Fates

The Fates were a common motif in European polytheism, most frequently represented as a group of three mythological goddesses (although their number differed in certain eras and cultures). They were often depicted as weavers of a tapestry on a loom, with the tapestry dictating the destinies of men. The primary instances include:

• Moirai, the Fates of Greek mythology who control the Threads of Fate
• Parcae, the Fates of Roman mythology
• Deities and fairies of fate in Slavic mythology
• Norns, the Fates of Norse mythology, also related to other female deities in Germanic paganism
• Deivės Valdytojos, seven goddesses who weave garments made from humans' lives in Baltic paganism

This motif has been replicated in fictional accounts, such as:

• Three Witches, characters in Shakespeare's Macbeth

• The Fates, characters in Disney's Hercules

• The Fates/Moirai, characters in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, Heroes of Olympus series, and The Trials of Apollo series

• The Sisters of Fate, characters in the God of War video game series, based on the Greek Fates
• The Fates, characters in Anaïs Mitchell's Hadestown