Norn

Norn may refer to several distinct concepts in mythology, linguistics, and popular culture. In Norse mythology, the Norns are female beings who control the destinies of gods and men. Traditionally three principal Norns—Urd (the past), Verdandi (the present), and Skuld (the future)—are said to sit at the well of Urd beneath the world‑tree Yggdrasil, spinning, measuring and cutting the threads of life. Their function parallels that of the Greek Moirai and the Roman Parcae, embodying a deterministic worldview where each individual's fate is preordained yet can be influenced by deeds. Sources such as the Poetic Edda and Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda provide the primary literary attestations of the Norns, though later folklore expands the number and roles of these figures.

In linguistic history, Norn denotes an extinct North Germanic language once spoken in the Orkney and Shetland Islands, as well as parts of Caithness. Deriving from Old Norse, it persisted after the islands’ annexation by Scotland in the 15th century but gradually declined as Scots and English became dominant. The last known speakers died in the 19th century, leaving only fragments of texts and a limited corpus of place‑names, which are valuable to scholars studying language shift and contact.

The term also appears in contemporary media; for example, the Norn are a fictional race in the video game series “The Elder Scrolls,” characterized by their sturdy physique and cultural emphasis on family. Similarly, “Norn” titles appear in various fantasy literature and role‑playing games, often as an homage to the mythological origins. Despite these varied usages, the common thread is a connection to heritage, fate, or identity rooted in Northern European tradition.