Myths and Legends * Moira. Greek mythology. moiras

Since ancient times, it has been noted that every person’s eyelid develops in a special way, unlike others. It was common to believe that these processes were led by gods, no less. People described them and tried to negotiate to get a better share. The Greeks believed that they were led by the hand by the Moiras - the goddesses of fate. These are three sisters standing apart from the common Pantheon. Let's get to know them better, maybe they will be useful to someone in life.

Moiras - goddesses of fate

It is quite indicative that when forming concepts about rock, people were guided by fear. They were afraid of an unknown force dominating them. It seemed impossible to get rid of it or somehow influence what was destined. By the way, modern thinkers are not far removed from the people of antiquity. They still say the same thing, the fate of each member of society is predetermined even before birth, only little things depend on our will.

Ancient people initially associated their ideas about the future with material objects. For example, fate could lie in a stone or firebrand. By breaking this item, one could take someone else's share. With the development of abstract thinking, the image of the gods became more complex. Higher beings acquired traits, characters, and were endowed with will, goals and responsibilities. This is how Moira, the goddess of fate, arose in the general idea. These are representatives of the dark world, invisible to people, but holding everyone’s life and happiness in their hands. They treated them with respect and fear. This is proven by the fact that there are practically no images of Moira left. Ancient people feared their anger more than real dangers.

Three sisters and their parents

With the development of ideas about deities, higher beings began to be shrouded in legends and beliefs. The Moiras were considered sisters and were depicted (described) as spinners, endlessly working on the threads of fate. Over time, the question arose about their origin.

Ancient mythology contains rather confusing information on this matter. It is generally accepted that the Moiras (goddesses of fate) are the daughters of Zeus and Themis. Sometimes they said that the sisters were born by Night, which also created Death.

In any case, the Moiras are the rightful mistresses of each person’s share. Without their knowledge or consent, it is impossible to undertake anything, from simple harvesting to long journeys. From birth to death, as residents believed Ancient Greece, the person is accompanied by the Moiras - the goddesses of fate. The names of these higher beings are Lhesis, Clotho and Atropos. Let's say a few words about each.

About separation of duties

Fate is a rather broad concept. The Greeks divided it into three parts. The first was determined before birth. Lachesis was in charge of this work. She was considered the giver of lots. Some received a comfortable life from it, others received fame, and the majority of the population received a difficult, difficult lot.

The person who came into the world was accompanied by Clotho, the spinner. This is what she looks like in rare images: a woman making thread from wool. The third sister, Atropos, is always next to her. She is holding a book and scissors - the instrument of Death. This goddess is free to cut the thread of a person’s destiny at any moment. She watches everyone and evaluates their actions. If you show disobedience, make a mistake, she will immediately make a radical decision about your earthly existence.

Thus, the Moiras (goddesses of fate) were endowed with their own tasks. I wonder if it was from these ideas that the idea of ​​division of labor developed? Science has not considered this question.

Moira (goddess of fate): attributes

Each of the sisters had their own tools with which they influenced a person’s fate. Lachesis holds a spindle in his hands (according to other versions - meter). With its help, she allocates to everyone the assigned piece of thread - fate. The Greeks believed that this happens even before the birth of a person. If you ask nicely, you can find out in advance your length of stay in that world.

Clotho's attribute is the thread itself. This goddess creates destiny without interrupting the spinning process. Atropos makes sure that no mortal gets too much. Her task is to break the thread in time (cut with scissors). It should be noted that the Moira paraphernalia was received much later than the time when their images were finally formed in society.

Fate or fate are concepts more ancient than weaving. With the development of crafts, people tried to attribute the use of tools to the gods. Thus, the Moirai acquired their attributes, which were ideally suited to the tasks formed in their beliefs. Does your destiny really have higher patrons? What do you think?

... inhabitants of the region of the dark sea, where the warm waves of the night
They break through the grotto of wondrous stone in full swing.
You fly to the realm of mortals, above the boundless land
Rush towards the bloody human race with vain hope,
In your thin crimson shrouds go out into the
Mortal destinies - and there is your all-earthly chariot
Vanity drives forever, and it constantly rushes
Past the mark that the way of life has set, hope, anxiety,

Since ancient times, this law or power is infinitely good
Moira alone observes this life - from the highest blessed ones,
Snowy Olympus inhabited by no one else but the eye
Zeus, who is all-perfect, and everything that happens to us,
Moira and the all-comprehending mind of Zeus know.
Daughters of the good father - O Lachesis, Clotho and Atropa!
Inevitable, inexorable, you, oh night ones,
O all-givers, O saviors of mortals in misfortune...

(Orpheus)

Moira (moira, lit. “share”, “part”, hence the “fate” that everyone receives at birth) · goddess of human destiny.

Initially, in the minds of people, fate was embodied in some material object, stone, animal - fetish, carrier of vital forces. Thus, Meleager’s moira is contained in a brand left over from the sacrificial fire, hidden by the hero’s mother. Wanting to destroy her son, the mother took out a brand and threw it into the fire, where it burned, causing his painful death. Subsequently, when animistic ideas prevailed, the magical power of fate, contained in the fetish, began to be presented as an independent deity, which endows a person with one or another fate, expresses his will to him, determines his future life, leads him from birth to death - and was embodied in images of moira.

Moirai are now understood as fate (“that which is spoken”) and fate (“that which is destined”), although for these concepts in Greek special terms are developed. Moira is a dark invisible force; it does not have a distinct anthropomorphic appearance; depictions of moira in ancient art are rare. With the development of Olympic mythology, ideas about one, two, or, most common, three Moirai became stable. The archaic moirai were considered the daughters of Nyx, who also gave birth to death, sleep, Nemesis, Eris and the Hesperides.

With the spread of weaving among many peoples (Hittites, Greeks, Romans), the Moirai took on the appearance of spinners. This is what Homer calls them for the first time in Greek literature. They were thought of as stern old women spinning the threads of fate: Clotho with a spindle in her hand, Lachesis with a measure or scales, Atropos with the book of life and scissors. Breaking the thread means death. The philosopher Plato, transforming popular beliefs, depicts the Moira as the forces of the highest heavenly law and order, women in white robes, with wreaths on their heads, ruling the present, past and future to the music of the celestial spheres. He calls them the daughters of the goddess Ananke (“necessity”), who turns the world’s spindle.

Over time, the goddesses acquire personal names; these are three divine sisters - merciless rulers of fate, who do not accept appeals from people and are not subject to the gods:

Lachesis, “the giver of lots,” is responsible for the past; she assigns lots even before a person’s birth and monitors its fulfillment. Lachesis, as it were, unwinds and passes through the adversities of life, the vicissitudes of fate, through the entire life of a mortal man, the thread that Clotho spins for each fate. It is impossible to break the lot; all the gods help to fulfill it.

Her sister Clotho, the "spinner", the moira of the present, spins the thread on which the events of the present time are strung in human life.

Atropos and the moira of the future, “inevitable”, inevitably brings a person’s future closer and cuts the thread of human life with scissors, thereby breaking it off.

The relationship between the Moirai and the Olympian gods is quite complex. As a result of the archaism, the gods, despite their power, also obeyed the Moirai and did not know what they were destined for; fate, which knew no pity, also ruled over them. So, Zeus, wanting to know the dictates of fate, weighs the lot of human lives on golden scales.

However, there is a version of the myth according to which the Olympian Zeus was the father of the moiras born

Klotho is translated as “spinner or spinner.” This Moira spun the thread of fate. Lachesis translated means the giver of lots. Lachesis twisted the thread, determined its length, that is, the fate given to every living creature, and wound it around. Anthropos, “inevitability,” already meant death. This Moira was breaking the thread of fate.

The Greeks believed that they were the children of Kronos (the god of time) and Night. Plato said that they are the creation of Ananke - “necessity”, and that they have power over the fate of not only people, but also the gods. However, among the priesthood the prevailing doctrine was that Zeus was still free to change his fate, and that he was above them as the supreme organizer of order, so Zeus was even called moiroget - “driver of the moiras,” showing the dependence of the goddesses of fate on his supreme will.

There is a variant of the myth in which Zeus is indicated as the father of the Moira, and the goddess of justice Themis is called their mother. Here the thought of fate as God’s justice already prevails, which is already closer to Christianity.

Among the Romans, the moiras corresponded to parks: Nona, Decima and Morta with the same functions and attributes.

Goddesses of fate in Norse mythology

They settled near the sacred tree Yggdrasil to protect the aesir gods from evil deeds and edify them with their predictions. Their names are Urd (“fate”), Verdandi (“becoming”) and Skuld (“duty”). Norns represent the past, present and future, and their main occupation is the yarn of the threads of fate.

Norns give people unequal destinies, some are lucky all their lives, while others die in poverty and misery. But they could also show personal sympathy if they were insulted at the birth of a child, so the Scandinavians tried to appease the Norns with sacrifices.

Norns spin not of their own free will, but in obedience to the most ancient and impersonal law of the Universe - Orlog, which is much closer to philosophical fate than Plato's Ananka-necessity. Urd was usually portrayed as a decrepit old woman, Verdani as a mature woman, and Skuld as a very young girl.

In all cultures the image Goddesses of Fate is associated with weaving and weaving, as a result of which human destiny itself is represented in the myths of the whole world in the form of a thread. A smooth and clean thread means a smooth and clean life; crooked and dirty thread - crooked and dirty life. The Goddess of Fate weaves the threads of life of all people, weaving them into patterns, twisting and tying special knots and thereby bringing people together and filling their lives with blessings. But a person also influences his destiny; by his behavior he can spoil the thread, knock off the pattern or tighten the wrong knot on his thread, in which case his life becomes difficult and filled with suffering.

Despite the fact that the images of the Goddess of Fate differ slightly in the myths of different peoples, She can be easily recognized by her qualities and described actions. Along with her in myths, there are often other characters who are associated with fate and actively participate in its implementation. It also happens that the image of the Goddess of Fate appears in several Goddesses engaged in joint work at once. No matter how these images are disguised, the Goddess of Fate always appears in them as the patroness of childbirth, agriculture, weaving and is herself the Mother of the Gods, the Giver of Harvests and the Patroness of Women. She often corresponds to the images of the Sacred Cow and the Spider. She is also the progenitor of the Elements, which is reflected in one of the addresses to Her - Mother of Fire. The image of the Goddess of Fate is almost exactly reproduced by all Indo-European cultures, since it appeared and was comprehended by people in such ancient times, when the division into peoples had not yet occurred or was not significant.

An excellent example of this is Greek mythology. Thus, in Greek mythology, the Moiras are considered to be the Goddesses of Fate, but they themselves do not determine the fate of a person, but rather monitor it. They are probably a manifestation of an older Goddess Era or Yara, which in the later period began to be called Hero. The name of this Goddess is translated as Guardian, Protector or Mistress. The image of one of Her sons - Typhon - is directly associated with earth, and the other - Ares - with fire. One of the epithets indicating the correspondence of the Goddess Hera with the Goddess of Fate is Volookaya. In terms of her qualities, the Goddess Era completely coincides with the image of the Goddess of Fate.

In Roman culture, the Goddess of Fate appears in the form Goddess Juno. The Etruscans - Goddess Uni. Among the Celts - Goddess Anu(Danu, Don) and Goddess Brighid. Among the Slavs - Goddess Makosh And Goddesses Dolya and Nedolya. The Scandinavians have Goddess Erd And Goddess Frigg. The Iranians have Goddess Anahita. And in Vedic India - Goddess Aditi. And, of course, the image of the Goddess of Fate was reflected in the Christian Mother of God.

In different nations, the Goddess of Fate was called by different names. Her name in different languages ​​means almost the same thing - “Mother”, “Mistress”, “Ancestress”, “Protector”. In one of the most ancient and legendary languages ​​of the Mages, her name sounds like - "Ani".

The Goddess of Fate ties knots in the threads of life and thereby determines the past, present and future. The nodes are connected into an intricate pattern that contains everything: happiness and sorrow, meetings and partings, successes and failures. By tying this or that Nauz - a magical knot, the Goddess creates an event in a person’s life. But the person himself, having knowledge and strength, is capable of creating a Nauz through ritual, which will have an impact on his life.

The magic of Nauzov is an art transmitted to people by the Goddess of Fate herself. Once upon a time, this type of magic was so widespread that it was used in almost every family. Today this direction is not so widespread, but it has not lost its effectiveness. By doing a ritual and tying a special knot on the cord, we get the opportunity to influence our destiny or the destiny of a loved one and fill life with blessings.

Exists huge amount magic knots - some are simpler, some are more complex. You need to start studying this difficult art from the simplest and at the same time the most important magical node “3 Powers”. This knot bears this name for a reason, but only those who take up practice will be able to understand it. The importance of this knot is determined by the fact that it underlies many sciences and without mastering it it will not be possible to practice knot magic.

Magic Knot “3 Powers”

To tie a “3 Forces” knot, take a cord with a cross-section of 3-5 millimeters. You can practice tying on any cords, but it is better to make a nauz from linen, silk, wool or cotton cords.

Moira Moira or Parks

(Μοι̃ραι, Parcae). Three goddesses, daughters of Night, who control the fate of man (μοίρα - fate). The first, Clofo, spins the thread of life; the second, Lachesis, determines the fate of life; the third, Atropa, that is, inevitable, cuts off the thread of life. They know in advance the fate that awaits every person, and people must obey these powerful goddesses. The Romans called these goddesses parkas.

(Source: “A Brief Dictionary of Mythology and Antiquities.” M. Korsh. St. Petersburg, edition by A. S. Suvorin, 1894.)

(Μοίραι, moira, lit. “part”, “share”, hence the “fate” that everyone receives at birth), in Greek mythology, the goddess of fate. In the initial ideas, the moira-fate of everyone is embodied in a certain material object - a fetish, a bearer of life potentials. Yes, Moira Meleager enclosed in a brand left over from the sacrificial fire, hidden by the hero’s mother. Wanting to destroy her son, the mother took out a brand and threw it into the fire, where it burned, thereby causing the painful death of Meleager (Apollod. I 8, 2-3). When animistic ideas prevailed, the magical power contained in the fetish began to be presented as an independent deity, which endows a person with one or another fate, expresses his will to him, and determines his future life. M. is now understood as fate (“that which is spoken”) and fate (“that which is destined”), although special terms were developed for these concepts in the Greek language, along with the name “M.” M. is a dark invisible force; it does not have a distinct anthropomorphic appearance; the image of M. in ancient art is rare. With the development of Olympic mythology, ideas about one (Not. II. V 613), or two (Paus. X 24, 4), or three M. became stable. The most common myth is about three sisters-M. Archaic M. - daughters of the night, which also gave birth to death, sleep, Nemesis, Eris and Hesperides (Hes. Theog. 211-225). Their names are Lachesis (“the giver of lots”), Clotho (“the spinner”), Atropos (“the inevitable one”). Lachesis assigns lots even before a person is born, Clotho spins the thread of his life, Atropos inevitably brings the future closer. Plato believes that these three M. are the daughters of the goddess Ananke(“necessity”), rotating the world spindle (Plat. R. R. X 617 b-e). The relationship between M. and the Olympian gods is complex. As a result of archaism - the dependence of the gods on M. and ignorance of what they intended. Thus, Zeus, wanting to know the dictates of fate, weighs the lots of human lives on golden scales (Not. II. XXII 209-214). However, there is a variant of the myth according to which the Olympian Zeus was the father of M., born of Themis (Hes. Theog. 901-906).
M. are associated with Zeus (Pind. 01. VIII 22), he is called Morius (Soph. O. S. 705). Zeus and Apollo are also called Moiragetes (“drivers of M.”). The epithet of Zeus “arbiter of destinies” (the inscription on the altar at Olympia) means (according to Pausanias) that God “knows human affairs and everything that M. appointed, and everything that they refused” (Paus. V 15, 5 ). In the Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens, above the head of the statue of Zeus there was an image of M., and it was obvious to everyone that “predestination and fate obey Zeus alone” (Paus. I 40, 4). In the Hellenistic era, the goddess competes with M. Quiet(goddess of chance), characterizing the instability and variability of life. M. correspond to Roman parks..
Lit.: Losev A.F., Homer, M., I960, p. 270-342; Leitzke E., Moira und Gottheit im alten griechischen Epos, Gott., 1930 (Diss);
Stelnbach E., Der Faden der Schlcksalsgot-theiten, Lpz., 1931; Krauae W., Zeus und Moira bei Homer, “Wiener Studien, 1949, Bd 64, S. 10-52.
A. F. Losev.

(Source: “Myths of the Peoples of the World.”)

Three daughters of Zeus and Themis. Goddesses of human destiny. At first it was believed that every person has his own destiny - moira. So, Homer knows only one Moira - inevitable fate. Later, they began to believe that all three sisters take part in the life destiny of each person: Clotho spins the thread of life, Lachesis takes out, without looking, the lot that falls to a person and guides the thread of human life through all the vicissitudes of fate, Atropos cuts the life thread at the appointed hour. The gods also obeyed the Moirai. They were depicted as stern-looking old women: Clotho with a spindle in her hand, Lachesis with a measure or scales, and Atropos with the book of life and scissors. The Moirai correspond to the Roman Parks.

// Vladislav KHODASEVICH: Parks

(Source: “Myths of Ancient Greece. Dictionary-reference book.” EdwART, 2009.)

(Clotho, who spun the thread of life, Lachesis, who pulled this thread, Atropos, who cut it) - in Greek mythology, the daughter of Zeus and Themis, the goddess of inevitable fate.

(Source: “Dictionary of spirits and gods of German-Scandinavian, Egyptian, Greek, Irish, Japanese mythology, mythologies of the Mayans and Aztecs."

See what “Moiras” are in other dictionaries:

- (Greek Moirai share.) Goddess of fate, 3 daughters of Night; birth and death are under their special protection. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. MOIRA Greek. Moirai, from moira, part, share, fate.… … Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

MOIRA, in Greek mythology, three daughters of Zeus and Themis (goddess of fate): Clotho spins the thread of life, Lachesis assigns lots, Atropos cuts the thread of life. The Moirai correspond to the Roman Parks... Modern encyclopedia

Moira- MOIRA, in Greek mythology, three daughters of Zeus and Themis (goddess of fate): Clotho spins the thread of life, Lachesis assigns lots, Atropos cuts the thread of life. The Moirai correspond to the Roman Parks. ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

In Greek mythology, there are three daughters of Zeus and Themis, the goddess of fate: Clotho spins the thread of life, Lachesis distributes destinies, Atropos at the appointed hour cuts the thread of life. The Moirai correspond to the Roman Parks... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Parks, Lachesis, wheel of fortune, fate, Atropos, Clotho, Atropa Dictionary of Russian synonyms ... Dictionary of synonyms

- (Moirai) Greek. goddess of fate. The early religious worldview designated the supreme law of nature with this name, pointing to the gods as its executors; Along with the expression DioV aisa, the expression moirai Jewn is often found. From this presentation... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

The triumph of death. Three moiras. Flemish tapestry (circa 1510-1520). Victoria and Albert Museum ... Wikipedia

In Greek mythology, there are three daughters of Zeus and Themis, the goddess of fate: Clotho spins the thread of life, Lachesis distributes destinies, Atropos at the appointed hour cuts the thread of life. The moirae correspond to Roman parks. * * * MOIRA MOIRA, in Greek mythology... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary

Moira- (Greek Moiroi) in Greek mythology, the goddess of human destiny, daughter of Zeus and Themis. The three most famous are Lachesis (“the giver of lots”), Clotho (“the spinner”) and Atropos (“the inevitable”). In literature they were portrayed as sinister old women... ... Ancient world. Dictionary-reference book.

MOIRES- (Greek) or PARKS (Latin) Goddesses of fate. Daughters of Zeus and Themis. Three moiras were usually mentioned: Clotho - who spun the thread of life, Lachesis - who determined the lot, and the most formidable - Atropos - who cut the thread of life. In the Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens above... ... Dictionary-reference book on Ancient Greece and Rome, on mythology