EHWAZ

(Horse)

Loyalty, harmony between people or inner and outer worlds, partnerships and friendships, moving house or career

Ehwaz is associated with the horse, a sacred animal to the Vikings, especially the horse that carried its rider into battle. It therefore represents a harmonious relationship as typified between a warrior and his horse. The rune, mentioned only in the Anglo-Saxon rune poem, emphasises the joy a horse brings to his rider and how it can make him feel like a prince or aethling.

If a warrior was killed in battle his horse would often be buried with him and when a much loved horse died it would be given an elaborate burial too. Odin had an eight-footed grey steed, Sleipnir as he rode.

into battle. On his teeth Odin had engraved magical runes that his mount might be invulnerable.