#MythicalCreatureMonday – The Fates

In honor of my book release, Twist of Fate, here is a previous post that I shared highlighting one of the mythical creatures in the book!

I did this post a little while back and thought we could revisit it as I am launching my book, Twist of Fate, today! The Fates play a big part in all of my books, although their approach is relatively subtle, or at least they like to think so. But sometimes even the best intentions can end up having devastating effects, and that is what I am toying with now as I think about the end of my series.

The Fates in my story are three sisters that represent, and at times control, past, present and future. They each have their own issues, and as such, sometimes have a hard time working together. I thought it would be fun to add in a sibling rivalry as it relates to their powers in the series, and it has added a really nice flavor to their backstory. I mean, who doesn’t like a good family feud? Anyway, they are each powerful in their own right, but their forces combined could be unstoppable. Their commitment to balance and the knowledge that they could completely change the course of humanity is the only thing that keeps them in check. Well that, and the fact that they currently aren’t speaking to one another.

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.

Known as the Moirai in Greek Mythology and Parcae in Roman legends, the three Fates regulate the destiny of all humans from birth to death by maintaining the metaphorical thread of life. Unlike the sisters featured in the Power of Four 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, one sister to create the thread, one to measure it, and the last to cut it short if necessary. Because of these beliefs, this post 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/

The Norns in Norse Mythology are more in line with what I had in mind when developing my series. The three ladies, Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld, live at the center of the Norse otherworld, beneath the mighty tree, Yggdraisil, which holds the nine worlds in its branches and roots. 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. Instead, the Vikings were resigned to the fate they were given and made decisions based around the future that had been foretold.

The Sudice in Slavic Mythology were responsible for the fate of humanity and made their judgments on mortals also at birth. They appeared as three elderly women, or sometimes as a single, and were described as beautiful and dressed completely in white. It was said that the oldest sister spoke last, and that her words could never be revoked or changed. Offerings of bread, candles, and salt were made in the hopes that a favored outlook would be granted to the family paying homage.

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 today on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited!

Happy Writing! XO