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The NORNS
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Affiliations:
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The Aesir
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Status:
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Alive
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The NORNs (Non-Organic Rational Nanosystems) are the guardians of cyberspace and help Baldur on his quests through it. They are the three keepers of a variety of arcane secrets and observe the flow of destiny (known as Wyrd).
Norse Mythology Norns[]
The Norns (Old Norse: norn, plural: nornir) in Norse Mythology are female beings who rule the destiny of gods and men, a kind of disir comparable to the Fates in Greek mythology.
According to Snorri Sturluson's interpretation of the Völuspá, the three most important norns, Urðr (Wyrd), Verðandi and Skuld come out from a hall standing at the Well of Urðr (well of fate) and they draw water from the well and take sand that lies around it, which they pour over Yggdrasill so that its branches will not rot. These norns are described as three powerful maiden giantesses (Jotuns) whose arrival from Jötunheimr ended the golden age of the gods.[2] They may be the same as the maidens of Mögþrasir who are described in Vafþrúðnismál (see below).
Beside these three norns, there are many other norns who arrive when a person is born in order to determine his or her future.[2] There were both malevolent and benevolent norns, and the former caused all the malevolent and tragic events in the world while the latter were kind and protective goddesses.[2] Recent research has discussed the relation between the myths associated with norns and valkyries and the actual travelling Völvas (seiðr-workers), women who visited newborn children in the pre-Christian Norse societies.[3]
Members:[]
- Skuld: the youngest of the NORNs who takes the appearance of a scantily clad attractive brunnette woman. She is charged with predicting the future occurrences of one's Wyrd. She has a somewhat flirtatious personality and has much interest in Baldur (both in the practical and sexual sense). She appears to be annoyed byFreya, due to her being an object of Baldur's affections.
- Verðandi: the middle member of the NORNs who takes the appearance of a blond-haired middle-aged woman.She is charged with predicting the current occurences of one's Wyrd. She has a warm-hearted and mature personality and is interested in Baldur's fate. She also acts as the leader of the group who mediates information to Baldur along with others.
- Urðr: the oldest member of the NORNs who takes the appearance of an elderly gray-haired woman. She is charged with examing the events affecting one's weird from their past to their future. She has a dark and ominous personality and is interested in the rate at which Baldur's destiny is unfolding.
Trivia[]
- The different age appearances of the Norns mirror the Triple Goddess concept found in Neopaganistic mythology and Greek Mythology in terms of moon deities. The Triple Goddesses are the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone which correlates to each of the three Norns.