Runes of Power

[Kyledanger]

When riding my bicycle I like to sing songs about MiddleEarth. (to help me keep my cadance) They are mostly about the Rohirrim (especially about their acts of heroism on the Pelinnor Fields) but occasionally I will sing bits of songs I can remember from LoTR. My favorite is Gimli's song in Moria which contains:

A king he was on a carven thrown.
In many pillared halls of stone.
With golden roof and silver floor
And runes of power on the door.
The light of sun, and star and moon
In shining lamps of crystal hewn
Undimmed by cloud or shade of night
There shone for ever fair and bright

So what were runes of power? I believe the Norse tradition of "runes of power" was mostly runes of the gods. Since the dwarves wrote in runes, would they be words or phrases? Perhaps, "beware of dog"

This is probably my favorite LoTR song, what is yours?