RAIDHO
R
Aett: 1st Aett, Freyr’s Aett
Position within the Aett: 5
Position within the Futhark: 5
Meaning: Journey, riding
Concept: Orlog
English Letter Value: R
Sound: R
Pronunciation: Rayd-tho
Other Names: Anglo-Saxon: Rad
Armanen: Rita
Germanic: Raidho
Gothic: Raidha
Icelandic: Reid
Norwegian: Raid
Younger: Reidh
Associations:
Polarity: Both
Element: Water
World: Vanaheim
Galdr: Raaaaaydthooooooh
Rune Poem(s)
Norwegian Rune Rhyme
[Riding], it is said, is the worst for horses;
Reginn forged the best swords.
Icelandic Rune Poem
[Riding] is a blessed sitting,
and a swift journey
and the toil of the horse.
journey “worthy man”
Anglo-Saxon Rune Poem
[Riding] is in the hall
to every warrior
easy, but had
for the one who sits up
on a powerful horse
over miles of road.
Level One Meaning(s)
The main meaning of raidho is journey. Although this journey was mainly associated with physical travel via some kind of a vehicle (i.e.: chariot, wagon, etc.), it has taken on the additional meanings, in ancient times, of a journey by foot, horse, or by pack animal. The more modern associations would be traveling by a modern four wheeled vehicle (i.e.: car, mini-van, pick-up truck, etc.), motorcycle, motor scooter, train, semi, bus, subway or even by flight (i.e.: plane, jet, etc.) (traveling through the air by the gods, especially Odin, Thor, and Freyja, was common in the lore). Magically, raidho is a rune of protection for a traveler.
Raidho, as mentioned with ansuz, is associated with the spread of ideas and therefore with the spread of lore, poetry and news; as well as, much later, the written word. Much of the ancient lore was spread by people known as skalds (which can be equated with the English bard). They would tell their tales through the medium of prose and poetry. Travelers, which included the skalds, would, as part of their keep for staying overnight at a farmhouse or someone’s home shared the tales they had learned and/or the news they had gathered on the road. Under this concept raidho can be considered one of the runes governing the internet (along with ansuz and kenaz) since the motion of atoms and electrons cause information to travel from one location to another.
Because of its association with travel, the r-rune is also associated with motion and, therefore, all rhythmic movement. (Anyone who has ridden a horse, or on a horse or oxen drawn wagon, will understand this association.) Rhythmic movement comes in many different forms; such as playing music (whether it is the almost ritualistic movements to make music, moving to the music while playing music or just moving to music being played), dancing (especially ecstatic dancing) and the movements that are made while performing ritual or magic. (As I see it, all forms of dancing creates an ecstatic feeling, to a greater or lesser degree.)
Along these lines, drumming, especially if done for meditation or ritual, is very much guided by the r-rune. Not only is a rhythmic sound produced by the drummer(s) come under the auspices of raidho, but also the rhythmic movement of the drummers themselves. In a rite where all the energies are just right, not only the shaman (godi, witch-doctor, etc.) will achieve an altered state of consciousness through the drumming and his own movements, but the drummers as well; each adding their own energies to the mix and synergizing the whole.
Where ansuz is the rune of musical (art, poetry, etc.) inspiration and kenaz is the rune of knowledge [such as the mechanics of making music, art, poetry, etc.], raidho is the rune of actually performing the arts. Performance is about movement; whether that movement is moving fingers in a set pattern for making music or art work, moving around a “stage” for performing poetry, or the movements required for a ritual or rite.
The r-rune can be said to be a rune of limits. More specifically, finding out what your limits are and to be able to expand them. It’s like the difference between how far one can walk in a specific time period and how far one can ride in the same amount of time; about how much energy that you have left to expend at the end of that time period. (In other words, the rider will be more rested at the end of the day than a walker would.) By “riding” to your limits in life rather than “walking” to them you have the chance to beyond those limits and establish new ones. Raidho is the rune to take you there.
Inherent in the ability to find your limits and to “ride” to them is the concept of freedom. Raidho can free one to find these limits and to be able to choose ones own directions; be in charge of one’s own direction (being only limited by one’s own wyrd, orlog and hamingja). It also, by implication, has a connection to moral responsibility. The Wiccan Rede (And it harm none. . .) Does have some validity when traveling. There’s no need to ride through another’s field of grain, or their garden, or their house, or to knock down a wall (around a well or between properties) without a very good reason (and because it is fun is not a good reason). The same can be said about “riding” through another’s life. Personal freedom only goes so far and limits are what raidho is about.
Raidho can be used to bring about justice. Unlike teiwaz, raidho is not concerned with the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law. It is concerned with a judgement based more on perspective, on mitigating or incriminating set of circumstances, and, sometimes, with the concept of mercy, rather than what the laws actually state. The r-rune is the spirit of the law which sometimes takes justice outside the bounds of the law. This concept requires wisdom to know when to enforce the law strictly and when to show leniency. Thus raidho is also associated with wisdom. Wisdom cannot exist without knowledge (kenaz) (nothing can exist in a “vacuum”). However, knowledge, by itself, does not confer wisdom. It is applied knowledge, finding out for yourself if it actually works, that confers wisdom. (Unfortunately, wisdom is usually gained the hard way; whether we have teachers or not.)
Mythically, the r-rune is associated with the Wild Hunt. The Wild Hunt is the wintery ride of Odin and the battle slain warriors that make up his retinue during this nighttime ride. Generally, this ride across the skies happens during Yule-tide and is usually associated with the winds and storms that happen during that time of year. (I have heard of the Wild Hunt happening in the U.S. as early as mid October and as late as February.
Associated Deity(ies)
Thor: Thor is mainly associate with raidho due to his chariot which is drawn by his two goats, which he uses to travel to most places; especially to Midgard since he was forbidden, with good reason, from using Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge from Asaheim to Midgard.
Freyja: Freyja is also associated with the r-rune due to the chariot that she rides which is drawn by two very large, male cats. (The chariot is only one of her methods of travel, the other is a cloak made of falcon feathers. The cloak allows her to fly; also an association with raidho.)
Sleipnir — Sleipnir, a son of Loki, is the eight-legged horse which Odin uses to travel the worlds; especially if he needs to get there very quickly. Mainly Odin has used Sleipnir to travel to the underworld (Helheim) to speak to the dead or Hella. (Sleipnir is also associated with the rune ehwaz.)
Forseti — Forseti is the god of justice and law. His job is to still all strife and judge matters from the idea of what the spirit of the law says rather than what the letter of the law says. He lives in a grand hall called glitnir, which has a roof of silver and the roof was supported by great pillars of gold. Forseti is the final arbiter of all disputes among the Aesir. His is the son of Balder and Nana. His name can be translated to “presiding one”.
Odin — Odin, in his guise of the wanderer and traveler of the worlds, is the ultimate traveler and often showed up on a person’s door step to test them on whether or not they followed guesting law. As such, he is intimately associate with this rune. (He is intimately associated with all the runes, but more so with ansuz and raidho.)
© 2005