Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

18 results found

Fates

(Encyclopedia)Fates, in Greek religion and mythology, three goddesses who controlled human lives; also called the Moerae or Moirai. They were: Clotho, who spun the web of life; Lachesis, who measured its length; an...

Moerae

(Encyclopedia)Moerae: see Fates.

Moirai

(Encyclopedia)Moirai: see Fates.

Clotho

(Encyclopedia)Clotho: see Fates.

Norns

(Encyclopedia)Norns, the Norse Fates. Like the Fates of Greek religion and mythology, the Norns spun and wove the web of life. Belief in the Norns was of great importance in Germanic religion and life. It was said ...

Lachesis

(Encyclopedia)Lachesis lăchˈĭsĭs [key]: see Fates. ...

Atropos

(Encyclopedia)Atropos ăˈtrəpŏsˌ [key]: see Fates. ...

Parcae

(Encyclopedia)Parcae pärˈsē [key]: see Fates. ...

Themis

(Encyclopedia)Themis thēˈmĭs [key], in Greek religion and mythology, a Titan. Sometimes identified as an earth goddess, she was more commonly a goddess of law, order, and justice. She was the mother by Zeus of t...

Cynewulf

(Encyclopedia)Cynewulf kĭnˈəwo͝olfˌ, ko͝onˈ– [key], fl. early 9th cent.?, Old English religious poet of Northumbria or Mercia. Four poems have been ascribed to him on the evidence of his signatures in rune...

Browse by Subject