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4.6. RAIÐO: RIDING 49
humanity by Oðinn and his brothers, Vili and Ve in the process of creating humans from trees.
Divinatory Meanings
Soverreign action, speech, inspiration, leadership, communication. Also, the gift of consciousness
which allows for soverreign action.
Magical Uses
To encourage communication, speech, sovereign action and consciousness. Also can be used to help
protect the traveller, and to promote leadership. Because of its connection with conscious action, it
can be used to strengthen any magical work.
4.6 Raiðo: Riding
*Raiðo -> OE Ridan ->Mod Eng. Ride, road, and raid.
Raiðo -> ON Riða (Ride)
Raiðo -> (possibly) Old Irish Riad (Journey)13
Phonetic value: R (Rainbow)
The etymology of the name of this rune signifies travel, in particular, the act of travelling.
The Rune-Poems bear this out as its primary significance All three translate this rune as
"Riding, " though the angles they take on this concept is different. All three mention riding by horse,
and while such travel is common enough not to be noteworthy by itself, there are some exceptions
which should be discussed.
There are certain myths and legends where the image of riding a horse presents some important
symbolism. One of these incidents occurs in the Volsung saga after Sigurd marries Guðrun. Brynhild,
in grief for having lost her beloved Sigurd to Guðrun (by magic), uses her magic to call forth a wall
of fire around her which none can enter except for Sigurd. Gunnar tries to leap the fire on his own
horse, but his horse shies away, so he borrows Sigurd s horse with the same result. Sigurd, however,
is able to disguise himself as Gunnar and ride the fire on his horse. Sigurd could have easily walked
through the fire, but he rode his horse.
One may well ask whether this decision on Sigurd s part was based on practicality or symbolism.
This episode takes just outside Brynhild s hall, so distance could not be a factor. More importantly,
the legends actually speak of the flames falling back, not simply being endured. For this reason, I
can see no reason why the story should be told this way except for symbolic impact. Sigurd s actions
commit him to a violent death, and he "starts down that road" when he rides through the flames in
the guise of Gunnar.14
The Old Norwegian Rune Rhyme states:
(Riding), it is said, is the worst for horses;
Reginn forged the best blade.
The second part of this poem concerns the Volsung saga again. Regin the the dwarf who reforge s
Sigmund s broken sword for Sigurd. Twice Regin forged a great sword and twice Sigurd broke it over
13
The borrowing could have gone the other direction as well.
14
Chapter 29. The episode is used at once to show Sigurd s point on no return and the fearless nature of the hero. The poet
particularly praises Sigurd s courage in the poetic interlude.
50 CHAPTER 4. THE FIRST AETT: THE AETT OF CREATION
an anvil. When Regin complained that Sigurd was a hard man to forge for, Sigurd replied that Regin
was untrustworthy just as the rest of his race. Sigurd then procured the broken sword and had Regin
reforge it. The sword actually split the anvil that time as well as cutting a tuft of floating wool from
the force of the stream current.15
It is this sword that he later uses to kill Fafnir and Regin before riding to the Hindar Fell where
he uses the same sword to rescue Brynhild from her slumber by cutting her armor from her. Fur-
thermore, it is the same sword that was given to Sigurd s father by Oðinn, and a symbol of divine
soverreignty reforged by a producer, a dwarf. The reforging of the sword begins Sigurd s great jour-
ney and is his traveling companion almost as much as his horse. It should futher be noted that in the
Middle Ages in Europe, the sword and the horse were considered to be the main travelling compan-
ions of a night and many heroic poems (such as the Song of Roland) depict the knight talking to his
sword and/or horse.
The Old Icelandic Rune Poem states:
iding is a blessed sitting and a swift journey
And the toil of the horse.
Journey "Worthy-man"
of the Old Norwegian Rune Rhyme. Here the concept of riding is described in three closely linked
ways. Like the previous example, there is the reference to the hardship that it places on the horse.
Here we have the reference to the swift journey, and a reference to the notion of moving while sitting
down.
The Old English Rune Poem is even less mythic in its references than the Old Icelandic Rune
Poem:
(Riding) is in the hall for every warrior
easy, but very hard for the one who sits up
on a powerful horse over miles of road.
This rune signifies travel, both literal and metaphorical. It is the rune of journeys, swiftness, etc. It
16
is also the toil of horses, and because the horse is a symbol of partnership, and a Rune which relates
to coordinated effort and sacrifice for one s partners.
This stave may also be connected to the wagon of the sun described in Grimnismal 38 and 39
owing to the fact that the angular portions of the stave make a Sowilo stave. This wagon is drawn
by the horses Arvarkr ("Early Awake") and Alsvith (All-swift), and these are cooled by two bellows.
Finally, a great shield Svalin ("Cooling") is fixed under the sun to protect the earth from its heat.
Also, in many Scandenavian womens names, one might note a -rid suffix. This suffix is also
linguistically related to this stave and usually means something to the effect of "she who rides with."
So Thorrid is "She who rides with Thorr," Ingrid is "She who rides with Ing," and Sigrid is "She who
rides with Victory." Here we have the notion of a feminine presence in the wagon connected with
the spiritual power of the holder of the reins, but distinct from him. This could indicate some sort of
partnership or spiritual bond, or it could reflect a part of the soul as chariot metaphore.
Divinatory Meanings
Travel, swiftness, coordinated effort, and sacrifice for ones partners. Also setting out in a new path,
or a change of luck. This rune can signify an action which changes the outcomes of many other
important events.
15
Chapter 15. Fafnir is slain in chapter 18. and Brynhild awakened in chapter 21.
16
See section 6.4 which covers Ehwaz below.
4.7. KENAZ AND KAUNAZ: TORCH AND CANKER 51
Magical Uses
For safe and/or swift journeys. To assist in coordinated effort toward a common goal, in which
sacrifices will need to made to reach the desired end. To provoke a change of path.
4.7 Kenaz and Kaunaz: Torch and Canker
*Kenaz -> OE cen (torch)
Kaunaz -> ON kaun (sore, boil)
Phonetic value: K, C (Cold)
This rune represents the formative fire which manifests either as putrifaction or refine-
ment (note that infected wounds are warm to the touch). There are clear mythic parallels between
these two concepts. The dwarves, usually associated with the smithy s forge, were created out of the
maggots which grew in Ymir s flesh. The formative fire here again is associated with putrifaction,
and one cannot help but notice that Regin, a dwarf, is brother to Fafnir, a serpent. Furthermore Fafnir
is the guardian of a great golden treasure which is symbolic of a sort of fiery energy, and the same
could be argued of other serpents, such as Niðhogg.
The Old Norwegian Rune Poem states:
(Sore) is the curse of children;
Grief makes a man pale.
This poem is otherwise very straight forward in its imagery. The imagery here is one of extreme
putrifaction which results in the death of children. Presumably such infectious disease would be
accompanied with fever, and the wounds would be noticably warm to the touch.
The Old Icelandic Rune Poem states:
(Sore) is the bale of children and a scourge
and the house of rotten flesh.
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