Post updated: 6/14/26
The Fates have been in and out of my fiction since I started writing. Their fingers weaving, pulling, and cutting the threads of my ideas until I am able to work the strings into a story. They featured prominently in my first series, The Power Of Four, and my take on the three ladies of lore was that they represented past, present, and future in a way that offered support but didn’t change the outcome of the lives they touched. I still haven’t touched on their origin story, but I did go back to when things went sideways and they had to intervene. The story ended up being a prequel to that first series titled “Twist Of Fate.”
The ladies in my series were identical, with the witch that represented Future different in that her hair was white as well as her eyes. She’s blind in my story, but sees more than anyone else and is always the one keeping the ship afloat behind the scenes. The story started as a reader magnet, but ended up as a Dark Fantasy since the romance didn’t end quite the way it should have to be considered a Romance… so a lot of the images that were created in the beginning have been lost to time, but here is one we played around with…
The Three Fates in Greek, Norse, and Egyptian Mythologies
Throughout history, there are various versions of the fates. For the most part, I have found that they are described as three women with different but complementary powers. I thought it would be fun to touch on a few of them and as I completed my research I quickly realized that this might very well turn into a whole series of posts… but we need to begin somewhere, right? For the purposes of this post, we will concentrate on Greek, Norse, and Egyptian mythology. In a future post, I plan to chat about Roman, Slavic, and Baltic lore. Then we will see where the rabbit hole leads us… so let’s get to it!
Greek: The Moirai
The three fates are known as the Moirai in Greek Mythology and regulate the destiny of all humans from birth to death by maintaining the metaphorical thread of life. Unlike the sisters featured in my series, the Fates are often described as old and ugly. It was thought that after a child was born they would arrive to determine that child’s destiny, Klotho (Clotho – the “spinner”) to create the thread, Lakhesis (Lachesis – the “Allotter”) to measure it, and Aisa (Atropos – the “The Unturning” or “Inflexible”) to cut it short if necessary. Zeus Moiragetes was listed as their leader and they are also tied to the Keres and Erinyes (Harpies).
The fates were called Moirai in Ancient Greece, stemming from the word moira which means “share” or “portion” of something. The idea that the fates gave each person their own “portion of life” is reflective in the names they were given.
There are a few family trees I came across as I read up on these weavers of destiny. In Hesiod’s “Theogony” they are first described as the fatherless daughters of Nyx (The Night). Later, they are given Zeus and Themis as parents, tying them to the Horae (Hours/Seasons) as sisters. It is mentioned that when a man’s fate ended with his death, the goddesses of fate then became the goddesses of death, Moirai Thanatoio which is how I suppose they get tied to the Furies. Later in the Orphic cosmogony, the Fates were given Ananke (Necessity) as a mother and were even linked as daughters of Khaeos (Chaos).
Most of the myths support the idea that the Fates are the ultimate power in that they rule over the destiny of man and god. In that light, Zeus is just as powerless to change the outcome as a mortal man, however, there are some stories that tie them to Zeus as their leader, which allows him a partnership with them during which they give him counsel. In that way, perhaps, he used them to see what was coming, giving him an edge against his enemies or a way to avoid Hera’s wrath.
Norse: The Norns
The Norns in Norse Mythology are more in line with what I had in mind when developing my series. The three ladies, Urd (Past – Common word for Fate), Verdandi (Present – “What is presently coming into being”), and Skuld (Future – “What shall be”), live at the center of the Norse otherworld, beneath the mighty tree, Yggdraisil, which holds the nine worlds in its branches and roots. They live in a hall near the “Well Of Fate” (Urðarbrunnr).
From the Norse standpoint, fate was blind and could not be changed. So, the Vikings didn’t worship the women like gods since there wouldn’t be a way to convince them to change the course of destiny once it was set. In that way they were pragmatic and didn’t waste their time trying to change their destiny. Instead, the Vikings were resigned to the fate they were given and made decisions based around the future that had been foretold. Very much living in the present and enjoying the time you have, which I think is a good way to be.
The images of the Norns vary, but the three most common are casting wooden “lots,” weaving a piece of cloth, and carving symbols into wood as if creating runes.
Egyptian: Shai
What I found interesting about the Egyptian mythology, is that the personification of fate or destiny was given to one entity. Shai (also Sai, Shay, or Psais in Greek) means “that which is ordained” and while this concept was thought of as male, there was a female version of the god known as “Shait.” The Egyptians believed that Shai not only determined the length of time you would be alive, but remained at your side througout your life and through final judgement as you met Osiris in the Underworld.
The accounting Shai gave was truthful and ambivalent, and he was depicted as being present at the weighing of the heart of the soul in the afterlife. If you were good in life you would be good in death, so to speak. Similar to Greek Myth, Shai oversaw the fate of both mortal and god, and no one could escape what was destined. In male form he was described as the husband of Renenutet (a goddess of fate) or Meskhenet (goddess of childbirth), and when reflected in art he was linked to a Cobra, or shown as a man with the head of a snake. Shai was later tied to the Greek god Agathodaemon who was the god of fortune telling.
Unlike the Norse, the Egyptians did perform rituals and gave offerings to appease Shai in order to influence their fate and garner a favorable destiny. It was mentioned in my research that there was a specific cult devoted to Shai, but little is known about their activities and so far no temple has been found. Perhaps their activities were tied mainly to the burial process, but we may never know. I do know one thing, I will be reading more Egyptian Mythology! So interesting!
While the cultures tell these stories in a wide variety of ways, there is a common theme, or thread if you will, between them all. There is no messing with Fate! How does destiny play a roll in your #WIP? Drop me a comment below, I would love to know!
And be sure to check out the prequel to my series, Twist of Fate, which is available everywhere you buy your books, or you can even ask for it through your local library via the Libby App!
Happy Reading! XO
Resources and More Info:
I found links the myths to one of my favorite fairy tales, Sleeping Beauty, which I found fascinating. https://essexmyth.wordpress.com/2017/05/29/sleeping-beauty-and-the-fates-of-mythology/
https://www.theoi.com/Daimon/Moirai.html
greeklegendsandmyths.com/the-moirai.html
You can find out more about what I write here:
For my Mythical Creatures posts, head over to:
As always, I hope this post finds you happy and healthy. Until next time! XO
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information about subsidiary rights, please contact the author at saraybooksllc@gmail.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.