Fate and Weaving: Justification of a Metaphor

The essay explores the well-known metaphor of referring to fate as something that is woven or spun and it attempts to explain why this metaphor works so well. Initially, a definition of what fate is is produced and the ways in which it operated in Old Norse tradition are discussed. Following this, an explanation of the technicalities of weaving is given. Finally, it is suggested that the interaction between the warp and weft on the loom is akin to the relationship between the given fate and the free choice of the individual, with the warp representing necessity and the weft possibility.