The primordial fate, the laws inscribed in the foundation of time.
Örlög means literally 'primal law' or 'primordial layers' and denotes a fate established from the very beginning of time. It is not something the gods can alter but something they too are subject to, just as humans are.
The norns carry örlög at Urðarbrunnr and sprinkle water and clay from the spring upon Yggdrasill to keep the tree alive. The concept is closely related to the Old English wyrd.
Attestations
- Völuspá, str. 20
- The role of örlög at Urðarbrunnr.