# Norns Three women who weave fate. Found under other names across many cultures; e.g. as fates in Old Saxon and Old English.[^1] - *[[Nornir]]* in Norse[^1] - *[[Matres]]* in Gaul and Britain[^1] - *[[Matronae]]* in Germany[^1] [[The “notion of female supernatural beings who mark or select the dead may have been an important one in Anglo-Saxon belief.”]][^2] [^1]: Max Dashu, *[[Dashu. 'Witches and Pagans_ Women in European Folk Religion, 700-1100', 2017.|Witches and Pagans: Women in European Folk Religion, 700-1100]]* (Veleda Press, 2017), chapter 1. [^2]: Noel Williams, quoted in Max Dashu, *[[Dashu. 'Witches and Pagans_ Women in European Folk Religion, 700-1100', 2017.|Witches and Pagans: Women in European Folk Religion, 700-1100]]* (Veleda Press, 2017), p. 12.