Fates: the goddesses of destiny.

Not even Zeus, the lord of the gods, is free from bondage. Above the most exalted characters of Olympus there are three creatures that govern everything, even the governors of the universe.

And what can be that “which is above the gods”? Answer: destiny.

In Greek mythology, Fate had the face of a woman, or several women: the Fates. They personify Destiny as a potential fact that precedes events. In Rome they were known as Fates, and in Norse mythology they appear under the name of Norns.

The Greek word moira literally means “portion”, “part”; and symbolically “the distributors.” About what? Of the Destiny that each one has assigned, even the powerful gods in their halls of marble and gold. They are the ones who tirelessly weave human designs and the events that make up life from birth to death.

The Greeks set their figure at three, perhaps because every triad hides a secret synchronicity; But originally they were not conceived as concrete entities, but rather as abstractions resulting from the logic of myth. If the gods often seem to act without knowing their destiny, this must necessarily be the heritage of some other superior and uncertain creature.

The first mention of the Fates occurs in the Iliad. In reality, there is talk of a single Moira, a kind of cosmic spinner who weaves the lives and fortunes of men. In the Odyssey, however, Homer refers to her in the plural, and speaks of “weavers”, radically changing his concept of the Fates.

Over time the Fates established themselves as three clearly identified goddesses.

Clotho, which means “spinner”, built the thread of life using a spinning wheel. She was invoked during the last month of pregnancy to ensure a successful birth.

The second Moira is Lachesis, “she who decides fate.” Her task was to measure the length of the thread of life. That is, what was considered the duration of life.

The third, and perhaps the most interesting, is Átropos, which literally means “the one that does not turn”, although symbolically it can be translated as “the inexorable one.” She was in charge of cutting the thread of life; And not only that, but she was also in charge of choosing how each man would die.

Greek myths announce that the Fates appear before the newborn to discuss the course of his life. There they resolve his time on Earth, the events of his life, and the cause of his death. Such responsibility made the Fates feared and respected. Atropos in particular inspired a deep and reverential fear, although they were not worshiped in a conventional way, since their temperament was quite fickle and their fury could lead them to curse entire generations.

In Athens there was a tradition whereby brides offered locks of hair so that the Fates could “insert” happy episodes into their lives. When a Greek woman swore she often did so in the name of the Fates. This was taken as a guarantee of veracity. This shows that, at least for Athenian women, Fate is not a solid block, but rather a fabric composed of segments that can be altered and replaced.

Naturally, one of the Fates’ greatest enemies was Zeus himself, who like every supreme god hates being subordinate to destiny. Hesiod maintains that Zeus maintained cordial relations with them, although distant and diplomatic. Greek myths speak of a pact between Zeus and the Fates, although they never clarify its most important points. Regarding this, Pausanias mentions a secret epithet of Zeus that few dared to mention so as not to awaken the fury of the Fates. The philosopher observed it in a temple at Olympia, carved into a colossal statue of the god. It read: Zeus Moiragetes, that is, “Zeus Giver of Destiny”, almost a patrimonial challenge to these women capable of unraveling their designs at the slightest affront.

Now, if the Fates were masters of Fate, even their own, where did they come from? When were they born? Who were your parents?

Greek myths offer divergent genealogies. Some maintain that the Fates were daughters of Nix, or of Chaos, that is, of the primordial disorder of the universe. However, other myths assign them an origin with a philosophical meaning.

Where does Destiny come from? In this case, from a practically unknown goddess called Ananké, whose name means “need.” Ananké was the goddess of the inevitable, of the inexorable, of what will invariably happen. And Destiny, even when we don’t know it, has a direction and a purpose that exceeds us and that is also irreversible. The idea is not without logic. On the contrary, it comes from the purest mythical reason. It is not necessary to believe in Fate for Fate to exist. It may not be written anywhere, but each event in our lives is linked to others in an unthinkable succession that simulates the art of a prodigious weaving.

Thus, Destiny, although it does not exist in a conventional way, comes from the “necessity of the inevitable.”

Some may say, and with all fairness, that man forges his own destiny, and that nothing outside of him forces him to act in disagreement with his decisions. However, old Atropos seems to reaffirm his supremacy by cutting the thread of life of all men, that of the most pragmatic devotees of him and also that of those who boast of being autonomous only to assign his stupidity a own origin.

Mythology. I Greek mythology.

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