In Norse mythology, Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld are three Norns (female deities) who are responsible for the shaping of human destiny. Urd is the past, Verdandi is the present, and Skuld is the future. These three Norns are said to reside at the base of the world tree, Yggdrasil, and they spin the thread of fate for every individual.
In Hindu mythology, Shaktism is a tradition that worship the goddess Shakti as the supreme deity. Shakti is the personification of divine feminine energy and is considered to be the source of all creation, preservation, and destruction. She is often depicted as being accompanied by her two assistants, Jaya and Vijaya, who are sometimes seen as being equivalent to Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld.
There are some similarities between the Norns and Shaktism in that both traditions involve female deities who are responsible for shaping the destiny of individuals. However, there are also some significant differences. While the Norns are more passive in their role, simply spinning the thread of fate, Shakti is actively involved in the creation, preservation, and destruction of the universe. Additionally, the Norns are associated with Norse mythology, which is a polytheistic tradition, while Shaktism is a part of Hinduism, which is a monistic tradition that sees all deities as being aspects of a single supreme being.
“Þat kann ek it sömu, at sá er sær stendr, Yggdrasils háva, ausinn ór ulfs liði; þar renna dreka í dala, þeims er undinn rót, fyrir Jötunheiði.”
The Poetic Edda poem Völuspá
Old Norse Translatede :”I know an ash standing, Yggdrasil is its name, a tall tree, drenched with white mud: from there come the dews that drop in the valleys. It stands forever green over Urðr’s well”
Urðr’s well
Urðr’s well is one of the three wells located beneath the world tree, Yggdrasil. The well is associated with the past and is said to contain the knowledge of all that has happened. According to legend, the Norns, who are the female deities responsible for shaping the destiny of humans, reside at the base of the world tree and draw water from the well to water the roots of the tree. The Norns are named Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld, and they represent the past, present, and future, respectively.
The well of Urðr is a fundamental element in Norse mythology, and it is associated with fate, knowledge, and wisdom. In Old Norse poems such as “Völuspá,” the well is mentioned as Urðarbrunnr, which means “well of Urðr.” This poem describes the well as evergreen and standing over the well of Urðr, where the Norns live and draw water from.
The Norns use the knowledge from the well of Urðr to shape the destinies of all living beings, and they carve runes into a board to determine the fate of individuals, as described in the Poetic Edda poem “Grimnismál.” The well is also said to contain the fate of all living beings, and Odin, the chief of the Norse gods, is said to have gained great wisdom and knowledge by drinking from the well of Mimir.
To learn more about Urðr’s well and the role of the Norns in Norse mythology, one can refer to several sources, including the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda written by Snorri Sturluson. These sources contain detailed information about the well and its connection to the Norns and fate.