The Golden Shears (Fated Destruction Book 2) 11
Macabeo Eastman
THE MOIRAI (Moirae) were the three goddesses of fate who personified the inescapable destiny of man. They assigned to every person his or her fate or share in the scheme of things. Their name means "Parts." "Shares" or "Alottted Portions." The individuals were Klotho (Clotho), the "the Spinner," who spun the thread of life,Lakhesis (Lachesis), "the Apportioner of Lots", who measured it, andAtropos (or Aisa), "She who cannot be turned," who cut it short. Zeus Moiragetes, the god of fate, was their leader.
At the birth of a man, the Moirai spinned out the thread of his future life, followed his steps, and directed the consequences of his actions according to the counsel of the gods. It was not an inflexible fate; Zeus, if he chose, had the power of saving even those who were already on the point of being seized by their fate. The Fates did not abruptly interfere in human affairs but availed themselves of intermediate causes, and determined the lot of mortals not absolutely, but only conditionally, even man himself, in his freedom was allowed to exercise a certain influence upon them. As man's fate terminated at his death, the goddesses of fate become the goddesses of death, Moirai Thanatoio.
The Moirai were independent, at the helm of necessity, directed fate, and watched that the fate assigned to every being by eternal laws might take its course without obstruction; and Zeus, as well as the other gods and man, had to submit to them. They assigned to the Erinyes, who inflicted the punishement for evil deeds, their proper functions; and with them they directed fate according to the laws of necessity.
As goddesses of birth, who spinned the thread of life, and even prophesied the fate of the newly born, Eileithyia was their companion. As goddesses of fate they must necessarily have known the future, which at times they revealed, and were therefore prophetic deities. Their ministers were all the soothsayers and oracles.
The Moirai were described as ugly, old women and sometimes lame. They were severe, inflexible and stern. Klotho carries a spindle or a roll (the book of ate), Lakhesis a staff with which she points to the horoscope on a globe, and Atropos a scroll, a wax tablet, a sundial, a pair of scales, or a cutting instrument. At other times the three were shown with staffs or sceptres, the symbols of dominion, and sometimes even with crowns. At the birth of each man they appeared spinning, measuring, and cutting the thread of life.
MOIRA (Moira) properly signifies "a share," and as a personification " the deity who assigns to every man his fate or his share," or the Fates. Homer usually speaks of only one Moira, and only once mentions the Moirai in the plural. (Il. xxiv. 29.) In his poems Moira is fate personified, which, at the birth of man, spins out the thread of his future life (Il. xxiv. 209), follows his steps, and directs the consequences of his actions according to the counsel of the gods. (11. v. 613, xx. 5.) Homer thus, when he personifies Fate, conceives her as spinning, an act by which also the power of other gods over the life of man is expressed. (Il. xxiv. 525, Od. i. 17,iii. 208, iv. 208.) But the personification of his Moira is not complete, for he mentions no particular appearance of the goddess, no attributes, and no parentage; and his Moira is therefore quite synonymous with Aisa. (II. xx. 127, xxiv. 209.) If in Od. vii. 197, the Kataklthes are the Moirae, and not the Eileithyiae, as some suppose, Aisa and Moira would indeed be two distinct beings, but still beings performing entirely the same functions.
The Moirae, as the divinities of the duration of human life, which is determined by the two points of birth and of death, are conceived either as goddesses of birth or as goddesses of death, and hence their number was two, as at Delphi. (Paus. x. 24. 4; Plut. de Tranq. An. 15, de Ei ap. Delph. 2.) From this circumstance we may perhaps infer that originally the Greeks conceived of only one Moira, and that subsequently a consideration of her nature and attributes led to the belief in two, and ultimately in three Moirae; though a distribution of the functions among the three was not strictly observed, for in Ovid, for example (ad Liv. 239), and Tibullus (i. 8. 1.), all three are described as spinning, although this should be the function of Clotho alone, who is, in fact, often mentioned alone as the representative of all. (Pind. 01. i. 40; Ov. ad Liv. 164, Fast. vi. 757, Ex Pont. iv. 15. 36.) As goddesses of birth, who spill the thread of beginning life, and even prophesy the fate of the newly born, they are mentioned along with Eileithyia, who is called their companion and paredros. (Paus. viii. 21. 2; Plat. Sympos. p. 206, d.; Pind. Ol. vi. 70, Nem. vii. 1; Anton. Lib. 29; comp. Eurip. Iphig. Taur. 207.) In a similar capacity they are also joined with Prometheus, the former, or creator of the human race in general. (Hygin. Poet. Astr. ii. 15.) The symbol with which they, or rather Clotho alone, are represented to indicate this function, is a spindle, and the idea implied in it was carried out so far, that sometimes we read of their breaking or cutting off the thread when life is to end. (Ov. Am. ii. 6. 46; Plat. de Re Publ. p. 616.) Being goddesses of fate, they must necessarily know the future, which at times they reveal, and thus become prophetic divinities. (Ov. Met. viii. 454, Trist. v. 3. 25; Tibull. i. 8. 1, iv. 5. 3; Catull. 64. 307.) As goddesses of death, they appear together with the Keres (Hes. Scut. Herc. 258) and the infernal Erinnyes, with whom they are even confounded, and in the neighbourhood of Sicyon the annual sacrifices offered to them were the same as those offered to the Erinnyes. (Paus. ii. 11. 4; comp. Schol. ad Aesch. Agam. 70; Aelian, H. A. x. 33; Serv. ad Aen. i. 86.) It belongs to the same character that, along with the Charites, they lead Persephone out of the lower world into the regions of light, and are mentioned along with Pluto and Charon. (Orph. Hymn. 428; Ov. Fast. vi. 157; comp. Aristoph. Ran. 453.) The various epithets which poets apply to the Moirae generally refer to the severity, inflexibility, and sternness of fate.
It cannot be surprising to find that the character and nature of the Moirae were conceived differently at different times and by different authors. Sometimes they appear as divinities of fate in the strict sense of the term, and sometimes only as allegorical divinities of the duration of human life. In the former character they are independent, at the helm of necessity, direct fate, and watch that the fate assigned to every being by eternal laws may take its course without obstruction (Aeschyl. Prom. 511, 515); and Zeus, as well as the other gods and men, must submit to them. (Herod. i. 91; Lactant. Institute. i. 11, 13; Stob. Eclog. i. pp. 152, 170.) They assign to the Erinnyes, who inflict the punishment for evil deeds, their proper functions; and with them they direct fate according to the laws of necessity, whence they are sometimes called the sisters of the Erinnyes. (Aeschyl. Eum. 335, 962, Prom. 516, 696, 895; Tzetz. ad Lyc. 406.) Later poets also conceive the Moirae in the same character. (Virg. Aen. v. 798, xii. 147; Tibull. i. 8. 2; Ov. Trist. v. 3. 17, Met. xv. 781; Horat. Carm. Saec. 25, &c.) These grave and mighty goddesses were represented by the earliest artists with staffs or sceptres, the symbol of dominion; and Plato (De Re Pub. p. 617) even mentions their crowns. (Mus. Pio-Clem. tom. vi. tab. B.)
They had sanctuaries in many parts of Greece, such as Corinth (Paus. ii. 4. 7), Sparta (iii. 11. 8), Olympia (v. 15. 4), Thebes (ix. 2.5. 4), and elsewhere. The poets sometimes describe them as aged and hideous women, and even as lame, to indicate the slow march of fate (Catull. 64, 306; Ov. Met. xv. 781; Tzetz. ad Lyc. 584) ; but in works of art they are represented as grave maidens, with different attributes, viz., Clotho with a spindle or a roll (the book of fate); Lachesis pointing with a staff to the horoscope on the globe ; and Atropos with a pair of scales, or a sun-dial, or a cutting instrument. It is worthy of remark that the Muse Urania was sometimes represented with the same attributes as Lachesis, and that Aphrodite Urania at Athens, according to an inscription on a Hermes-pillar, was called the oldest of the Moirae. (Paus. i. 19. 2.)
Aeschylus, Eumenides 961 ff (trans. Weir Smyth) (Greek tragedy C5th B.C.) :
"You, divine (theai) Moirai (Moirae, Fates), our [the Erinyes'] sisters by one mother [Nyx], divinities who distribute justly."
Lycophron, Alexandra 143 ff (trans. Mair) (Greek poet C3rd B.C.) :
"The lame daughters [the Moirai (Moirae)] of the ancient Sea (Halos) with triple thread."
[N.B. The Moirai are perhaps here identified with the Graiai or Grey Ones.]
Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 37. 1 :
"[In the shrine of Despoine (Despoena) at Akakesion (Acacesium) in Arkadia :] On the first relief are wrought Moirai (Moirae) and Zeus surnamed Moiragetes (Guide of Fate)."
Pausanias, Description of Greece 10. 24. 4 :
"[In the temple of Apollon at Delphoi (Delphi) :] There are also images of two Moirai (Moirae); but in place of the third Moira there stand by their side Zeus, Moiragetes (Guide of Fate), and Apollon, Moiragetes (Guide of Fate)."
Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 515 ff (trans. Weir Smyth) (Greek tragedy C5th B.C.) :
"Chorus : Who then is the helmsman of Ananke (Necessity)?
Prometheus : The three-shaped (trimorphoi) Moirai (Fates) and mindful (mnmones) Erinyes (Furies).
Chorus : Can it be that Zeus has less power than they do?
Prometheus : Yes, in that even he cannot escape what is foretold."
Quintus Smyrnaeus, Fall of Troy 14. 96 ff (trans. Way) (Greek epic C4th A.D.) :
"Powerless for her help [were the allies of Troy amongst the gods] to override fate (aisa); for not Kronos' (Cronus') Son [Zeus] can stay the hand of Aisa (Aesa, Destiny), whose might transcendeth all the immortals, and Zeus sanctioneth all her deeds."
[N.B. Aisa is either the single goddess of fate or the first of the three sisters.]