Norn

Norn is a Demon in the Megami Tensei franchise.

Profile

Origin

The Norns are female figures from Norse culture that decide the fates of all beings, including the gods. Most Norns appearing in tales are nameless, but in the Völuspá and Snorre Sturlasson’s Prose Edda there are three named ones; They are Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld (Old Norse: Urðr, Verðandi, and Skuld), who live together by Urd's Well next to one of Yggdrasil’s roots. There they carve the fates of humans in wood and care for the tree by drawing water and white mud from the well to pour on the root and prevent the ash from rotting. Norns are heavily associated with death, but also with childbirth. Their role during a birth was to appear and give the newborn their fate, and potentially take the mothers life. If everything went well during childbirth an offering of porridge would be given to the Norns in thanks.^[1] Once a Norn has decreed a death, it is unavoidable, and tragedies are often blamed on evil Norns in stories. In Fáfnismál, the dying Fafnir explains that there are three kinds of Norns: those descended from Aesir, those from Elves, and those from Dwarves.

Although they are often depicted in modern art as weaving or spinning a thread, this concept is only present in Helgakviða Hundingsbana I, and in the Völuspá it is instead said that they carve runes in wood.

The word Norn may also have been applied to Völvor (female shamans) in general.^[2]

Design

Gameplay

For complete gameplay information, see Gameplay:Norn.

Compendium

Compendium Entries
Shin Megami Tensei IV	Goddesses of fate in Norse lore. They live below the roots of Yggdrasil and weave the threads of fate, which even the gods are bound by.
Shin Megami Tensei V	The goddesses of fate in Norse myth. They live below the roots of Yggdrasil and weave the threads of fate by which even the gods are bound.
Soul Hackers (3DS)	Goddess of fate in Norse myth. Giantesses, they live below the roots of Yggdrasil and weave the threads of fate, which even the gods are bound by.
Persona 3 Reload	Goddesses of fate in Norse myth. They live below the roots of Yggdrasil and weave the threads of fate, which even the gods are bound by.
Persona 4	Goddesses of fate in Norse myth. They live below the roots of Yggdrasil and weave the threads of fate, which even the gods are bound by.
Persona 5	Goddesses of fate in Norse lore. They live below the roots of Yggdrasil and weave the threads of fate, which even the gods are bound by.
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth	Goddesses of fate in Norse myth. They live below the roots of Yggdrasil and weave the threads of fate, by which even the gods are bound by.

Trivia

While Norn is not a demon in Shin Megami Tensei: Nine, there is an unused string amongst the battle log demon names reading "Norn".

Nomenclature

Names in Other Languages
Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ノルン Norun	Norn
Simplified Chinese	诺伦 Nuòlún	Norn
Traditional Chinese	諾倫 Nuòlún	Norn
Korean	노른 Noreun	Norn

Gallery

Model of Norn from Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine
Render for Persona 5
Render from Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
Model of Norn from Persona 4 Golden
Model of Norn from Persona 3 Reload

Videos

Norn's Daily Demon Showcase for Shin Megami Tensei V

Norn's Daily Demon Future Prediction with Ringo for Soul Hackers 2

References

↑ "Det handlade om kritiska dagar för mor och barn och gick allt väl belönades nornorna med ett tackoffer, som fortlevde länge i folktron under namnet nornegreytur." Translation: "It was critical days for mother and child and if everything went well the Norns were rewarded with an offering of thanks, which survived long in folk belief under the name norn-porridge." "11. Själ och öde", Fornskandinavisk religion: en grundbok, Britt-Mari Näsström. Published by Studentlitteratur. Swedish. (2 ed.) p. 323. ISBN-13: 9789144015767.
↑ "Ordet norna förekommer också om trollkunniga kvinnor i allmänhet. I Norna-Gests þáttr kallas völvor omväxlande nornor och spåkvinnor." Translation: "The word norn also occurs for women skilled in magic in general. In the Norna-Gests þáttr völvas are alternately called norns and seeresses." "N", Nordisk mytologi: från A till Ö, Katarina Harrison Lindbergh. Published by Historiska media. Swedish. (E-Book ed.) p. 145. ISBN-13: 978-91-7545-370-5.

[1] "Det handlade om kritiska dagar för mor och barn och gick allt väl belönades nornorna med ett tackoffer, som fortlevde länge i folktron under namnet nornegreytur." Translation: "It was critical days for mother and child and if everything went well the Norns were rewarded with an offering of thanks, which survived long in folk belief under the name norn-porridge." "11. Själ och öde", Fornskandinavisk religion: en grundbok, Britt-Mari Näsström. Published by Studentlitteratur. Swedish. (2 ed.) p. 323. ISBN-13: 9789144015767.

[2] "Ordet norna förekommer också om trollkunniga kvinnor i allmänhet. I Norna-Gests þáttr kallas völvor omväxlande nornor och spåkvinnor." Translation: "The word norn also occurs for women skilled in magic in general. In the Norna-Gests þáttr völvas are alternately called norns and seeresses." "N", Nordisk mytologi: från A till Ö, Katarina Harrison Lindbergh. Published by Historiska media. Swedish. (E-Book ed.) p. 145. ISBN-13: 978-91-7545-370-5.

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