Editing Parcae (section)

== Names and sources ==
The names of the three Parcae are:
* [[Nona (mythology)|Nona]] (Greek equivalent ''[[Clotho]]''), who spun the thread of life from her [[distaff]] onto her [[Spindle (textiles)|spindle]];<ref name="Conflict With the Dragon and the Sea">John Day, ''God's Conflict With the Dragon and the Sea: Echoes of a Canaanite Myth in the Old Testament'', CUP Archive, 1985, p.&nbsp;308.</ref>
* [[Decima (mythology)|Decima]] (Greek ''[[Lachesis (mythology)|Lachesis]]''), who measured the thread of life with her rod;<ref name="Conflict With the Dragon and the Sea" />
* [[Morta (mythology)|Morta]] (Greek ''[[Atropos]]''), who cut the thread of life and chose the manner of a person's death.<ref>L. L. Tels de Jong ''Sur quelques divinites romaines de la naissance et de la prophetie'' 1959, pp. 70–77; 83–85.</ref><ref>P. Ramat "Morta" in ''Archivio glottologico italiano'' 40, 1960, pp. 61–67.</ref><ref>J. H. Waszinsk ''Gnomon'' 34, 1962, p. 445.</ref>

The earliest extant documents referencing these deities are three small [[stelae]] ''(cippi)'' found near ancient [[Lavinium]] shortly after [[World War II]].<ref>G. Dumezil ''La religion romaine archaique'' Paris, 1974, part 4, chapt.</ref> They bear the inscription:

<blockquote>
''Neuna fata, Neuna dono, Parca Maurtia dono''
</blockquote>

The names of two of the three Roman Parcae are recorded (''Neuna'' = Nona, ''Maurtia'' = Morta) and connected to the concept of ''fata''.<ref>L. L. Tels De Jong ''Sur quelques divinites romaines de la naissance et de la prophetie'' 1959 pp. 67–130.</ref>

[[File:Peter Paul Rubens - Sketches - WGA20439.jpg|thumb|''The Three Parcae Spinning the Fate of [[Marie de' Medici]]'' (1622-1625) by [[Peter Paul Rubens]]]]One of the sources for the Parcae is ''[[Metamorphoses]]'' by [[Ovid]], II 654, V 532, VIII 452, XV 781. Another source is [[Aeneid]] by [[Virgil]], in the opening of Book I.