Urð

This article contains lore based on real-life sources from Norse mythology as introduced from the God of War Norse era.

“ You are looking for what all those who search for us seek, to know the end to your story. ”

–Urð

Urð (Nordic: Urðr) is a Norse Goddess of Fate and one of the three Norns encountered during The Word of Fate.

Norse Mythology[]

Urðr (Old Norse "fate") is one of the Norns in Norse mythology. Along with Verðandi (possibly "happening" or "present") and Skuld (possibly "debt" or "future"), Urðr makes up a trio of Norns that are described as deciding the fates of people. Urðr is attested in stanza 20 of the Poetic Edda poem Völuspá and the Prose Edda book Gylfaginning.

Urðr is together with the other Norns located at the well Urðarbrunnr beneath the world ash tree Yggdrasil of Asgard. They spin threads of life, cut marks in the pole figures and measure people's destinies, which shows the fate of all human beings and gods. Norns are always present when a child is born and decide its fate. The three Norns represent the past (Urðr), future (Skuld) and present (Verðandi).

Urðr is commonly written as Urd or Urth. In some English translations, her name is glossed with the Old English form of urðr; Wyrd.

Yggdrasil is said to stand "always over Urd's well", or the well of fate, Urd's well is located in Asgard. Urd appears in the Völva's Prophecy Völuspá: Thence come maidens, much knowing, three from the hall, which under that tree stands Urd hight the one, the second Verdandi, on a tablet they graved—Skuld the third. Laws they established, life allotted to the sons of men; destinies pronounced.

Thence come the maidens mighty in wisdom, Three from the dwelling down 'neath the tree; Urth is one named, Verthandi the next, — On the wood they scored, — and Skuld the third. Laws they made there, and life allotted To the sons of men, and set their fates.

In the God of War Series[]

God of War: Ragnarök[]

In their desperate attempt to locate and free Atreus, Kratos and Freya encounter Urð alongside her sisters in their hidden sanctum located deep beneath the Lake of Nine. Unlike her sisters, Urð plays a predominant role in the encounter and converses with Kratos and Freya. While she does eventually provide the duo with the information they seek regarding Atreus, she also takes the opportunity to chastise them for their actions in their journey so far and taunts Kratos about the Jötnar prophecy regarding his upcoming death.

Powers and Abilities[]

Immortality: as a Norse Goddess, Urð is immortal. Only a sufficiently powerful weapon or an extremely powerful being can kill her.
Magic mastery: Like her sisters, Urð is highly gifted in magic, being able to summon illusions to disguise the entrance to the Well of Urð, as well as conjure visions to others to confront them with their fears and guilt. She also has the ability to either conjure or summon creatures to attack trespassers to the well, including gulons, dark elves and even a frost phantom.
Insight: Being a Norn, Urð has a supernatural insight and understanding the personal nature of others and the choices they will make. explaining that it is only because people are so predictable that the Norns appear to have the ability to predict the future.

Trivia[]

Her Greek equivalents (in terms of being Goddess of Fate) are Sisters of Fate.
The Norns designs are based on the pagan idea of the Triple Goddess, as indicated by the moon design on their belts, with Urð representing the Crone.