjalli
fiska veiðir.]Poetic Edda (800-1100) Old Norse anonymous collection of poems
Völuspá [Prophecy of the Völva; Prophecy of the Seeress], st. 59 (AD 961) [tr. Bellows (1936)]
(Source)
The rebirth of the world after Ragnarok. Narrated by Heiðr.
(Source (Old Norse)), Other translations:She sees at last emerge from the ocean,
An earth in every part flourishing.
The cataracts flow down;
The eagle flies aloft;
And hunt the fishes in the mountains.
[tr. Turner (1836); st. 46]She sees arise, a second time, earth from ocean, beauteously green, waterfalls descending; the eagle flying over, which in the fell captures fish.
[tr. Thorpe (1866); st. 57]She sees, coming up a second time,
Earth from the ocean, eternally green;
the waterfall plunges, an eagle soars over it,
hunting fish on the mountain.
[tr. Larrington (2014); st. 59]She sees coming up for a second time
earth, green again, from the sea;
waterfalls tumble, an eagle flies above,
the one who hunts fish on the fell.
[tr. Pettit (2023); st. 57]