In 1751 Quadrio published his Versi in lingua runica (Verses in the Runic language) as part of a collection of comic poetry edited by Pietro Verri. Quadrio is the author of an extensive history of universal literature (1739-52), which gave him the opportunity to acquire some knowledge of the Old Norse culture, reflected in his ‘Runic’ verses. The text consists of a meaningless poem composed of various single Old Norse words, and of a commentary which combines authentic information on Old Norse culture with the author’s personal creations in order to build a network of historical, literary, and cultural references around the text. The aim of the present essay is to identify Quadrio’s sources, among which Keyßler’s 1720 book on Nordic antiquities plays a major role, and to study their use and treatment in order to understand the author’s work. Quadrio assembles an apparently very learned text, but his real aim is to create a comic effect, in keeping with the general purpose of the collection. The Old Norse language and culture convey an especially exotic taste, the fruit of Quadrio’s uncommon expertise in this field.