thurisaz ᚦ

Pronunciation: THOOR-ee-sahz

Alternative names: Thorn, Thurs, Thor

Translation: thorn, giant, Thor

Sound: “TH” as in “thorn”

Associated Concepts and Interpretations

Balance/a return to balance

Catalyst/transformation arising from chaos

Contemplation

Destruction/breaking down barriers

Disruption

Earth

Facing challenge/turmoil

Jotnar (the Giants/Thursis)

Lightning

Might/strength

Pain/discomfort with purpose

Potency

Primal power/unstructured natural forces

Protection/resistance to danger

Regeneration

Thor (the god, the “Giant Slayer”)

The unconscious/irrational/chthonic

Varðrúnar (“warding rune”)

Warning

Woman’s health/fertility

Associated Rune Poems

(as translated by Bruce Dickins, 1915; public domain)

A number of interpretations are derived from the various runic poems and those associated with this rune (where available) are included below for further consideration.

Norwegian:

ᚦ Þurs vældr kvinna kvillu; 
kátr værðr fár af illu

ᚦ Thurs 
Giant causes anguish to women; 
misfortune makes few men cheerful

Icelandic:

ᚦ Þurs er kvenna kvöl
   ok kletta búi
   ok varðrúnar verr.
   Saturnus þengill

Thurs - Giant 
   Torture of women 
   and cliff-dweller 
   and husband of a giantess

Anglo-Saxon:

ᚦ Ðorn byþ ðearle scearp; ðegna gehwylcum 
   anfeng ys yfyl, ungemetum reþe 
   manna gehwelcum, ðe him mid resteð

Thorn 
The thorn is exceedingly sharp, 
an evil thing for any knight to touch, 
uncommonly severe on all who sit among them.

last updated: 20 dec 2021

A list of references is available.

Audio associated with this rune is a creation of the author’s and is released to the public domain. Back-linking and attribution are appreciated, but not required, for use.