The Triskell and Triquetra

In another post, I talked about the Fylfot symbol, a symbolism of the triade of gods and today in this post I will continue with another symbol of that same triade, and also the Norns.

The Triskell is attributed to magical work such as reading the runes and as such, it is alsp connected with the Norns, the goddesses of fate. 
The first branch of Triskell (Odin) describes the essence and the ocult meaning. The second branch on the right (Vili) is the principle of movement, energy and life tendencies. The third branch of the left (Vé) reveals the materialization of these impulses in the reality of our body and the world around us.

The importance of numbers in ancient religions has always been very present, as in here we see that the number three simbolizes the wisdom we can all obtain. However, the number nine is also present in the religions of northern Europe (3x3 = 9) which symbolizes that which is beyond our understanding, this is the number that symbolizes a consciousness beyond our mortal body, symbolizes the initiatory process of traveling to the other world as Odin did in his sacrifice hanging on the world tree Yggdrasil.

An older spirituality, the number three symbolized three different worlds, three realities or different planes of consciousness, the upper world, the middle world and the underworld, the foundations of a spiritual work, the foundations of shamanism. We also note this triade with the three types of guardians in the Norse mythology, Heimdall guards the Bifrost Bridge, Modgud the bridge that connects Helheim and Thor protects Asgard.

Retreating further into the origins of life according to the Norse mythology, also in the beginning there were only three planes. Niflheim and Muspelheim and Ginnungagap which was also a form of primeval life. Only then was it possible the appearance of the first signs of life through Ymir and Audhumbla.

Thus we see that the number three instilled in the Nordic symbolism, give us the understanding that this number is the number creator of all life forms, an energy catalyst.

The triquetra is also a Norse symbol closely connected with the Valknut and the Triskelion Horn. There are thousands of artifacts with this symbol in ornaments which have been found in Gnezdilovo ( in Russia ) all the way to York ( in England).
Initially this word designated any three-cornered figures, but now it is applied to the shape formed by three interlocked semicircles at the place where three circles would overlap.

The Triquetra was also used by the Christians to convey their own religious content. As an example, the Triquetra that was struck on the coins by the Christian Norse kings of York, was probably already reinterpreted by York Vikings in the Christian perspective. The same may apply to the silver penny issued by Harald Hardrade (king of Norway from 1047 to 1066).

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The Norns

The three sisters who are called the Norns, or goddesses of fate, are not part of either of the divine families ( although they do seem to have some affinity with the Vanir ).

They formed a separate group and are considered to be subject to nothing save the dictates of necessity ( occasionally personified as their mother, Wyrd ). These goddesses represent time itself and are therefore thought of as women of differing ages. Urd, the Norn of the past, is thought of being very old and decrepit, always looking backwords to the way things were. The young and vibrant Verdandi, Norn of the present, looked fearlessly ahead, while Skuld, the mysterious Norn of the Future, is depicted as veiled, holding a scroll that had not yet been opened. Two of the Norns, Urd and Verdandi, are said to be more kindly than their sister Skuld, who often undid their work, angrily scattering the almost finished patterns before they had come to fruition.
The Norns dwell at the roots of the great world tree, Yggdrasil, and it is part of their job to sprinkle it with water drawn from the well of fate to ensure that it developed as destiny demanded. Principally, though, the Norns wove the web of Wyrd that set out the fates of gods and humans. Legend has it taht they wose designs so awesome in scope that if one of them stood on a mountaintop in the farthest east and another waded far into the ocean in the farthest west, the full extent of their pattern could still never be fully seen.
The concept of three prophetic "witches" survived the pagan period in Europe and entered folklore both as the three good fairies who bestowed gifts on Sleeping Beauty and, in a more sinister guise, as the three "weird sisters" of Shakespeare's play Macbeth.

"Thence come three maidens who much do know;
Three from the hall beneath the tree;
One they names was, the second is,
These two faishioned a third, named Shall be.
They established law,
They selected lives
For the children of time,
And the fates of men."
"The Voluspa"

Mythology around Runes: Pertho

Mythology of Pertho:


Games of chance and skill are jointly governed by all three of the goddesses of fate, the Norns. This goes for life, too, the greatest game of chance and skill of all. In Norse mythology, these eternally weaving, enigmatic goddesses are not forthcoming with their knowledge and have to be wooed to reveal the future. Even Odin himself had to resort to outrageous bribery to find out what the web of Wyrd had in store. Although Odin had little influence with the weavers of the web, the same cannot be said for his wife, Frigga. This paragon of domestic virtue seems to have been on very good terms with them, and was additionally regarded as the patroness of women in labour. Frigga was also belived to be the mother of at least some of the Valkyries, the warrior women who rode flying steeds over battlefields to select those who had died bravely to enjoy a happy afterlife in the hall of their father, Odin.

Mythology around runes: Hagalaz

Mythology:

The runes of the second aett take their name from Hagalaz. The first aett begins with chaos and continues to describe the order that was created from it. In this case, the chaos is unexpected, although it is intimately connected with the past. The goddess most closely associated with Hagalaz is Urd, one of the three Norns who wove the web of fate. Urd is thought to be the Norn of the past, the other two, Verdandi and Skuld, being the present and the future respectively. Another, more sinister, goddess is also connected with this rune. She is Hel or Hella to whom i've written about in a previous post, from whose name we derive the english word "hell". She with her hideous apparition, Hel is thought to be a mouldering corpse on the right side of her face and body, yet a beautiful woman on the left. This dreadful goddess is the ruler of the world of the "dishonoured dead", or so in the beginning people thought, but about this, you better read the post just for her.
The guardian of roads and passageways between the worlds, the watchful Heimdall also has an association with this rune. Interestingly, in runic astrology, Hagalaz is said to represent Hallowe'en.


Note:  This was scheduled to this day.