The three Norns, the Fates of Norse mythology, stand beside the sacred spring, weaving the golden thread of destiny. Imposing and cloaked in dark robes, they draw the thread, determining the fate of mortals and the world. The first Fate on the right (The Past): standing firm and unwavering, she lifts the thread behind her, symbolising all that has been and cannot be changed. The second, in the centre (The Present): seated upon a rock, she carefully weaves and guides the thread, shaping the present. The third, on the left (The Future): she takes the thread, its end vanishing into the darkness, for the future still remains unknown.
“...Below, the three Fates are spinning the thread of life. Their spindles show part gold and part grey threads. The gold part will measure out the allotted span of a person's life. Above, a girl and her lover are talking. It is their happiness that is being determined by the Fates: a bell is tolling in a tower, symbolising the passing of time, and Love's car is waiting in the sky. Strudwick was a pupil of Burne-Jones, whose influence it felt clearly in this picture”. Gallery label, April 1997
QVEM FATA VOCANT, Latin for whom the fate calls
Library of Light Edition 1.0 — Last revised: May 2026