Thurisaz Rune Meaning — the Giant and the ᚦ Rune Explained

Thurisaz (ᚦ) is the third rune of the Elder Futhark and it means "giant" — one of the jötnar, the primordial giants of Norse mythology. It carries the sound th (þ) and appears in all three historical futharks: as Thurisaz in the Elder Futhark, Þurs in the Viking-Age Younger Futhark, and Ðorn in the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc.

ᚦ

What does Thurisaz mean?

The name comes from Proto-Germanic *þurisaz, "giant," the same root behind Old Norse þurs and the jötnar of Norse myth — the giants who stand opposed to the gods throughout the sagas and Eddas. The rune is often popularly linked to Thor (Old Norse Þórr), whose own name actually derives from a separate root meaning "thunder," so the two words are not etymologically related. The association is a fair one on a thematic level, though: Thor's chief role in Norse myth is as the gods' giant-slayer, wielding Mjölnir against the þursar again and again.

Old English speakers renamed the rune entirely. Rather than keep a mythological giant, they called it Ðorn — "thorn," a literal, sharp plant. That is a real, documented split, not a minor spelling change: the Norse tradition kept the supernatural sense, while the Anglo-Saxon tradition replaced it with an everyday hazard. Both traditions still agree on one thing — danger.

Thurisaz in the three rune poems

Þurs vældr kvinna kvillu; kátr værðr fár af illu.

"The giant brings torment to women; few find cheer in misfortune." — Norwegian Rune Poem, c. 13th century

Þurs er kvenna kvöl ok kletta búi ok varðrúnar verr.

"The giant is women's torment, the dweller of the cliffs, and the husband of the giantess Varðrún." — Icelandic Rune Poem, c. 15th century

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

"The thorn is cruelly sharp; to grasp it harms any man, fierce beyond measure to all who rest among it." — Old English Rune Poem, c. 8th–9th century

Both Norse poems keep to the giant: a figure of menace, tied to cliffs and to a mythological wife, Varðrún, about whom little else survives in the sources. The Old English poem drops the giant altogether and gives us instead a plain, physical warning — grasp a thorn and it will hurt you. Same rune, same note of danger, but one tradition tells it through myth and the other through a garden hazard.

How to write Thurisaz

Thurisaz stands for the sound th (written þ, "thorn," in Old Norse and Icelandic). Any name or word containing that sound will use ᚦ when transliterated — try it in our free rune translator, which writes your name in the Elder, Younger or Anglo-Saxon rows and lets you download it as a poster. The full texts of all three rune poems, with our translations, are on the same page.

Thurisaz, giants and the letter þ

Thurisaz sits third in the row, after the wealth of Fehu and the ox-strength of Uruz and before the divine speech of Ansuz — a reminder that danger and hostile forces were as much a part of the Norse worldview as prosperity and the gods. You can read every rune in order in our Elder Futhark rune meanings guide, and runic inscriptions appear across our Viking jewelry collection.

Thurisaz FAQ

What does the Thurisaz rune mean?

Thurisaz (ᚦ) is the third rune of the Elder Futhark and means "giant," naming the jötnar of Norse mythology. Its Younger Futhark name Þurs kept the same sense, while Old English renamed the rune Ðorn, "thorn."

What letter does Thurisaz represent?

The sound "th," written þ (thorn) in Old Norse and Icelandic. It is the third rune of the Elder Futhark row, following Uruz.

Why did Old English call this rune "thorn" instead of "giant"?

The Anglo-Saxon Futhorc kept the same th- sound but replaced the Norse giant with a literal, sharp thorn plant — a shift away from mythology toward an everyday, physical hazard, similar to how Ansuz ("a god") became Os ("mouth") in the same tradition.