The Moirai and Erinyes of Greek Mythology

The Moirai and the Erinyes are the Fates and the Furies of Greek mythology. The Moirai, which in Greek means parts or allotted portions, were the three goddesses of fate and destiny. Clotho, the spinner, Lachesis the disposer of lots, and Atropos, she who cannot be turned are the three goddesses responsible for, and the personification of, the destiny of the individual from birth to death. Each of the three Moirai, or Fates, had a specific job: when a person was born, Clotho would begin spinning the thread of life, Lachesis had the job of measuring that thread and, upon the mortal’s death, Atropos would cut it. Like the Moirai, the Erinyes encouraged a belief in an ordered universe that operated according to divine law. When someone disrupted the natural order of things, the Furies were let loose. One of their responsibilities was carrying out curses with punishments including disease and madness. They were also responsible for punishing those who swore false oaths, and the dark nature of their re