TEUTONIC MYTHOLOGY. - Centrostudirpinia.it

416 WISE WOMEN.
futuris liberorum eventibus parcarum oracula consultare. Quo
ritu Fridlevus Olavi filii fortunam exploraturus, nuncupatis
solenniter votis, deorum aedes precabundus accedit, ubi introspecto
sacello 1 ternas sedes totidem nymphis occupari cognoscit. Quarum
prima indulgentioris animi liberalem puero formam, uberemque
human! favoris copiam erogabat. Eidem secunda beneficii loco
liberalitatis excellentiam condonavit. Tertia vero, protervioris
ingenii invidentiorisque studii femina, sororum indulgentiorem
aspernata consensum, ideoque eamm donis officere cupiens, futuris
pueri moribus parsimoniae crimen affixit. Here they are called
sisters, which I have found nowhere else in ON. authorities ; and
the third nymph is again the illnatured one, who lessens the boons
of the first two. The only difference is, that the norns do not
come to the infant, but the father seeks out their dwelling, their
temple (see Suppl.). 2
The weaving of the norns and the spindle of the fays give us
to recognise domestic motherly divinities ; and we have already
remarked, that their appearing suddenly, their haunting of wells
and springs accord with the notions of antiquity about frau Holda,
Berhta and the like goddesses, who devote themselves to spinning,
and bestow boons on babes and children. 3
Among Celts especially,
1
They had a temple then, in which their oracle was consulted.
2 The Lettish Laima, at the birth of a child, lays the sheet under it, and
determines its fortune. And on other occasions in life they say, taip Laima
leme, so Fate ordained it ; no doubt Laima is closely connected with lemti
(ordiiiare, disponere). She runs barefooted over the hills (see ch. XVII,
Watersprites). There is also mentioned a Delilda (nursing-mother, from debt
to suckle). A trinity of parcae, and their spinning a thread, are unknown to
the Lettons ; conf. Stender s Gramm. p. 264. Rhesas dainos pp. 272. 309.
310. The Lithuanians do know a Werpeya (spinner). The Ausland for 1839,
no. 278 has a pretty Lithuanian legend : The dieves valditoyes were seven
goddesses, the first one spun the lives of men out of a distaff given her by the
highest god, the second set up the warp, the third wove in the woof, the fourth
told tales to tempt the workers to leave off, for a cessation of labour spoilt the
web, the fifth exhorted them to industry, and added length to the life, the sixth
cut the threads, the seventh washed the garment and gave it to the most high
god, and it became the man s winding-sheet. Of the seven, only three spin or
weave.
3 Not a few times have Holda and Berhta passed into Mary ; and in the
three Marys of a Swiss nursery-rhyme I think I can recognise the heathen norna
or idisl :
rite, rite rosli, ride, ride a-cock horse,
ze Bade stot e schlossli,
at Baden stands a little castle,
ze Bade stot e guldi hus,
at Baden stands a golden house,
es liieged drei Mareie drus. there look three Marys out of it :
die eint spinnt side,
the one spins silk,