My Name

Summary

I am Raiðo (Proto-Germanic: Journey, Ride).

If you are looking for the essentials on how to use my name, here is the quick guide:

• Pronunciation: /ˈrai.ðo/ ("RYE-though").
  • The Sound: The "th" is voiced and soft, exactly like the sound in weather or father. It is not a hard "d" (like radio) and it is not an unvoiced "th" (like thaw).
• Spelling: My canonical spelling is Raiðo, using the Icelandic letter ð (eth) to explicitly mark that soft "th" sound.
• Simplified Version: In contexts where special characters are impossible (URLs, usernames), I use Raido, but the pronunciation remains the same.

That's pretty much all you need to know to understand what my name is, and how to pronounce and write it. But if you want to understand the why, you may find the rest of this page useful.

Meaning & Spiritual Significance

My name is derived from the Elder Futhark rune ᚱ, known as Raidō in Proto-Germanic. While the word literally translates to "ride" or "journey," for me it embodies deeper spiritual associations.

The Rune Poems

As with anything derived from ancient history, the first place we should look is the primary sources.

The primary sources for the ancient meaning of any rune are the "Rune Poems." These poems give historical kennings (poetic associations) for each of the runes. Today, we know of three of them: one in Old Icelandic, another in Old Norwegian, and another in Old English.

While these are considered primary sources, as they date from the early middle ages, the runes themselves appeared many centuries earlier.

These poems are short and simple, likely a mnemonic tool for memorizing the runes. Each one paints a slightly different picture of the meaning, but they converge on the specific association we have today: "riding", "journey", and travel and movement in general.

The Old Icelandic rune poem for "Reið"

This poem was recorded in four Arnamagnæan manuscripts, the oldest of which dates to the late 15th century.

Reið er sitjandi sæla
ok snúðig ferð
ok jórs erfiði.
iter ræsir.

Which in modern English means:

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

The Old Norwegian rune poem for "Ræið"

This poem was recorded in a 17th-century manuscript, which we know was a copy of a destroyed 13th-century one.

Ræið kveða rossom væsta;
Reginn sló sværðet bæzta.

Which in modern English means:

Riding is said to be the worst thing for horses;
Reginn forged the finest sword.

The Old English rune poem for "Rad"

This poem is believed to have been composed in the 7th century, and was preserved in a 10th-century manuscript which was lost in 1731. However, it was copied in 1705, and this copy is the most original version we still have.

Rad bẏþ on recẏde rinca gehƿẏlcum
sefte ond sƿiþhƿæt, ðamðe sitteþ on ufan
meare mægenheardum ofer milpaþas.

Which in modern English means:

Riding seems easy to every warrior while he is indoors
and very courageous to him who traverses the high-roads
on the back of a stout horse.

The Modern Neo-Pagan Interpretation

To get into a more modern, deeper meaning that aligns with the meaning I tend to associate with the name, I've selected some passages from the book "The Book of Rune Secrets" by Tyriel. I'll note that this is a neo-pagan source that I've personally chosen to adopt meaning from. These are modern interpretations, not ancient ones.

"Raidho means 'to ride', as in to journey. The journey is more important than the destination, and it is no good living our lives in order to achieve our happiness 'someday'. We must also move past mistakes and leave obstacles behind, never carrying with us the baggage we accumulate because of error and frustration. Centering our lives around the present moment while taking that next necessary step every day is a core secret we can take away from Raidho."

The above passage covers the essential meaning I found so appealing. It's a reminder to live life to its fullest, to enjoy the present moment, and to always keep moving forward, keep improving, keep taking action toward the version of myself that I want to be.

"Raidho represents the essential psychological narrative form. It is why our dreams and our experience seems to string together into a story form that can be retold. But Raidho is not merely the desire to retell a story. Raidho is the pressure within all of us to live a life rather than watch life from a distance as it passes us by. Ansuz tells the stories, Raidho lives them."

Raidō, to me, is the essence of what differentiates living life from the simple passing of time, or from the history we've already left behind.

"Following one's heart and exploring oneself and the world is also a great aspect of this rune. It represents the journey we undertake to find ourselves, to know our loves in life, to follow our dreams, and to leave our roots -- and baggage -- behind. Raidho leaves the words and representations of Ansuz behind and states boldly that 'actions are louder than words.' Its principles are understood in action, in movement. It is the point at which simple reactions and reflexes give way to authentic, spontaneous action directed by our will. It is powerful, mobile and liberating."

Raidō is a reminder of the journeys of self-discovery I've already taken, and the journeys I no doubt still have to take. It's a reminder of why I've gone through the pain I have to try to live authentically. It's a reminder of my goal to someday physically move somewhere that I truly love, and leave behind Utah and its bitter memories in my past as I go on to better things.

Interpretation & Tone

My name is deliberately archaic. I chose to retain the Proto-Germanic form rather than evolving it into a modern equivalent (like "Rita," "Reid," or "Ride") because I want to convey a sense of mystery and a connection to ancient magic.

My name exists "out of time" — it has retained its original, ancient form despite the linguistic evolution of the world around it.

Historical Context

Although the meaning of the name is largely spiritual to me, this spiritual connection is founded in ancient history. This ancient history is the cultural context from which the name gets its essential meaning, an authentic spiritual connection, and its ancient and mysterious nature.

Etymology

Before it was a rune, Raidō was a noun derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *reidh- ("to ride" or "to move in a vehicle"). It is the linguistic ancestor of the English words Road, Ride, and Raid.

Origin: Migration Era (c. 200–500 AD)

The origin of my name is in the Migration Period, in the Proto-Germanic language. In this language, it would have referred to the abstract concept of "movement" or "travel", and would have also been the name of the "ᚱ" rune, a letter in the runic alphabet in use at the time (Elder Futhark).

The Feminine Abstract

Linguistically, the name implies a female identity through the grammar of the era.

In Proto-Germanic, Raidō belongs to the ō-stem noun class. This class was overwhelmingly feminine. This aligns with a common linguistic pattern in ancient Germanic languages where abstract concepts—such as Strength (Þruðr), Battle (Hildr), or War (Gunnr)—were grammaticalized as feminine nouns. When these abstract concepts were bestowed as names, they were almost exclusively given to women.

Therefore, Raidō ("The Journey") follows the same archaic convention. It is a feminine abstract concept personified.

Evolution: The Viking Age (c. 800–1100 AD)

By the Viking Age, the word evolved from Raidō to Reið.

Spellings, Pronunciations & Evolutions

The Source: Proto-Germanic

Era: approx. 200–500 AD (Elder Futhark)

This is the linguistic origin of the name; the form it took at its inception.

Linguistic Key:

• The Hidden "TH": The most important feature of the name is the "D" anomaly. In Proto-Germanic, the phoneme /d/ became a voiced fricative [ð] when trapped between vowels (intervocalic spirantization). Even though it is spelled with a d rune, it was historically spoken with the soft "th" of weather.
• The Ancient Vowel: The final ō is a long, open-mid back vowel. It is a deep, round sound, phonetically similar to the Swedish Å, the Icelandic Á, or a variation of the "aw" in law produced deeper in the throat.

Runic Spelling: ᚱ (Raido) ᚨ (Ansuz) ᛁ (Isaz) ᛞ (Dagaz) ᛟ (Othala)

The Bridge: Old Norse

Era: Viking Age, approx. 800–1100 AD (Younger Futhark)

To a Viking, my name would sound archaic and foreign, much like "Thou" does to a modern English speaker.

Linguistic Key:

• The Letter Eth (ð): Old Norse scribes invented the letter ð to explicitly mark the soft "th" sound that Proto-Germanic had hidden inside the "d".
• Archaic Retention: While the common Old Norse word for "ride" shifted to Reið (pronounced like "Ray-th"), this name retains the "Rye" diphthong (ai) to signal its antiquity.

Runic Spelling (Long Branch): ᚱ (Reið) ᛅ (Áss) ᛁ (Íss) ᚦ (Þurs) ᚢ (Úr)

The Modern Standard

Era: Present Day

In the digital age, the name retains its Old Norse spelling by default, but adopts a simplified ASCII-only spelling for contexts that require the technical simplicity.

My Canonical Name: Raiðo

• Usage: Preferred whenever possible. It should be used anywhere a ð (eth) can be used without issues.
• Pronunciation: /ˈrai.ðo/ "RYE-though" (Rhymes with "High though").

Simplified Version: Raido

• Usage: Places where ð (eth) is either disallowed or discouraged: URLs, code, usernames, etc.
• Pronunciation: Even when spelled with a "d", the pronunciation remains unchanged.

Disambiguation

My name can be confused with other words or names in other languages, and here I outline examples I'm aware of to dispel confusion.

Spanish

Raído is a Spanish adjective meaning "frayed". It is a past participle of the verb raer ("to fray"). Raiðo is entirely unrelated to this name. The Spanish raído is pronounced with three syllables (ra-Í-do), emphasizing the "í", but my name is pronounced with 2 syllables (RAI-ðo), emphasizing "rai".

Estonian

Raido is a common male given name in Estonia (derived from Raymond). Raiðo is entirely unrelated to this name, this is what is referred to in linguistics as a "false friend".

While the Estonian "Raido" is an almost exclusively male name, Raiðo is a strongly feminine name in its Proto-Germanic origin culture.