Raido ᚱ

Raido: ride

Icelandic rune poem: reið er sitjandi sæla, ok snúðig ferð, ok jórs erfiði.

Riding is the joy of the horsemen, and speedy journey, and toil of the steed

There is a rhythm to raido; the steady rhythm of a cantering horse. It is associated with riding and the chariot of Thor. Raido also linked to the god Ing, whose banner was a white stallion. It is a rune of journeys, both of the body and of the spirit or mind, and is thus quite shamanistic in its concept, like the steady drum-beat of a wheel, always in motion.

In Hammer of Fate and Runes of Battle, the first two books of the Rune Song trilogy, raido forms part of the composite, bind-rune taufr (talisman) that Adelais hides in the lining of her scrip. The taufr was carved by Adelais’s grandmother Yrsa with a destiny to bring Adelais home.

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.