Steven,

> Ver��andi seems to me to suggest 'becoming' but also
> 'happening'. It has
> cognates in Indo-European languages which suggest turning
> in both the
> physical sense of rotation, and in the sense of day
> turning into night.

> Is
> there any description
> of the Norns in terms of spinners?

I've read that Ver��andi is a spinner, but I'm not familiar
enough (yet) with the original sources to point to a quote.
That fits with the 'turning' cognate, though.

> Also, can someone tell me where to find a discussion of
> Old Norse textile
> technologies?

This is a good overview of Viking and Saxon weaving
technologies c. 1000 C.E.
http://www.regia.org/textiles.htm

Also, you may want to look for links through other
experiential archeology groups, such as the SCA. Some (not
all) of the members are interested in recreating as
accurately as possible all aspects of medieval life, such
as spinning and weaving.

Here is one example:
http://www.cs.vassar.edu/~capriest/spindles.html

Hmm, I'm also recalling a book I've browsed in the library
but haven't read properly:
_Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years: Women, Cloth, and
Society in Early Times_
by Elizabeth Wayland Barber

The book is highly regarded, and, as she is also a
linguist, language played a big role in her research.
I don't know how much she covers Northern European culture.

Cheers,
Mike

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