Thurisaz (ᚦ): meaning of the rune of the giant and the thorn

Who is Thurisaz?

Thurisaz is written ᚦ: a vertical stave to which is attached a pointed triangle projecting to the right. It notes the sound þ, called "thorn" in English, pronounced like the "th" of thin. The same letter still exists in modern Icelandic.

It is the third rune of the Elder Futhark. Its reconstructed name, *þurisaz, designates a being from myth, a giant or a monster, in the Germanic languages. The shape (a point, a thorn) made it easy to link images to that name.

The meaning of the rune's name

The name *þurisaz is reconstructed from Old Norse þurs (giant, troll) and Old English þyrs; these are words for the hostile beings of the wild world. In Norse mythology, these giants, the jötnar, are at once the enemies of the gods and their neighbours, sometimes their kin or their friends, which makes the figure more subtle than simply "the villain".

In Old English, the rune is called þorn, that is, "thorn". Researchers think the Anglo-Saxon scribes renamed the rune after a more everyday word. This is a case where two traditions disagree on the meaning of the same sign.

What the rune poems say

The Scandinavian poems therefore see mainly a threatening being, the Anglo-Saxon poem a prickly plant. In both cases, the subject is a point that wounds.

Inscriptions and ancient uses

The rune appears in ancient inscriptions with the sound þ, mainly in the writing of names and common words; we do not know whether it was then also read for its name. In Anglo-Saxon England, it remained a true letter until the Middle Ages: it is found in manuscripts in Old English and, long afterwards, in certain Middle English texts. A distant legacy is visible: the abbreviation "ye" in old writing, often read as "the", is in fact a misunderstood þ.

In Icelandic, the letter þ has come down through the centuries to the present day, which makes it one of the rare runic signs still found in a modern alphabet.

Thurisaz in a modern reading: upright

Reminder: rune reading is a 20th-century practice. The meanings given below come from modern books, which draw freely on the medieval poems.

Upright, Thurisaz is most often associated with a force of rupture or defence: an obstacle, a limit to set, a sharp reaction. The image of the thorn invites one to think about what protects by pricking. The image of the giant evokes what is great, raw and hard to control.

In a reading, it invites you to look at what blocks, what irritates, what calls for a firm "no". It does not say the situation is dangerous: it proposes naming what resists.

Reversed Thurisaz

Reversed, Thurisaz is sometimes read as a poorly regulated defence: aggression that wounds without need, a conflict that lingers, a touchiness that flares up. Some authors see instead the moment to disarm.

These readings vary. Use them as a question: is my limit clear, or am I pricking everyone?

A reflection exercise with Thurisaz

Write two lists: what I want to protect and what annoys me at the moment. For each irritation, check whether it touches on a limit to be set. Formulate a calm and precise sentence that you could say or write.

If the subject is tense, do not deal with it alone through a rune reading: speak to the person concerned or to a trusted friend.

Thurisaz's place in the futhark

Thurisaz is rune no. 3 of 24. It occupies place 3 in the first family (aett), sometimes called the family of Freyr. It follows Uruz and precedes Ansuz.

Thurisaz closes a sequence of three runes that evoke wild nature: livestock (Fehu), the aurochs (Uruz), then the giant. The next rune, Ansuz, on the contrary introduces a god and speech, which makes a neat contrast that helps you remember what comes next.

To place all the runes relative to one another, see the rune guide and the page The Elder Futhark: history and reading of the 24 runes.

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to Guide to the runes.