Did the Nornir also Carve Runes?

Most people who adhere to the practice of Asatru follow the Norse tradition. Therefore, most people have heard that there are three (or more) Norns (or Nornir) in Norse Heathenry. However, the Saxons (most of whom remained in Saxony and spoke Old Saxon), had the words “Uurd” and “giscapou” in their language. “Giscapou” is pronounced “yee-shape-ooo” and means “Shapers.” Simply put, Norse Heathenry had Nornir, and Saxon Heathenry had “Shapers.” The Nornir are not major "characters" so to speak in the Norse sagas and poems. They are there in the background and are not often mentioned. In the Old Saxon Heliand, the "Uurdgiscapou" are more active, and not in the background. This is "odd" from a scholarly perspective, as the Heliand is a christian gospel, and keeping Heathenry out of the gospel would be expected. While the Saxon Gods are never mentioned in the Heliand, the Uurdgiscapou are at every birth and every death in the Heliand. This is not the case in any Norse/Icelandic Saga or Poem. Scholars often compare Germanic Deities with other deities in other religious traditions that do similar work. When looking at the Nornir and comparing them to other European religious figures, the Moirai of Greek mythology come to mind: Three sisters who measure, spin, and cut the thread of life. Both are three, determine fate, and are female. But that is where the similarities end. One of the problems with Norse/Icelandic literature is that there are (like the bible) major contradictions. The location of Iðavöllr in Völuspá (verse 7) is not clear. However, in the Prose Edda, attributed to Snorri Sturluson, there is a more detailed description of the place that contradicts (or overlaps, pending your view). Völuspá (verse 7) states: "The Aesir met at Ithavoll. They built high temples and altars; they made forges, they fashioned wealth, they made tongs and shaped tools." The Aesir dwelled in Asgard (Asgard means "enclosure of the Gods/Aesir"). Therefore, in Voluspa, the location of Ithavoll appears to be in Asgard. To quote Gylfaginning: "Then Gangleri said: “What did All-Father occupy himself with when Asgard was made?” Harr said: “In the beginning, he appointed rulers and gave them seats and asked them to determine the fate of men with him and to govern the arrangement of the town. This was at a place called Ithavoll, in the middle of the town. Their first task was to build a temple, where twelve of their seats stand, apart from the high seat which belongs to All-Father." In this passage Ithavoll is in "in the middle of a town." In both Voluspa and Gylfaginning temples are built, but for some reason in Gylfaginning the Gods are meeting at Iðavöllr to determine the fate of mankind, suggesting their influence over human fate. This contrasts with the role of the Norns who govern fate without involvement of the Gods. The Nornir dwell at Urðarbrunnr, or Urðr’s Well, the same site where the gods meet daily for counsel and judgment per Snorri's passage. This overlap between the Norns’ gathering place and the gods’ gathering place, as well as an overlap of duties between the Nornir and the Aesir suggests either that there were conflicting local interpretations, or that Snorri could be "wrong" compared to a more reliable Elder Edda. Remember, Heathenry never developed a "single authoritative text" like Abrahamic traditions. Pre-christian Heathenry was an oral tradition. With these overlaps or contradictions in mind, let us return to the question: "Carving, Weaving, or Both?"

The very first poem in the Poetic Edda shows the Nornir Carving Men's Fates:  Voluspa verse 20: "From there come the maidens knowing many things, three from the lake that stands under the tree; one is called Urd, the second Verdandi, Skuld is the third; they carved the fates, they set the laws, they chose the lifespan, for the children of men and their destiny." *Carving implies Runes, not spinning or weaving. What is very interesting to me, is in Ynglinga Saga chapter 8, Uuoden (Odin) makes a law that there should be three blots a year, but at the very beginning of the Poetic Edda, we have the Nornir setting the laws, the lifespan, and the "orlag" of the children of men. Hence, we have more contradictions.

In contrast The Poetic Edda Poem Helgakviða Hundingsbana I (verses 2-4) : “Twas night in the dwelling, and Nornir came there, Who shaped the life of the lofty one; They bade him most famed of fighters all And best of princes ever to be. Mightily wove they the web of fate, While Bralund's towns were trembling all; And there the golden threads they wove, And in the moon's hall fast they made them. East and west the ends they hid, In the middle the hero should have his land; And Neri's kinswoman northward cast a chain, and bade it firm ever to be.”  This passage, also in the Poetic Edda, is different from Voluspa verse 7. Here we have spinning/weaving, and not runic carving. Carved Runes in particular imply Fate is carved/set in stone/wood, and that is where both Eddas agree, that Fate is set.

The Old Saxon Uurd, and Giscapou: Saxon Heathens do not have a "Saxon Edda" that survived. We Saxon Heathens do have the Heliand Poem that survived, as well as other literature. The Heliand was written circa 830 AD, and is almost three times as long as the Old English Poem Beowulf. The Heliand is a christian gospel, with Heathenry woven into it. Therefore, we must be careful when drawing conclusions from the Heliand.

Above, I shared two passages in Norse (Icelandic) literature, showing the Nornir either carve or weave destinies. Below, I am going to look at Uurd and Uurdgiscapou in the Old Saxon Heliand, to see if we have instances of the Shapers either weaving, or carving, or both.

Heliand Fitt 2: "He should never drink in his lifetime apple-cider or wine in his world as has his Uurd-Shapers, the Measurer determined and God’s might."  Here, I translate the word "metod" as "measurer." There is some scholarly disagreement as to the meaning of this word, is it "fate" or is it a "measurer." I lean towards "measurer" and this means we have a passage in the Heliand that does imply "weaving" i.e. Heliand Fitt 3: "Then he went near, laid upon his lap one beechwood stave and eagerly asked him to carve wisely wise-words what they should call the holy child."  While some may argue I am reaching here, in the Heliand Fitt 3, Uurdgiscapou appear to Elizabeth and foretell the birth of John the Washer. In this passage, about Zechariah carving the name on a beechwood stave, since the Nornir visit children at their birth, to me, this passage IMPLIES that a child's name (and fate?) are being carved here. I understand this is not 100% clear, as we cannot fully understand today how a Heathen Saxon Peasant hearing this passage would have understood this whole story. I am GUESSING, and I think it is correct to call that out. Please give me your thoughts in the comments. Nonetheless, I look at the Heliand now, like Icelandic literature, having the Uurdgiscapou both weave and carve the Fates of Men (and Women). Heliand, verses 4348b-4349: "Yet the turning will come of heaven and earth, and my holy word will stand fast going forth and all will be fulfilled, performed in this light,..." The word “giuuand” means “turning.” Many scholars translate this word as “end”, however, it is a word clearly tied with “Uurd” (Fate) and the Measurer’s spinning a woolen thread. Christ’s words in this passage seem to be tied to the Saxon soothsayer idea of magic, that words will be performed/fulfilled. Heliand, verses 2538-2542: "So he taught them with words. There stood a great crowd of people around God’s son. They heard him with full cheer about the world’s turning (Fate). He told them about one noble man in his acre who sowed pure wheat with his hands." ‘giuuand’ or “fate” is the word here for "turning." The word “(magic) wand” comes from this word. It is tied to Uurd and her Shapers, who spin the threads of Fate. The Heliand has two more verses in Fitt 54 using the word "giuuand." Therefore, the Heliand has both "metod" and "giuuand" in five different places, and I can only tie "carving" to one passage above. Therefore, it appears to me, that Uurdgiscapou and the Nornir both spin and carve to shape men's fates.