The Fates

Our fate is spun on the spindle of the goddesses of fate at birth and woven. Below is an ancient account of their birth from the Night, told by Hesiod, who lived in the 8th century BC in Boeotia, Greece.

Translations are from the “The Theogony of Hesiod” based on a composite of the translation Hugh G. Evelyn-White [1914] and the translation of Glenn W. Most [2006].

“Night (Nyx) was one of the first divine children born of the great abyss (Khaos). In union with Darkness (Erebos) She gave birth to Brightness (Aether) and Day (Hemera) [v.123].”

“Without sleeping with any gods, Night gave birth to hateful Doom (Moros) and black Fate (Keres) and Thanatos (Death), and she gave birth to Hypnos (Sleep) and the tribe of Dreams (Oneiroi). The gloomy Night gave birth to Blame (Momus) and painful Distress (Oizys), and the Sunrise and Sunset (the Hesperide nymphs) who guard the beautiful golden apples and the trees bearing fruit beyond the glorious Ocean.”

“She gave birth to Destiny and the ruthlessly punishing Fates (Moirai): the Spinner (Clotho), the Measurer (Lachesis) and the Inevitable (Atropos), who give mortals both evil and good at their birth, and they pursue the transgressions of men and of gods. These goddesses never cease from their terrible wrath until they punish whoever has committed a crime.”

“And deadly Night gave birth to the goddess of Revenge (Nemesis) to afflict mortal men, and after her she gave birth to Deceit (Apate) and Fondness (Philotes) and baneful Old Age (Geras) and hard-hearted Strife (Eris). And from [the goddess of] abhorred Strife [Discord] was born painful Toil (Ponos) and Forgetfulness (Lethe) and Famine (Limos) and tearful Sorrows (Algos), Fighting (Hysminai), Battles (Makhai), Murders (Phonoi), Manslaughters (Androctasiai), Quarrels (Neikea), Falsehoods (Pseudologoi), Disputes (Amphilogiai), Lawlessness (Dysnomia) and Recklessness (Ate), much like one another, and Oath (Horkos) who most troubles men upon earth when anyone wilfully swears a false oath.” [v.211-232]

The Goddesses of Fate

The goddess Destiny/Necessity (Ananke) and her husband Father Time (Khronos) are regulators of order in the universe. Ananke held a spindle in her hand for making thread. This thread represented human lives in general. In the Orphic cosmology the Fates were the daughters of Ananke. While in other traditions, the Fates were considered to incarnate as the daughters of Zeus and the goddess of Divine Order (Themis). As daughters of Themis, they are the sisters of the Hours (the Horai and the Morai).

Moirai was the collective name of the Fates: who represented your personal lot in life or your destiny (your thread of life):

Clotho was the spinner who makes the thread of our human lives on her spindle.

Lachesis was the ‘apportioner’ or measurer who determines the length of the string from her sister’s spindle. In this way she decided how long each life will have.

Atropos was the ‘inevitable’ fact that we all die (the Romans called her Morta- literally the goddess of death). She chose the nature of death by cutting the thread measured out by her sister with her feared scissors.

Lachesis sings of the past, Clotho of the present and Atropos sings of the future. They spin an individual’s fate at the moment of birth, a fate where the length of life is measured out. All times (past, present, future) are within in the threads they make. Together, the goddesses of Fate, make a single thread which is the story of your life, with all your good and bad karma.

Knotted, tied, bound, and woven.

Various threads are woven into a fabric with other threads, as our lives are woven together with other people. The fabric of reality is composed of many threads woven together making one single piece of art.

Freedom is enjoying the beauty of their art.