Kaunaz ᚲ

Kaunaz: sore, boil

Icelandic rune poem: Kaun er barna böl, ok bardaga för, ok holdfúa hús

The ulcer is a disease fatal to children, and painful spot, and abode of mortification

Despite its painful title, kaunaz is a fire rune; the forge fire of creation so needed by smiths and metal workers. It also represents the fire of sexual passion and lust, and so has links to the goddess Freyja. Kaunaz is also a rune of protection, and in this aspect has connections to the god Heimdal. It is a rune of creation, both of artefacts and of life.

In Hammer of Fate, the first of the Rune Song trilogy, Adelais draws kaunaz in the foreshore mud with her toe before stepping towards a possible lover in an encounter that she does not know how to start, but probably can not stop.

For introductions to other runes, there’s a pull-down menu here. More details about the Rune Song epic fantasy trilogy via my ‘books’ pages or on Amazon UK or Amazon.com. All books are published by Second Sky / Hachette and are available in print, ebook, and audiobook formats.