My 1^st Q. ‘In mythology what did the Fates represent?’

AI – ‘In mythology, the Fates (Moirai in Greek, Parcae in Roman) represented the personification of destiny, controlling the life, death, and fortune of every individual, even the gods, through the metaphor of weaving a thread of life. They were typically depicted as three sisters: Clotho (the spinner who begins the thread), Lachesis (the allotter who measures it), and Atropos (the inflexible cutter who ends the life). They symbolized the inevitable, inescapable nature of fate and the preordained path of existence, from birth to death. 

Key Roles of the Fates:

• Clotho (The Spinner): Spun the raw thread of life from her spindle.
• Lachesis (The Allotter): Measured the thread, determining the length of a person’s life.
• Atropos (The Inflexible): Cut the thread, signifying the moment of death. 

Symbolism:

• Weaving Metaphor: The thread, spindle, and shears symbolized the creation, measurement, and termination of life.
• Impersonal Power: They embodied the universal laws of destiny, acting as enforcers of fate for mortals and gods alike, often considered above even Zeus.
• Birth, Life, & Death: They controlled the entire human lifespan, representing the entire process of being. 

My 2^nd Q. ‘How were the Fates portrayed in Ancient Art?’

AI – ‘In ancient art, the Fates (Moirai) were typically shown as a trio of sisters, often depicted as either beautiful maidens or stern, old women, always engaged in weaving the thread of life with distinct tools: Clotho (spinner), Lachesis (measurer), and Atropos (cutter). Their iconography almost always included a loom, spindle, measuring rod, and shears, symbolizing their roles in spinning, measuring, and cutting mortal destiny, with Clotho often young and Atropos old. 

Common Portrayals & Symbols

• The Trio: They are almost always shown together as three sisters, sometimes with Zeus or other deities, but usually by themselves.
• Age Variation: Depictions varied; they could be youthful and beautiful (especially in art) or wizened and haggard (more common in literature), with Clotho often young (birth) and Atropos old (death).
• Tools of Fate:
  • Clotho (Spinner): Held a spindle or distaff, initiating the thread of life.
  • Lachesis (Allotter): Used a measuring rod or staff to gauge the thread’s length, representing the span of life.
  • Atropos (Unturnable): Carried shears or a scroll to cut the thread, deciding the time and manner of death.
• Setting: They were often shown at a loom, creating a tapestry, or reading from a scroll, representing the narrative of a person’s life.
• Other Attributes: Sometimes depicted with staffs/scepters (symbols of power) or reading from the Book of Fate. 

Artistic Context

• Integration into Scenes: They appeared in larger mythical scenes like the Gigantomachy or at significant births and marriages.
• Symbolic Meaning: Their presence highlighted the stern, unavoidable nature of destiny, even for gods, and the mystery of life and death.’

My 3^rd Q. ‘In antiquity what were the universal laws of destiny?’

AI – ‘The concept of “universal laws of destiny” in antiquity is most directly associated with Hermetic philosophy, which originated in ancient Egypt and Greece. These principles, outlined in texts like The Kybalion, are presented as governing forces of the universe that influence human existence and destiny, with some being considered immutable and others mutable. 

Hermetic philosophy outlines seven core Universal Laws:

• The Law of Mentalism: Everything is mind.
• The Law of Correspondence: As above, so below.
• The Law of Vibration: Everything vibrates.
• The Law of Polarity: Everything has an opposite.
• The Law of Rhythm: Everything flows in cycles.
• The Law of Cause and Effect: Every action has a reaction, also known as Karma.
• The Law of Gender: Everything has masculine and feminine principles. 

Other ancient traditions, particularly Eastern philosophies such as some schools of Hinduism and Buddhism, emphasize the laws of Karma (Cause and Effect) and Dharma (one’s duty). These traditions view destiny as a consequence of actions and choices over multiple lifetimes. 

These laws were understood not as punishments, but as fundamental principles of nature that individuals could comprehend and work with to shape their lives and destiny.’

My 4th Q. ‘How were the universal laws of destiny portrayed in Ancient Art?’

AI – ‘Ancient art portrays universal laws of destiny through personified figures and potent symbols that represent the predetermined nature of existence and the cycle of life and death. Different cultures had unique representations of these concepts. 

Ancient Greece and Rome

In Greco-Roman art, destiny was most famously personified by the Three Fates: the Moirai in Greek mythology (Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos) and the Parcae (Nona, Decima, and Morta) in Roman. 

• Personification as Weavers: These goddesses were typically depicted as women controlling a metaphorical thread of life.
  • Clotho (“the spinner”) spun the thread of an individual’s life from her distaff onto a spindle, symbolizing birth and the present.
  • Lachesis (“the allotter”) measured the length of the thread, determining the span and major events of a person’s life (future).
  • Atropos (“the unturnable” or “inflexible”) cut the thread with her shears, signifying the moment and manner of death (past).
• Artistic Depictions: They appeared in various artworks, from vase paintings to sculptures and later European oil paintings. Artists sometimes depicted them as beautiful maidens or, conversely, as stern or aged women, reflecting the gravity and inflexibility of their role. They were considered even above the gods in their function as enforcers of the universal laws of destiny.
• Other Symbols: The Wheel of Fortune (Rota Fortunae), associated with the Roman goddess Fortuna and Greek Tyche, was a symbol in art representing the random and cyclical nature of luck and life circumstances. 

Ancient Egypt

In Egyptian art, the concept of fate was intertwined with the journey of life, death, and rebirth. 

• Personification of Fate: The god Shai was the deification of the concept of fate, often influencing the lifespan and fortune of a person.
• Symbolic Representations:
  • The Ankh: This prominent symbol represented eternal life, the continuous cycle of existence, and the gods’ life-giving power, which tied into the concept of a fated journey.
  • The Ouroboros: The depiction of a serpent eating its own tail symbolized the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth, a potent motif also associated with destiny.
  • Ma’at’s Feather: The feather of Ma’at symbolized truth, justice, and the fundamental balance and order of the universe (similar to a universal law of nature), against which a person’s life was judged in the afterlife. 

Norse and Other Cultures

The motif of destiny as a woven thread was also present in other ancient cultures. In Norse mythology, the Norns (Urd, Verondi, and Skuld) were three goddesses who lived by the well of Urðr at the world tree Yggdrasil and wove the Web of Wyrd (fate). 

Across various ancient art forms, destiny was rarely a singular, abstract concept but rather embodied through powerful goddesses, symbols, and narratives that visually communicated the idea of a life path, from birth to inevitable death, that was universally predetermined and inescapable. ‘

My 5^th Q.  – ‘Who were the Furies in mythology?

AI – ‘The Furies, also known as the Erinyes, are Greek goddesses of vengeance, born from the blood of Uranus, who punish wrongdoers, especially those who commit crimes against family, like patricide or matricide, or violate sacred oaths. These terrifying chthonic (earth-related) deities, often depicted with snakes for hair and wings, pursued their victims relentlessly, driving them to madness with guilt and torment until atonement or punishment was complete, with their names being Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone.  

Key Aspects:

• Names: 

Alecto (Unceasing Anger), Megaera (Jealousy/Grudge), Tisiphone (Avenging Murderer). 

• Origin: 

Sprang from the blood of Uranus when castrated by his son Cronus, making them primeval avengers of violence against kin. 

• Role: 

To enact divine retribution for severe crimes, bringing madness, disease, and famine to perpetrators and their families. 

• Appearance: 

Monstrous figures with snakes for hair, bloodshot eyes, wings, and sometimes whips, wearing dark clothing. 

• Home: 

Resided in the Underworld, serving Hades, but ascended to Earth to hunt their targets. 

• Other Names: 

Also called the Eumenides (“Kindly Ones”) in Athens, a euphemism to appease them. 

Famous Example:

The Furies famously pursued Orestes, son of Agamemnon, after he killed his mother, Clytemnestra, to avenge his father, showcasing their relentless pursuit of justice for familial crimes.  

In Summary: The Furies were terrifying but necessary agents of justice in the Greek cosmos, ensuring that deep-seated moral and familial wrongs were never left unpunished, embodying the inescapable consequences of violating natural law.’ 

My 6^th Q.  – ‘How were the Furies portrayed in Ancient Art?

AI – ‘In ancient art, the Furies (known as the Erinyes in Greek) were predominantly portrayed as fearsome, chthonic (underworld) beings with monstrous characteristics, symbolizing relentless vengeance. However, their depictions evolved in later art, particularly in Athens, to a more subdued and “august” form. Common Portrayals

• Monstrous Appearance: They were typically depicted as ugly, winged women or hags. The playwright Aeschylus was the first to represent them with specific Gorgon-like features.
• Snakes: A defining attribute was hair entwined with poisonous serpents, or snakes coiled around their arms and waists. This linked them visually to the dead and the underworld.
• Dark Attire and Blood: They were often draped in black robes, and some descriptions mention blood or “hateful drops” dripping from their eyes.
• Weapons and Tools: They commonly brandished whips or torches, which were used to torment their victims.
• In Pursuit: Artwork frequently captured them in a state of pursuit, hounding a criminal and driving them to madness, a theme famously depicted in art relating to the myth of Orestes. 

Evolution in DepictionIn Athens, after the trial of Orestes where the Furies were appeased and transformed into the benevolent Eumenides (“Kindly Ones”), their artistic representations changed. In sanctuaries dedicated to them, their statues were notably less formidable, sometimes appearing as solemn, virgin maidens of the grave, shedding their monstrous features for a more venerable appearance. They were sometimes shown wearing hunting boots and a short chiton, but still retained a crown of snakes to hint at their origins.’ 

My 7th Q. – ‘How were the fates and the Furies symbolised in ancient Egyptian Art?

AI – ‘Ancient Egyptian art didn’t have direct equivalents of Greek Fates (Moirai) or Furies (Erinyes), but personified concepts like Hemsut (goddesses of fate, often six in number, representing destiny’s decree) and Ma’at (cosmic order, truth, justice) embodied similar roles, while terrifying underworld goddesses like the Keres or monstrous figures punished the wicked, reflecting fate’s harshness, often shown through divine figures with animal heads (like jackals or lions) or monstrous forms, rather than the Greek trio of spinners/cutters. Egyptian Concepts & Symbolism

• Hemsut (Goddesses of Fate):
  • These goddesses, sometimes numbering six, were believed to decree an individual’s fate, particularly at birth, similar to the Moirai’s role.
  • They weren’t depicted as a specific trio but represented destiny itself, often shown with divine or monstrous features, sometimes linked to the underworld.
• Ma’at (Cosmic Order):
  • Symbolized by the ostrich feather, Ma’at represented universal truth, balance, and justice, a concept that dictated the order of life and death, akin to the Fates’ ultimate authority.
  • In the afterlife, the heart was weighed against her feather to determine the soul’s fate, a judgment of one’s life.
• Underworld Deities & Punishers:
  • Ammit (The Devourer): A composite beast (part crocodile, lion, hippopotamus) that devoured the hearts of the unworthy in the Hall of Two Truths, embodying the destructive consequence of a failed life, similar to the Furies’ vengeance.
  • Monstrous Figures: The underworld (Duat) contained various demons and terrifying goddesses who punished the wicked, analogous to the Furies’ role in torture and madness.
• Symbolic Animals & Objects:
  • Jackals (Anubis) guided souls, lions (Sekhmet) represented fierce power, and scales (weighing of the heart) symbolized judgment.
  • While not weaving, tools like the scroll, scepter, or shears (like the Greek Atropos) were sometimes associated with Egyptian fate deities, though less consistently. 

In essence, while Greek art focused on the visual narrative of the three sisters (Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos) with their thread, Egyptian art used a broader pantheon and powerful composite beings, often linked to animal symbolism and the judgment process, to convey the inescapable hand of destiny and punishment.’

My 8th Q. – ‘In antiquity how were the Furies summoned to execute divine retribution?’

AI – ‘In antiquity, the Furies (Erinyes) were summoned not by a ritual chant, but by the victim’s desperate plea for justice for severe crimes, perjury, or impiety, or by invoking their name for solemn oaths, acting as agents of divine retribution, especially when the gods were busy. They would then emerge from the underworld, often appearing as terrifying, snake-haired figures, to torment the guilty with madness, illness, or curses, pursuing them relentlessly until atonement was made or they were brought to justice by other gods. 

How They Were Called Forth:

• Invocation: A wronged party, such as a child seeking vengeance for a murdered parent, would call upon the Furies, whose power was immense in matters of familial blood-guilt.
• Oath-Swearing: The Furies were invoked to enforce solemn oaths, particularly in the Iliad, where characters swore by them, risking divine punishment for false promises.
• Nature’s Call: They arose from the blood of Uranus, symbolizing the primal curse of a son against his father, making them inherently tied to such transgressions. 

Their Manifestation & Actions:

• Pursuit: They would relentlessly hunt the guilty, their presence marked by chilling cries and terrifying appearances (often with snakes for hair, wings, and bloodshot eyes).
• Torment: Their vengeance included driving victims to madness (like Orestes), inflicting illness, or bringing famine to entire communities.
• Underworld Role: They served as jailers in Tartarus, overseeing the eternal torture of the damned. 

Placation & Transformation:

• Atonement: Their wrath could only be appeased through purification rites and fulfilling tasks of atonement.
• Athena’s Role: In myths like the Oresteia, Athena intervened, transforming the Furies into the benevolent Eumenides (“Kindly Ones”) to represent a more balanced justice, incorporating forgiveness alongside vengeance.’