Norns as Seeresses

I was brought up in my father's house in that place called Graening. My father was quite wealthy and kept his house in a lavish manner. At that time seeresses, who were called prophetesses, traveled around the land, and told people the future. For this reason, people used to invite them to their houses and prepared feasts for them, and gave them gifts when they parted. My father also did so, and they came to him with a company of men, and they were to foretell my fate. I lay in my cradle, and they were to speak of my fate. Two candles were burning above me. They spoke to me and said that I would be very lucky, greater than my other forebears, or sons of chieftains in the land, and said that everything would come to pass according to my fate. The youngest Norn thought that she was too little valued compared to the other two, since they did not ask her about such prophesies, and so they were valued more. There were also a number of ribald men there, who pushed her off her seat so that she fell to the ground.

She was quite angry at this. She called out loudly and angrily, and bade them cease such good prophesies about me, -- "for I assign his future, that he shall not live longer than that candle burns, which is lighted beside him."

After that, the oldest seeress took the candle and extinguished it, and bade my mother keep it safely and not to light it until the last day of my life. After that, the prophetesses went away, and bundled up the young Norn and so kept her away, and my father gave them good gifts at their departure. When I was full-grown, my mother gave me the candle for safe-keeping. I have it with me now.

The king said: "Why did you come here to us?"

Gest answered: "This came into my mind. I came here hoping that some good fortune would be allotted to me, since you have been very much praised by good and wise men."

The king said: "Will you take holy baptism now?"

Gest answered: "I will do whatever you advise."

It was then done, and the king took him into his affection and made him one of his retainers. Gest was loyal to the king, and followed the customs of the king well. He was beloved by everyone.

[...]

One day, the king asked Gest: "How long do you wish to live, if you could choose?

Gest answered: "Just a short time, if God wills it."

The king said: "What will happen, if you take your candle now?"

Gest then took his candle from the frame of his harp. The king bade it to be lit, and so it was done. And when the candle was lighted, it burned quickly.

The king asked Gest: "How old a man are you?"

Gest answered: "I am now three hundred years old."

"You are quite old," said the king.

Gest lay down. He asked them to anoint him with oil. The king had it done. And when it was done, there were very little of the candle left unburned. Then people realized that Gest had little time left. Gest passed away just as the candle was fully burned, and everyone thought that his passing was remarkable. The king thought much of his story, and thought that what he said of his life was quite true.


- The Story of Norna-Gest (Norna-Gests þáttr), Chapter 11