A Fate Inked in Blood

The people of Skaland believe that fate is determined by three goddesses, stating, “All that is and all that will be is already woven by the Norns” (23). In this fictional world, however, there is one notable exception. Children of the gods, including Freya, are Unfated; her path is unknown until she walks it, and she can rearrange the threads of fate for those around her. The terms “fate” and “destiny” are used interchangeably in the novel to describe a predetermined future that can only be changed by those who are Unfated. When Freya considers a warning about her future, she thinks, “Maybe I could alter my destiny and escape this. […] I could weave a new fate for myself” (129). Her use of both terms to connote the same idea supports their interchangeability. With a prophesied destiny that promises both greatness and hardship, and the rare ability to change that destiny, Freya seeks to understand how much control she has over her own life, while others battle fiercely to take that control from her.

The many challenges that Freya encounters prompt her to weigh the costs and benefits of autonomy and destiny. The shield maiden prophecy reveals a destiny that aligns with several of Freya’s desires, such as ridding herself of Vragi, fighting as a warrior, and achieving glory in battle. However, the path to her foretold destiny comes with disadvantages such as a marriage to Snorri, the subsequent prohibition of a romance with Bjorn, Ylva’s resentment, the ongoing threat to Freya’s family, and the possibility of being torn apart by power-hungry, exploitative rulers.

Just as the path of destiny presents Freya with mixed blessings and challenges, the prospect of exercising her autonomy offers a wide range of benefits and drawbacks. At one point, choosing her own way gives her the opportunity to help her people without subjecting them to the death toll of war. When she is faced with the choice of attacking Harald at the base of Hammar or returning home to protect Halsar, she asks herself if she can “change the fates of those in Halsar” (232). She therefore convinces Snorri to protect Halsar, but when they find it already destroyed, the narrative implies that her choice has changed nothing. The idea of autonomy is further complicated by the existence of the prophecy and the specter’s warning, which contradict the claim that her future is unknowable. As Freya tries to make sense of this dichotomy, she begins to recognize how profound the consequences of her decisions might be. All of her options are sure to hurt someone, and at times she feels paralyzed by the burden of choice.

The wording of the prophecy—“beneath the rule of the one who controlled her fate” (28)—emphasizes the question of who ultimately controls Freya’s future. It is unclear whether the Norns control her fate through the threads they weave, and even though she is said to be Unfated, Danielle L. Jensen creates a deliberately ambiguous portrayal of Freya’s autonomy, for the narrative suggests that certain people manage to control her by wielding influence over her decisions. Without knowing the consequences of her choices, Freya cannot truly know if her chosen path leads to her foretold destiny or allows her to forge ahead in a new direction. Without that knowledge, she cannot truly have control over her own life, and her struggles reflect the human condition.

Significantly, some mortals in Skaland use the idea of fate to rid themselves of responsibility and blame. To accept that one is Unfated is to embrace personal responsibility for one’s choices and actions, even though the consequences cannot be known ahead of time. Freya does accept this, but others, such as Snorri, still have some control over her. Freya accepts this too because she chooses the safety of her family and the well-being of Skaland’s people over her own autonomy. Numerous events lead her to confront this choice again and again, and ultimately, the distinction between destiny and autonomy is irretrievably blurred. For example, Snorri is supposedly bound by fate, yet he is able to achieve many of his desires through honed rhetorical skills, the influence of his position, and his exploitation of Bjorn and Freya. After the battle at Grindill, Freya says, “If I’d waited for a healer to tend to my feet, Bodil might still be alive.” Bjorn responds, “Or perhaps she would have slipped and fallen to her death as we retreated to find the healer. Perhaps it was her time to die” (311). His words emphasize the impossibility of knowing what is meant to happen and what Freya has put in motion, portraying Freya’s guilt as an expectation of exerting control over uncontrollable events and further blurring the line between destiny and autonomy.