►Greek Mythology: “The Moirae” (“The Three Fates”):
“The Triumph of Death”, or “The Three Fates”. Flemish tapestry (probably Brussels, 1510-1520).
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In Greek Mythology The Moirae or Moirai (in Greek Μοῖραι, meaning the “apportioners”, often called The Fates), were the three white-robed personifications of Destiny (Roman equivalent: Parcae, “sparing ones”). They assigned to every person his or her fate or share in the scheme of things.
Their number became fixed at three: Clotho, (spinner), Lachesis (allotter) and Atropos (unturnable).
•Clotho (“spinner”) spun the thread of life from her distaff onto her spindle. Her Roman equivalent was Nona, (the ‘Ninth’), who was originally a goddess called upon in the ninth month of pregnancy.
•Lachesis (“allotter” or drawer of lots) measured the thread of life allotted to each person with her measuring rod. Her Roman equivalent was Decima (the ‘Tenth’).
•Atropos (or Aisa, “inexorable” or “inevitable”) was the cutter of the thread of life. She chose the manner of each person’s death; and when their time was come, she cut their life-thread with “her abhorred shears”. Her Roman equivalent was Morta (‘Death’).
Clotho carried a spindle or a roll (the book of fate), Lachesis a staff with which she pointed to the horoscope on a globe, and Atropos a scroll, a wax tablet, a sundial, a pair of scales, or a cutting instrument.
The three were also 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.
Being goddesses of fate, they had to necessarily know the future, which at times they revealed, and thus became prophetic divinities.
In Homer’s “Iliad”, Moira, who was just one, acted independently from the gods.
Only Zeus, was close to Moira. Using a weighing scale (balance,) Zeus weighed trojan hero Hector’s “lot of death” against the one of Achilles.
Zeus appeared as the guider of destiny, who gave everyone the right portion.
In Hesiod’s “Theogony”, the three Moirae were daughters of the primeval goddess, Nyx (“Night”).
Later, the Moirae were considered daughters of Zeus who gave them the greatest honour, and Themis, the ancient goddess of law and divine order.
According to some sources they were sisters of three of the Horae: Eunomia (lawfulness, order), Dike (Justice), and Eirene (Peace).
As goddesses of death, they appeared together with the Keres, who were Nyx’s daughters and the female spirits (daimones) of violent or cruel death and the infernal Erinnyes (or Furies), who were three goddesses who avenged crimes against the natural order.
The Moirae had sanctuaries in many parts of Greece, such as Corinth, Sparta, Olympia and Thebes.
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“The Three Fates” by Godfrey Sykes (1855).
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►Gallery: “The Moirae”:
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“The Moerae: Atropus, Clotho and Lachesis”. Frescoes (135-140 BC). Italy.
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►Poetry: Allea Jacta Est: “The Die has been Cast”.
(A sort of Card Poem, by Aquileana).
(Painting: “The Three Fates” by Michelangelo. 1882).
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►Links Post:
http://www.theoi.com/Daimon/Moirai.html#Zeus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moirai
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Moira
http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/boardarchives/2002/sep2002/threefates.html
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►Last but not Least: One Lovely Blog Award:
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I have recently been nominated from “Strings of Soulfulness” for a One Lovely Blog Award. I recommend this blog. You’ll find inspirational posts, mainly in the shape of beautiful poems. Among the introductory lines of this blog, I found these ones: “Learning to be eternal in all the ways of living”. I thought those words were both touching and wise. I bet you are nodding in agreement with me!. Hence, you’d better check out the blog in order to draw your own conclusions and borne out the previous opinions.
►Here are the Award Ruless:
1) The nominee shall display the respective logo on her/his blog and link to the blogger that has nominated her/him.
2) The nominee shall nominate ten to fifteen (10 to 15) bloggers she/he admires, by linking to their blogs and informing them about the nomination.
In this occasion, I will nominate -in no particular order- new followers and/or great bloggers I have recently met or that I haven’t nominated yet.
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►And here are my nominees for the Lovely Blog Award:
1. Judith Shaw 2. Sadness Theory 3. Profane Light 4. Il Mondo di Beatrice 5. Doris Pacheco 6. Jadi Campbell 7. Español con Virgulilla 8. A Rose in Bloom 9. Unchained Emporium 10. King-The Series 11. Pull of the Sun 12. El Duende de las Palabras 13. La Pelie 14. Palabras al Viento 15. Entelequia Efímera.
★ ⭐ ⭐ ★ ⭐ ⭐ ★ ⭐
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Aquileana
